The following matrix represents a starting point to help you determine which RECR training you need to complete. Please note that for NSF, USDA-NIFA and certain NIH programs, this training requirement is associated with the terms and conditions of a federal award. By submitting a proposal, investigators are committing themselves to completing them.
To see what Research Compliance training you have already completed, go to this report (log in with NetID & password). Note: If off-campus, you must connect to the GlobalProtect VPN first.
| Sponsor | Required or recommended | Covered individuals | Instructional methodology |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSF | Required | Faculty, senior personnel, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate students supported by NSF funding to conduct research. | Online through CITI* |
| USDA-NIFA | Required | Program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in the research project. | Online through CITI* |
| NIH | Required for certain grant programs | Trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training grant, career development grant (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant. | 8 hours of contact/interactive instruction, determined by the RCR instructional plan submitted in the project proposal. |
| Other sponsored research | Recommended | All personnel engaged in any facet of research, including faculty, Postdocs, graduate students, and research staff. | Online through CITI* |
*CITI is an online training platform that offers sponsor-compliant RECR training. See enrollment instructions below.
RECR Training in CITI
UPDATE: As of 6/24/2025, the CITI RECR course list has been streamlined into a single option "Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR).” Versions titled Biomedical, Physical Science, Social & Behavioral, Engineering, and Humanities are no longer available, but still count toward the sponsor requirements until they expire.
The online CITI Program contains a research ethics training course designed to meet the requirements of NSF and USDA-NIFA RECR policies. Any member of the UMass community with a NetID can enroll in any of the CITI courses and webinars.
More information on sponsor-specific RECR training requirements can be found here.
Enrollment Instructions:
- Go to the CITI Program
- Select University of Massachusetts Amherst from the dropdown menu and click on Continue to SSO Login/Instructions.
- Enter your UMass Amherst NetID and Password. If this is your first time on the CITI platform, you may be asked to complete a profile or update an existing one.
- The Welcome dashboard lists your Active Courses, Courses Ready to Begin, and Completed Courses. If this is your first time at the site these sections will be empty.
- To add a course, go to the bottom of your Welcome dashboard. Under Learner Tools for University of Massachusetts, select Add a Course.
- On the Select Curriculum page choose Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research or Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research-Spanish and click Next.
- On the Selection page, choose Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR)
- Click Next.
- A list of optional Webinars will appear on the next page. You may select any that are of interest. Click Next to move to the following page.
- CITI will return you to your Welcome dashboard, where your choice(s) will appear under Courses Ready to Begin. Select Start Now to begin the training.
- There are 11 required modules and 6 supplemental (optional) modules.
- Please note that Research Security (Combined) training is offered as one of the supplemental modules. Please take this if you are a key person in a proposal to or award from a federal agency and you have yet to complete this critical training.
- Modules do not need to be completed at one sitting, but all must be taken and passed.
For assistance with RECR training (including questions regarding CITI), contact Melinda LeLacheur, RECR Facilitator, at @email or (413) 545-5283.