RCR & Research Security Training

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Overview

In order to meet new training requirements from federal funding agencies, all VU schools require that faculty and staff engaged in sponsored research complete training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and in Research Security. If you are engaged in sponsored research, you are required to complete this training by January 15th. The training is available in CITI Program and takes about 1-2 hours to complete. Please read below for more information and direct any questions to ric@vanderbilt.edu.

Training Requirement

To complete the required RCR and Research Security training, you will need to take the following two courses in CITI Program:

  • RCR for VU Faculty and Staff
  • Research Security for VU Faculty and Staff

Both courses are offered in classic (text-based) and audio-visual options. Once you complete the courses, you have completed your training. Completion data are compiled automatically and there is no need to email your training certificate. VU requires RCR training every 4 years and research security training annually. 

How to complete the training

If you already have a CITI Program account, you can enroll in both courses by clicking the automatic course enrollment link. Please note, CITI now uses VU Single Sign On (SSO) via Otka.

RCR and Research Security Automatic Course Enrollment 

If you do not have a CITI Account or CITI does not recognize your account as associated with VU, please follow the instructions below instead.

CITI Account Creation and Account Matching Instructions 

Office Hours

If you have questions, drop in to a Zoom session from 1-2 p.m. Monday through Friday for personalized guidance on completing RCR and Research Security training in CITI Program. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is this training required now?

    Yes, this training is required now for all VU personnel who are engaged in sponsored research. You must complete this training by January 15th or prior to any application for federal funding where you are listed as a Senior/Key personnel, whichever comes first. 

  • How does VU determine who is engaged in sponsored research?

    If you indicated that you were engaged in sponsored research on your most recent COI disclosure, then you are considered to be engaged in sponsored research and required to do the training. 

    If you indicated that you are not engaged in sponsored research but plan to apply for federal funding, please update your COI Disclosure and complete the training prior to any application for federal funding.

     

  • Does this requirement apply to graduate students?

    If graduate students are serving as Senior/Key personnel on a research proposal, then they are required to take both courses prior to proposal submission.

    Please note that this currently does not apply to NIH F series fellowship applications. However, while graduate students are excepted from this requirement for NIH F series applications, faculty mentors are required to complete both of the trainings prior to proposal submission.

  • Who do I contact for help with my CITI account?

    Please contact ric@vanderbilt.edu for help with your CITI Program account, including account access issues, problems with course enrollment, and any issues with SSO. 

  • My CITI account shows that I have already completed the training, do I have to do it again?

    If your CITI account indicates you have already completed the training, you do not have to take the training again. It is possible that you completed the required modules to meet other training requirements at your school. 

  • Why did Vanderbilt select these trainings?

    These trainings were selected by the Research Integrity and Compliance Committee and other key stakeholders on campus because they best fit the current needs of the VU community while meeting many federal requirements for Research Security and RCR training.

  • Do the trainings fulfill requirements for federal sponsors?

    Yes, the Research Security training fulfills the requirement to complete research security training for agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Additionally, it fulfills the NIH requirement on disclosure training. The RCR training fulfills the NSF requirement for training in the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research. 

  • Does Vanderbilt require VU specific training for subawardees?

    No. When working with sub-awardees on a grant proposal, they must comply with federal (not VU) requirements for training. It is the sub-awardee's responsibility to verify training completion for covered individuals when filling out the Subrecipient Statement of Collaborative Intent (SSCI) form. 

  • Does VUMC have a research security training requirement?

    Yes, VUMC maintains a research security training requirement. You can find more information at the VUMC Research Security Training webpage. For VUMC-specific questions, please reach out to ResearchSecurity@vumc.org.

    Note: As of October 1, 2025, VU and VUMC have harmonized their institutional training requirements to reduce the administrative burden on researchers. If you have a dual appointment and have completed the required research security training for your primary appointment, you will not have to complete additional training for your secondary appointment. VUMC faculty are also not required to complete the VU-specific RCR training.

  • Can I take other RCR or Research Security courses in CITI?

    Yes, you may take other RCR or Research Security courses for free. However, only "RCR for VU Faculty and Staff" and "Research Security for VU Faculty and Staff" will fulfill the VU training requirement.

  • Is Research Security training the same as Cybersecurity Training?

    No. These are two separate training requirements. Please see the Cybersecurity Training page for more guidance on cybersecurity training.

  • Is RCR training the same as Human Subjects training?

    No. These are two separate training requirements. Please see the VU SERB IRB page for more information on human research protection training. 

  • Is there a dashboard or report that grants managers can use to confirm training has been completed?

    We are currently working on creating a dashboard and reporting system for grants managers and other departmental administrators to verify training completion. Until these features are available, please email ric@vanderbilt.edu with any questions about training completion and we will get back to you as soon as possible.