RCR Frequently Asked Questions

A: The Graduate School requires all enrolled (and registered) graduate students to complete two RCR training components:  

• Phase I training, Graduate School RCR Training Requirement includes completing one synchronous (live) training session with the Howard Office of Regulatory Research Compliance and five asynchronous online modules taken on the Canvas platform. Full participation is required to receive credit for the training. Phase I training is a one-time participation requirement and is offered each semester. The certification students receive upon successful completion of the training does not expire.   

• Phase II training, Online CITI RCR Training Course Requirement, is an online training course offered through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). CITI certification expires every two years. Students should seek advice from their academic advisors concerning the best time to complete the course during their enrollment in The Graduate School.   

A: The Graduate School RCR Training aims to provide graduate students with information on pertinent federal and University guidelines and regulations on the responsible conduct of research. Workshop topics include intellectual property, data acquisition, and management, Institutional Review Board (IRB) policies and procedures, and responding to ethical dilemmas in research, among other areas.  

A: The Graduate School RCR training is a one-time participation requirement. Once a student has successfully completed the training and passed the associated module assessments, the student will not need to complete the training again.  

A: The Graduate School’s RCR Training is offered each semester. Students are expected to complete the Fall RCR Training by mid-December and the Spring RCR Training by mid-May.  

A: Students will receive a certificate of completion after successfully completing the training and corresponding module assessments. A copy of the certificate will NOT be maintained in The Graduate School. Students are responsible for retaining a copy of their certificate for submission when applying for candidacy or mandatory research review at ORRC. 

A: The Graduate School RCR certificate of completion is valid for the duration of the student's matriculation in The Graduate School.  

A: No. There is no substitution for the Howard University RCR training certification administered through The Graduate School or the applicable CITI RCR course. 

A: No; please note that the CITI online course includes an RCR module that must be completed in addition to The Graduate School’s RCR training requirement. The CITI RCR module does not replace The Graduate School’s RCR training requirement; both are mandated by the Office of Regulatory Research Compliance (ORRC). Without exception, all graduate students will be required to present certifications for both training components when applying for mandatory research review at ORRC and when applying to advance to candidacy in The Graduate School. Students are required to complete both training components to graduate.  

A: www.citiprogram.org  

A: Howard University  

A: No registration fee is required for The Graduate School’s RCR Training requirement. Additionally, no registration fee is required for the CITI online course with the organizational affiliation identified as Howard University.  

A: A score report will be made available online upon successfully completing the relevant CITI online RCR course. 

A: Students must retain a copy of the score report for their program of study file and for their personal records. All students will be required to submit the score report as part of their application for candidacy with The Graduate School or as part of their application package for mandatory research review at ORRC. Students cannot graduate without completing this training requirement. 

A: The score report is valid two years from the CITI online course completion date.