Research Assistant/Technician RECR Education

All Research Assistants and Technicians supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) grants awarded on or after August 1, 2023, must complete Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) education. This requirement addresses new federal mandates from the Chips and Science Act 2022.

Starting May 15, 2024, Research Assistants and Technicians supported on new NSF awards must complete the education program within 60 days from the award start. Those supported on awards starting between August 1, 2023, and May 15, 2024, must complete the program within 60 days of enrollment in the MSU Research Assistant/Technician RECR Program on May 15, 2024.

Additionally, all Research Assistants and Technicians supported by United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) grants must complete Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) education. Graduate students are already compliant through a program administered by The Graduate School. This requirement has been in place by the funding agency for several years now. 

All Research Assistants and Technicians  supported on active awards as of July 22, 2024 must complete the education program within 60 days from this date, if not already completed. Those supported on awards starting after July 22, 2024, must complete the program within 60 days of  enrollment in the MSU Research Asistant/Technican RECR Program.

The required training aims to:

1. Educate RAs/Techs on key research and scholarship topics deemed important by MSU.
2. Meet all federal requirements and guidelines for training and RECR education content and frequency.
3. Provide up-to-date information on federal policies and key issues of integrity in research, scholarship, and creative activity.

RAs/Techs must complete the following CITI - Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative modules:

1. Introduction to RCR (RCR-Basic) - ID: 17009
2. Mentoring and Healthy Research Environments (RCR-Basic) - ID: 20983
3. Authorship (RCR-Basic) - ID: 16597
4. Plagiarism (RCR-Basic) - ID: 15156
5. Data Management (RCR-Basic) - ID: 20896
6. Research Misconduct (RCR-Basic) - ID: 16604

All six modules must be completed for course credit, though not necessarily at the same time. Each module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.

The CITI FAQ page (MSU login required) provides instructions for adding the proper CITI course group and ensuring your completion records are imported into MSU's Ability LMS system.

A record of completion will be documented in the Ability system within a week after completing all course modules. Ability LMS tracks all compliance training and education completion on campus. The Research Integrity Office will monitor RA/Tech compliance with these requirements.

Faculty PI and co-PI supervisors are asked to assign their personnel supported on the grant to the appropriate RECR course in the Ability system, including:

1. Research Associates and Postdoctoral Researchers
2. Research Assistants and Technicians
3. Undergraduate Students

Research Assistant and Technicians can enroll in the appropriate learning track in MSU's Ability LMS using the following link:

• Research Assistants and Technicians

Additional helpful information can be found on the RECR FAQ page (MSU login required)

Online CITI Training Modules

Research Assistant/Technician RECR Program (select this in CITI)

• Introduction to RCR (RCR-Basic) - ID: 17009
• Mentoring and Healthy Research Environments (RCR-Basic) - ID: 20983
• Authorship (RCR-Basic) - ID: 16597
• Plagiarism (RCR-Basic) - ID: 15156
• Data Management (RCR-Basic) - ID: 20896
• Research Misconduct (RCR-Basic) - ID: 16604

The approximate time for each module is 30 min.

Access the training modules at CITI

• Login "Through My Organization" using your MSU NetID and password.
• Select "MSU Research Assistant/Technician RECR Program"

Research Security Training

As of October 1, 2024, MSU is expanding its Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) education to include a mandatory Research Security training component. This new requirement is being implemented in phases over the next several months starting with Research Associates and Postdoctoral Researchers supported by new NSF (awarded after 8/1/2023) and all USDA-NIFA grants.

Research Assistants and Technicians will automatically receive an enrollment notification, for some, starting October 1, 2024. The training should be completed within 30 days of notification. Once the training has been assigned, you can access it through the Ability LMS using your MSU NetID. Completion will be recorded in your Ability LMS profile.

• Visit the RECR FAQ for additional information.
• Learn more about the MSU Research Security Program.
• Contact RECREducation@msu.edu with questions.