Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR)
Research Integrity and Security
Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research
Mines requires all students and employees involved in research to be trained in the responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR). Mines endorses six core values of research identified in Fostering Integrity in Research:1
| Objectivity | Accountability | Honesty |
| Fairness | Openness | Stewardship |
Core topics in responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) education include collaborative research, data management, responsible authorship, research misconduct, mentor/mentee relationships, conflict of interest and commitment, research involving human subjects, research security, export controls, ethics and society.
RECR Training Requirements
As noted in Mines’ Procedures for Addressing Allegations of Research Misconduct (Article 2.2), all active researchers, regardless of funding source, must complete training in Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR). Research-active students must complete training as early as possible during their education; academic faculty and research employees must complete training every five years.
Research-active faculty, staff, and students can access this important training online through the CITI program. The training is self-paced and meets the base level of research ethics compliance. Modules in the RECR course include topics such as research misconduct, authorship, data management, collaborative research, export controls, mentorship, conflicts of interest/commitment, and research security.
Several courses are available for graduate students to satisfy this requirement, including SYGN 502, HASS 565, and options in Chemistry (CHGN 540), Physics (PHGN 503), and Chemical & Biological Engineering (CBEN 568) open to students in those respective programs. Workshops are open to anyone engaging in research at Mines.
| Required Training | Format | |
| Undergraduate | CITI – Undergraduate Students (RECR) | Online |
| Graduate – Thesis | CITI – Graduate Students (RECR) |
Online or Approved Course
*CITI training alone does not meet the NIH requirements. Take SYGN 502 OR complete the online training and workshops. |
| Postdocs | CITI – Postdocs (RECR) |
Online
*CITI training alone does not meet the NIH requirements. Complete the online training and workshops. |
| Faculty | CITI – Faculty (RECR) |
Online
*CITI training alone does not meet the NIH requirements. Complete the online training and workshops. |
| Administration/Staff | CITI – Administration (RECR) | Online |
NIH requires eight hours of face-to-face training every four years for scholars, trainees, participants, and fellows. See NIH Responsible Conduct of Research Training for more information. Instruction must be taken at least once during each career stage of the individual, and not less than once every four years. NIH funded graduate students are encouraged to take SYGN 502 to meet the in-person training requirement.
NSF funding requires RECR training for all principal investigators, co-investigators, faculty, key persons, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students. See NSF Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for more information.
RECR Workshops
Research Integrity and Security is partnering with campus colleagues to offer workshops as part of our Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) program. The workshops are open to students, faculty, and staff.
Research Security – Brown Bag Lunch and Learn
October 29, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Marquez 222
Bring your lunch and join the Research Integrity and Security team for a session focused on the evolving research security landscape. Requirements around research security have progressed quickly since 2021. We’ll explore the intersection of research ethics and research security, review federal requirements for research security, and discuss elements of Mines’ research security program. This session provides an overview of the overall research security landscape and impacts for Mines.
Register here: https://cglink.me/2iH/r1606384