The responsible conduct of research (RCR) is an increasingly significant component of the education and training of researchers. Georgia Tech has three RCR polices, described below. The Compliance Policy is intended to meet the RCR training requirements of federal funding agencies and other sponsors. The two Academic Policies are part of Georgia Tech's commitment to provide leadership in the realm of ethics and RCR.

The RCR Compliance Policy requires certain categories of NSF- and NIH-funded undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars to complete RCR training.  It also applies to faculty and staff funded by new NSF awards, to researchers and staff funded by the USDA NIFA program and to undergraduate students funded through a PURA award. For more information about which individuals are covered by the RCR Compliance Policy, refer to Compliance Applicability. The type and amount of training required varies depending on sponsor and career stage; for a summary of the training requirements for this policy, refer to the Compliance Training Matrix.

Georgia Tech enacted the RCR Doctoral Policy, which applies to all doctoral students. As part of their degree requirements, doctoral students must complete both online RCR training and either PHIL 6000 or an academic program's approved in-house training approach. This policy was created because RCR training is central to Georgia Tech’s mission to ensure that students are prepared with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct themselves professionally and with integrity.

The RCR Master's Thesis Policy builds on the prior initiative of the RCR Doctoral Policy, expanding RCR training to master’s students who are pursuing a thesis degree. The policy applies to all master’s students who register for thesis hours (courses numbered 7000). Applicable master's students, as part of their degree requirements must complete either online RCR training or an RCR course approved for doctoral or master's students.

For information about checking the RCR training status of any individual, refer to Training Status.