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Please see below for training requirements for Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and rigor & reproducibility in research for training programs supported by the NSF, USDA NIFA, and NIH.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

NSF RCR Training Requirement

NSF requires all undergraduate, graduate students, postdocs, faculty and senior key personnel who receive NSF support (salary and/or stipend) to conduct research be provided RCR training. For more info please see NSF RCR FAQ.

UF Requirement for NSF-Sponsored Training

In response to NSF’s requirement, the University of Florida requires all students, postdocs, faculty and staff conducting research and paid (salary and/or stipend) from a NSF-sponsored project to complete the RCR Training provided through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI).

USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

NIFA RCR Training Requirement

NIFA requires all program directors, faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and staff who are paid from NIFA grants receive RCR training. The RCR training provided to each individual must be documented and is subject to NIFA review.

Full text can be found on page 5 of the NIFA’s February 2013 Agency-Specific Terms & Conditions (PDF). For newer versions of the NIFA Agency Specific Terms and Conditions, please visit the NSF host website.

UF Requirement for NIFA-Sponsored Training

In response to NIFA’s requirement, the University of Florida requires all Principal Investigators, faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and staff who are paid (salary and/or stipend) directly from a NIFA sponsored project to complete the RCR Training provided through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). 

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH RCR Training Requirement

NIH requires all trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant receive RCR training. For more info about the NIH policy and required instructional components (format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration of instruction, and frequency of instruction), please see NIH RCR FAQ. The most recent NIH notice outlining requirements for RCR instruction are located here: (NOT-OD-22-055).

NIH Rigor & Reproducibility Training Requirement

The NIH training requirements for NIH training grant (T), individual fellowship (F), and career development award (K) applications include rigor and reproducibility. For more info about the new requirements, please see NIH RCR FAQ.

UF Requirements for NIH-Sponsored Training

  • Principal Investigators must submit an RCR Training Plan in the proposal submission that meets the RCR Training expectations of the NIH.
  • Principal Investigators are responsible for maintaining RCR training records to document that all NIH supported trainees, fellows, and scholars received the required instruction.
  • RCR Training Plans must include significant face-to-face interaction and participation, and specific instructional components in terms of format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration of instruction, and frequency of instruction. The R4I@UF Case of the Month discussions are designed to provide opportunities for mentors to participate in RCR instruction in an ongoing manner.
  • A recommended RCR training plan for NIH individual fellowships (F30, F31, and F32) can be found at the F Force – NIH Fellowship Toolkit, along with other resources for preparing NIH fellowship applications.
  • A recommended RCR training plan for NIH institutional training grants (T32) can be found at the T Team – NIH Training Grants Toolkit, along with other resources for preparing NIH training grant applications.
  • Please see Courses for a list of UF graduate courses that meet NIH requirements and should be included in an RCR training plan.
  • The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) offers online RCR Training by discipline (Biomedical, Social and Behavioral, Physical Science, Humanities, Engineers) is also a good source of RCR Training. CITI RCR training can be included in an NIH RCR Training Plan, but online training alone does NOT meet NIH requirements. RCR training plans that include only CITI RCR training will not be reviewed by the NIH.