Skip to Content Skip to Local Navigation Skip to Global Navigation
Stanford Medicine Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics

Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics
Stanford Medicine

Explore Stanford Medicine

  • Health Care
    • Find a doctor

    • Adult-care doctor
    • Pediatrician or pediatric specialist
    • Obstetrician
    • Clinics & Services

    • Adult care
    • Pediatric care
    • Obstetrics
    • Clinical trials
    • Locations

    • Stanford Health Care
    • Stanford Children's Health
    • Emergency Department
    • Dial 911 in the event of a medical emergency

    Explore Health Care

    Learn how we are healing patients through science & compassion

    Back
  • Research
    • Basic science departments
    • Clinical science departments
    • Institutes
    • Research centers
    • See full directory
    • Research Resources

    • Research administration
    • Academic profiles
    • Clinical trials
    • Funding opportunities
    • See all
    • Professional Training

    • Postdoctoral scholars
    • Clinical research fellows

    Research News

    Stanford team stimulates neurons to induce particular perceptions in mice's minds

    Stanford team stimulates neurons to induce particular perceptions in mice's minds

    Explore Research

    Learn how we are fueling innovation

    Back
  • Education
    • MD program
    • PA Programs
    • PhD programs
    • Masters programs
    • Continuing Medical Education
    • Postdoctoral scholars
    • Residencies & fellowships
    • High School & Undergraduate Programs
    • See all
    • Education Resources

    • Academic profiles
    • School Administration
    • Basic science departments
    • Clinical science departments
    • Alumni services
    • Faculty resources
    • Diversity programs
    • Lane Library
    • Student resources

    Education News

    Students from far and near begin medical studies at Stanford

    Students from far and near begin medical studies at Stanford

    Explore Education

    Learn how we empower tomorrow's leaders

    Back
  • Give

    Support Stanford Medicine

    • Support teaching, research, and patient care.

    • Ways to give
    • Why giving matters
    • Make a gift online

    Support Children's Health

    • Support Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and child and maternal health

    • Ways to give
    • How your gift helps
    • Make an online gift
    Back
  • About
    • About us
    • News
    • Contacts
    • Maps & directions
    • Leadership
    • Vision
    • Diversity
    • Global health
    • Community engagement
    • Events
    • How you can help

    Stanford School of Medicine

    Stanford Health Care

    Stanford Children's Health

    Back
  • Site Search
    Submit Search Query

NIH Requirements for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research

MED 255 is a necessary, but not always sufficient, component of training in responsible conduct of research. Please be sure to contact your funder to inquire about additional requirements beyond MED 255.

In general, however, the NIH requires several components of training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) including:

  • the required MED 255 or 255 C course;
  • refresher RCR instruction at each stage of training (e.g., graduate, postdoc, etc);
  • continuing informal or formal training in research ethics throughout the year; and
  • the involvement of your departmental research faculty in supplemental and continuing instruction in research ethics.

Instructional Components

1) Instruction Format

The NIH requirements highly encourage multiple forms of RCR training, including formal courses (such as MED 255 or Med 255C), small-group discussions, and instruction by research training faculty members.

NIH applicants will need to describe the format for Med 255, which is described in the template PDF below.

Applicants will also need to describe the format they will use to provide continuing and ongoing training and instruction in research ethics/RCR (using their own faculty) throughout the year for each year of the trainees’ fellowship. These may be lectures, panel discussions, colloquia providing refreshers on topics covered in Med 255 (see Subject Matter), but they may also cover topics of specific ethical concern in the trainees’ field not covered by Med 255.

2) Subject Matter

The NIH lists several topics they strongly suggest RCR programs to cover, all of which are covered in MED 255 (link):

  • Conflict of interest
  • Policies regarding human subjects
  • Mentor/mentee responsibilities
  • Collaborative research
  • Peer review
  • Data acquisition
  • Research misconduct
  • Contemporary ethical issues

3) Faculty Participation

In addition to the MED 255/Med 255C faculty, some training programs require that the department’s own faculty be involved in further RCR instruction. The NIH states:

“Training faculty and sponsors/mentors are highly encouraged to contribute both to formal and informal instruction in responsible conduct of research.  Informal instruction occurs in the course of laboratory interactions and in other informal situations throughout the year. Training faculty may contribute to formal instruction in responsible conduct of research as discussion leaders, speakers, lecturers, and/or course directors.  Rotation of training faculty as course directors, instructors, and/or discussion leaders may be a useful way to achieve the ideal of full faculty participation in formal responsible conduct of research courses over a period of time.”  (see “Guidelines: Faculty Representation”)

Some institutes only require informal training by a faculty mentor, while others require actual formal instructor, preferably by faculty in training. If you participate in formal training, please include the names of the participating faculty members in your grant. Faculty and staff at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics may also be available to assist by serving as additional panelists.           

4) Duration of Instruction

The NIH suggests training in RCR that spans across a longer interval of time in order to allow sufficient exploration and consolidation of the material. Instruction should also involve at least 8 contact hours between you and the participating faculty. The duration of instruction for Med 255 and Med 255C is covered in the PDF template below. Applicants will also need to describe the duration of instruction beyond Med 255 or Med 255C.

5) Frequency of Instruction

Some institutes require ongoing instruction throughout the year for each year of fellowship in addition to MED 255 or Med 255C, or may require retaking MED 225 or Med 255C at each stage of training. 

Template

We have created a Template that you may use as the basis of your grant. Please be sure to supplement the template with funder-specific requirements, and address all structural components mentioned above.

Related Links

NIH description of requirements for RCR

Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics
  • About
    • Employment
    • Forms
  • People
    • Leadership
    • Faculty and Academic Staff
    • Fellows
    • Emeritus Faculty and Staff
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Center Staff
    • The American Journal of Bioethics (AJOB) Staff
    • Research Staff
    • Affiliates
    • CLB Fellows
  • Education
    • Biomedical Ethics & Medical Humanities Scholarly Concentration (BEMH)
    • Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
      • NIH Requirements for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research
      • MED 255
      • MED 255 Schedule
      • MED 255 Policies and Contacts
      • MED 255 Readings
      • MED 255 Videos
    • SCBE Course Offerings
    • Fellowship in Clinical Ethics
    • Fellowship in ELSI Research
  • Service
    • Bedside Ethics Consultation
    • Benchside Ethics Consultation
    • Media Contacts
  • Research
    • Research Programs
    • Current Grants
    • Publications
  • Events
    • Biomedical Ethics Seminar Series
      • Core Topics Seminars
    • Jonathan King Lectures
    • Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Archives
  • SCBE In The News
    • SCBE In The News
    • SCBE in the News
  • Contact Us
  • Forms

Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics

Stanford Medicine

News

Events

Careers

Contact

Health Care

Stanford Health Care

Stanford Children's Health

Stanford School of Medicine

About

Contact

Maps & Directions

Jobs

Basic Science Departments

Clinical Science Departments

Academic Programs

Vision

Find People
Visit Stanford
Search Clinical Trials
Give a Gift
©2019 Stanford Medicine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • See us on Facebook
  • See us on Twitter
  • Stanford University
  • Stanford School of Medicine
  • Stanford Health Care
  • Stanford Children's Health
  • Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford
  • University Healthcare Alliance