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Required Research Trainings

Virginia Tech researchers must complete specific trainings in order to remain compliant with federal and state laws and regulations. Below is a list of the training requirements related to research.

Required trainings

Virginia Tech is committed to a high standard of animal care and use, as well as a high standard of occupational health and safety for its faculty, staff, and students. Quality training and educational activities are essential to help us meet and exceed these standards.

The Virginia Tech Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee requires that animal users and handlers complete four training elements before the processing of a protocol will be initiated.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the IACUC website.

Environmental Health and Safety  actively promotes a positive, responsible, integrated safety culture at all levels of the university community, advocates providing a safe and healthy living, learning, and working environment for all, and assists departments with complying with regulations and mandates. This university office is responsible for ensuring that all university employees receive the required training under federal and state regulations and other non-regulatory agency guidelines.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the Environmental Health and Safety website.

Training for principal investigators, co-principal investigators, graduate assistants, and other project personnel is required when the research project becomes restricted due to acceptance of publication, access and dissemination controls, or if a defense article is involved in the research. The research project may become subject to U.S. export regulations or trade sanctions depending on the contractual terms of the award or funding contract.

Training for personnel who are engaging in export controlled (ITAR, EAR) restricted research projects that require a Technology Control Plan. This training is targeted at project specific requirements for safeguarding export controlled research and the security protocols that must be followed.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the Office of Export Controls and Secure Research Compliance website.

Investigators must take financial conflict of interest (FCOI) training at least every four years and will be notified as their training becomes due. 

FCOI training is completed in Canvas. Note that FCOI training is no longer completed through CITI Program. You can verify your current certification status in Virginia Tech’s Award Management System or on the Parchment Badges website. If you have questions regarding your certification status, contact coi@vt.edu. 

Training on the university’s disclosure policy will be included in the university’s Research Security training and other relevant opportunities.

Virginia Tech’s Human Research Protection program uses industry standard training required at peer universities and federal research institutions. The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative training is transferrable and meets requirements for collaborative or multi-site studies. If a researcher has previously taken human protection training either at Virginia Tech or at another institution, they can affiliate with Virginia Tech through their account to transfer completed courses without retaking them.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the Human Research Protection Program website.

Virginia Tech’s Institutional Biosafety Committee provides oversight of research that involves the use of biohazardous agents, including recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules. The committee is charged with the planning and implementation of the campus Biosafety Program with a purpose to ensure the health and safety of all personnel working with biohazardous agents.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the Institutional Biosafety Committee website.

While Responsible Conduct of Research training is recommended for all researchers, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) require faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in the research project to receive appropriate training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) instruction for individuals receiving support through NIH Institutional Research Training Grants, Individual Fellowship Awards, Career Development Awards, Research Education Grants, Dissertation Research Grants, and other programs that specifically require RCR instruction in the applicable funding opportunity announcement.

NIH requires instruction in the responsible conduct of research for trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars supported through applicable NIH programs. NIH guidance emphasizes discussion-based instruction, substantive interaction among participants and faculty, and active engagement in research integrity education.

At a minimum, NIH recommends instruction in topics such as conflict of interest, mentor and trainee responsibilities, collaborative research, peer review, research misconduct, responsible authorship and publication practices, data acquisition and management, human subjects protections, and other areas relevant to research integrity.

NIH guidance recommends that RCR instruction occur at a frequency of no less than once every four years. Furthermore, Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training must be completed within 12 months of receiving NIH support.

Individuals subject to NIH RCR requirements should complete all applicable training components in accordance with university guidance and sponsor expectations. Principal Investigators play an important role in encouraging personnel covered by NIH Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RCR) requirements and supported by their NIH-funded projects, including subawards, to complete applicable RCR training in accordance with institutional requirements.

Virginia Tech utilizes the Notable Scholars Promoting Innovative Research and Ethics lecture (NSPIRE) series to provide discussion-based instruction that supports NIH expectations for substantive interaction, discussion, and engagement among participants and faculty.

Students enrolled in or planning to enroll in courses intended to satisfy the NIH discussion-based RCR instruction requirement should contact the Research Integrity program at integrity@vt.edu to verify the course's eligibility. Faculty teaching such courses are also encouraged to contact integrity@vt.edu to ensure eligible participants receive appropriate credit toward NIH RCR training requirements.

If you have questions regarding NIH RCR training requirements, see the Research Integrity website.

National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) requires institutions receiving NSF funding to maintain a plan for providing appropriate training and oversight in the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RCR). NSF expanded these requirements in 2023 to include faculty and other senior personnel, in addition to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. Training must also include mentor training and mentorship.

NSF requires institutions receiving NSF funding to provide appropriate Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RCR) training and oversight for undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel who are supported by NSF-funded research projects.

At a minimum, NSF expects institutions to provide education and oversight related to the responsible and ethical conduct of research. Topics commonly addressed through RCR training include research misconduct, authorship and publication practices, data acquisition and management, conflicts of interest, peer review, collaborative research, mentor and trainee responsibilities, research integrity, and mentoring practices.

Virginia Tech fulfills this requirement through online training delivered via the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) and other institutional resources as applicable. Instructions on how to access the CITI Responsible Conduct of Research course. CITI learners are required to complete the Basic Responsible Conduct of Research Course.

Award recipients are expected to maintain compliance with institutional RCR requirements and applicable NSF policies. Principal Investigators play an important role in encouraging personnel covered by NSF Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RCR) requirements and supported by their NSF-funded projects, including subawards, to complete applicable RCR training in accordance with institutional requirements.

All such personnel working on an NSF funded project must complete this training in Responsible Conduct of Research no later than 30 days following the start date of the project, including individuals added to a project in progress. Failure to comply with this policy by any required participants within the specified time frame may result in freezing the account of the project supporting these personnel.

If you have any questions regarding the NSF RCR training requirement, see the Research Integrity website.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) first implemented a Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training requirement through its February 2013 Research Terms and Conditions and continues to maintain these requirements through current agency guidance and award terms and conditions.

NIFA requires institutions receiving NIFA-funded extramural research awards to promote research integrity and provide training in the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RCR).

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research training is required for individuals participating in NIFA-funded research activities, including program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and research staff involved in the project.

At a minimum, NIFA identifies authorship and plagiarism, data and research integrity, and reporting research misconduct as required training content. Additional topics often include data management, peer review, mentoring, collaboration, conflicts of interest, human subjects, and animal research. 

Virginia Tech fulfills this requirement through online training delivered via the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) and other institutional resources as applicable. Instructions on how to access the CITI Responsible Conduct of Research course. CITI learners are required to complete the Basic Responsible Conduct of Research Course.

Award recipients are expected to maintain documentation of Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research training and make such documentation available to NIFA upon request. Principal Investigators play an important role in encouraging personnel covered by NIFA Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RCR) requirements and supported by their NIFA-funded projects, including subawards, to complete applicable RCR training in accordance with institutional requirements.

If you have any questions regarding the NIFA RCR training requirement, see the Research Integrity website.