RCR Requirements, Training and Credit

Ph.D. degree - RCR requirement

Since Summer/Fall 2003, ALL matriculating Ph.D. students at Duke University are required to complete 12 or 18 hours in RCR training specified below by disciplinary area.

To accomplish this, each Ph.D. student must attend ONE of three Fall RCR Orientations (see below) AND should attend at least three (3) RCR Forums within the first three years of his/her program to meet the number of training hours required for the degree.

Basic Medical Science Track 18 hours total
Orientation (see website) 12 hours
Forums 6 hours
Natural Science and Engineering Track 12 hours total
Orientation 6 hours
Forums 6 hours
Humanities and Social Science Track 12 hours total
Orientation 6 hours
Forums 6 hours

NOTE: Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) students (combined M.D./Ph.D. degree) who begin their Ph.D program on or after Summer 2003 must complete RCR training as appropriate to their Ph.D. program of study. NOTE: This number may be increased at any time to meet changes in federal regulations.

RCR Training

(1) RCR Orientation Events

Each Ph.D. student must attend ONE (1) of the Graduate School's mandatory Fall RCR Orientation programs (GS310A or GS310B) as determined by department or program (see departmental list below).

Fall 2008 RCR Orientation dates for entering Ph.D. students:
NOTE:  Pre-registration is required. Students will receive instructions via email in June.

  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Schedule (GS 310A-01: Campus workshop)
    Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008, 9:00am-5:00pm
    Durham Hilton Hotel, 3800 Hillsborough Road, www.durham.hilton.com
    (light breakfast, lunch and reception provided)
    RCR Welcome letter 2008 Natural Science and Engineering

  • Humanities and Social Sciences Schedule (GS 310A-02: Campus workshop)
    Friday, Aug. 22, 2008, 9:00am-5:00pm
    Durham Hilton Hotel, 3800 Hillsborough Road, www.durham.hilton.com
    (light breakfast, lunch, and reception provided)
    RCR Welcome letter 2008 Humanities and Social Sciences

  • Basic Medical Sciences (GS 310B: Beaufort workshop)
    Aug. 22-24, 2008 (Friday through Sunday)
    RCR Retreat, Duke Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC
    (Transportation, lodging, and meals provided)
    See http://biosci.mc.duke.edu/retreat.html

(2) GS311 RCR Forums

Beyond the RCR Orientation, each Ph.D. student must complete six (6) additional hours of RCR training during his or her first three years of study. This requirement can be met by attending three RCR Forums (2-hour workshops, GS311 or GS312 ) offered each Fall and Spring on a wide range of topics. The schedule of RCR Forums will be provided at the beginning of each semester. Students are responsible for checking the schedule, pre-registering, and participating in these events to complete their RCR degree requirement. Students must pre-register for RCR Forums on the Graduate School web site - NOT through ACES.

(3) GS312: Departmental RCR Forums

The Graduate School collaborates with other Duke Schools, departments, campus centers and offices to promote discipline-specific training in RCR-related issues. While many groups may sponsor events on ethical topics, only events pre-approved by The Graduate School qualify for RCR transcript credit. Contact the Graduate School if you are uncertain whether an event will qualify.
Click below to see GS312 Forums that were offered :
Spring 2007 (Click here for .pdf file)
Fall 2007 (Click here for .pdf file)

(4) Online RCR Training

While some universities and organizations utilize online modules for RCR training, we support a more interactive, personal conversation and discussion with a representative group of your peers, faculty, and/or other research professionals. The Duke ideal for graduate study is a small number of students in a mentoring relationship with faculty and other researchers. While the Graduate School plans to develop and use certain modules as preparation for training events, we think person-to-person contact and discussion of such issues is a vital component of RCR training and your professional development. We consider the best practice in RCR education to be active thinking and discussion about realistic scenarios that might surface in the context of conducting research in your field of knowledge.

RCR Transcript Credit

Transcript credit is only awarded to graduate students who matriculated into their Ph.D. program on or after Summer 2003. Completion of the RCR requirement will be monitored by the Graduate School and documented on each student's university transcript as:

  • GS310A (campus orientation) 6 credits
  • GS310B (Beaufort orientation) 12 credits, or
  • GS311 (any RCR Forum or other approved training) usually 2 credits
  • GS312 (Departmental RCR Forums, variable credit)

Students can monitor their own progress toward RCR training by looking in ACES under their Academic History. For the student, your transcript will provide certification of RCR training for various professional societies, for compliance with federal requirements (where applicable), and when applying for research grants.

Please allow sufficient time after any RCR training event for information to be compiled in the Graduate School, submitted to the Registrar, and entered onto your official university transcript. All credit is entered retroactively after the completion of the event.

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