All WashU postdoctoral appointees must ensure the integrity of their research and other academic and scholarly activities. Thus, new postdocs must complete mandatory Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training, with at least 2-hour in-person training within their first 90 days at WashU.
Responsible conduct of research (RCR) is an essential component of the scientific enterprise. RCR core responsibilities include but are not limited to honesty, rigor, and transparency in conducting and reporting of research; fairness and respect for research co-authors, participants, the wider community, animals, and the environment; and accountability for research. Learn more about RCR training at WashU here.
RCR training during New Postdoc Orientation
All new postdocs have to complete a 2-hour in person training on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) within their first 90 days at WashU.
RCR training for postdocs is part of the mandatory New Postdoc Orientation, which takes place on the second Friday of January, March, May, July, September, and November.
Based on the WashU PERCSS curriculum, the selected topics for this 2-hour training for postdocs are:
- Research Integrity (1-hour training)
- Authorship (1-hour training)
Each hour of the training is recorded centrally via Workday Learning.
Important: This 2-hour training may not be sufficient to satisfy postdocs’ RCR minimum requirements.
Minimum RCR requirements
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research reminds postdoctoral appointees that there are minimum RCR requirements to be satisfied:
- Postdocs on NIH training grants, career awards, or fellowships are required to receive 8 hours of face-to-face RCR education per career stage. Please consult the NIH Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (NOT-OD-10-019).
- Postdocs on any NSF award must complete at least 1 hour of face-to-face education per year and one-time completion of the online PERCSS curriculum. Please consult the NSF Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) Guidelines.
- Postdocs with other sources of funding must follow the RCR training requirements imposed by their funding agencies.
Learn more about RCR training at Washington University here.
Questions? Contact us at postdoc@wustl.edu.