USM places a priority on ensuring the responsible and ethical conduct of research. To achieve this goal, USM has implemented a program that:

  • Promotes an institutional culture of integrity in research;
  • Raises faculty, staff, and students’ awareness about the responsible and ethical conduct of research;
  • Provides resources to assist faculty, staff, and students desiring to make responsible and ethical decisions about research;
  • Achieves compliance with National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH) training and oversight requirements in the responsible and ethical conduct of research.

Reporting Alleged Research Misconduct and Animal Protocol Violations

Reporting Alleged Mismanagement of Federal Funds

Restricted Data Compliance eMail and and Web reporting form (USM)

RCR-101 Reporting Alleged Research Misconduct Policy (pdf)

RCR-102 Sequestration of Research Records Policy (pdf)

RCR-103 Anti-Retaliation-Policy-for-Reporting-of-Misconduct-in-Research Policy (pdf)

If a legitimate reason exists for a student or other grant personnel not attending one of these sessions, please contact ORIO to set-up an alternative training session.

If you have successfully completed an RCR training at another location please contact ORIO to determine if the training qualifies for your current USM RCR training requirement. 

eMail usmorio@maine.edu for the next bi-annual RCR in-person session: April and October each year. Off schedule by request.

Register for Friday March 29, 2024 in person training; 12:30 pm to 4 pm at 202 Payson Smith building on the Portland Campus

Faculty and other senior personnel: In order to maintain compliance with NIH and NSF requirements, USM conducts a mandatory Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in-person training twice a year, typically in the Spring and Fall semesters.  These in-person training sessions will be a total of four hours and must be completed in conjunction with the CITI RCR Basic Course module.

The following grant personnel must attend one of these training sessions every four years:

  • For National Institute of Health (NIH) grants: Any “trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars” receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant Please note this RCR training requirement only applies to the following NIH projects: D43, D71, F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38, K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1, KL2, R25, R36, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, and U2R programs, or where the funding opportunity announcement states instruction in RCR is required.
  • For National Science Foundation (NSF) grants: Any students (undergraduates and graduates) and postdoctoral researchers who receive NSF funds (support from salary and/or stipends to conduct research on NSF grants).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact:

Ross Hickey, J.D., CIP, CPIA
Assistant Provost for Research Integrity
Director Maine Regulatory Training and Ethics Center
126 Bedford Street
Portland, Maine 04104-9300
(207) 780 4340
Ross.Hickey@maine.edu

All grant personnel required to attend the in-person training session and complete the CITI RCR module titled: RCR Basic Course every four years. National Institute for Health (NIH) must ALSO take the Safe Research Environments course.

Responsible Conduct of Research training is available online through CITI, and can be found by clicking on this link: RCR CITI Training (external link).

Instructions:

  1. If this is your first CITI training course, you will have to register.
  2. Please select the University of Maine System as the Participating Institution
  3. Select and complete the course entitled RCR Basic Course.
  4. Please use the visual guides provided below for reference.

USM places a priority on ensuring the responsible and ethical conduct of research. To achieve this goal, USM has implemented a program that:

  • Promotes an institutional culture of integrity in research;
  • Raises faculty, staff, and students’ awareness about the responsible and ethical conduct of research;
  • Provides resources to assist faculty, staff, and students desiring to make responsible and ethical decisions about research;
  • Achieves compliance with National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH) training and oversight requirements in the responsible and ethical conduct of research.
  • Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research – ORI (pdf)
  • The Lab: Avoiding Research Misconduct – interactive video (external link)
  • The Research Clinic – interactive video (external link)