Responsible Conduct of Research Training for Students and Postdoctoral Fellows (Previous Policy)

Any undergraduate student, from any school, receiving payment from the Whiting School of Engineering to conduct research must complete Responsible Conduct of Research training.  Whether a student will be required to take the online course (AS.360.624) or the in-person course (AS.360.625) is contingent upon the source of funding.  Students should ask the faculty sponsor or the departmental/center administrator whether the funding comes from a formal NIH training grant or fellowship*.

Students funded through formal NIH training grants or fellowships must complete the in-person training course (AS.360.625) at the first available opportunity but may be placed on payroll before the course is completed.  This course is offered at multiple points during the year.  (A course description can be found in SIS.)  During the appropriate online registration periods, students can register for the in-person course via SIS. Outside of the online registration periods, students must visit the Office of the Registrar to enroll.

Students paid from sources of funding other than formal NIH training grants or fellowships must enroll in the online RCR course (AS.360.624) and cannot be placed on payroll until they have presented a certificate of course completion to the department/center administrator for verification.  

Get instructions on how to register for this course >

Undergraduate students who must complete Responsible Conduct of Research training will not receive a diploma until course completion is verified.

Any master’s student, from any school, receiving payment from the Whiting School of Engineering to conduct research must complete Responsible Conduct of Research training.  Whether a student will be required to take the online course (AS.360.624) or the in-person course (AS.360.625) is contingent upon the source of funding (if any).  Students should ask the faculty sponsor or the departmental/center administrator whether the funding comes from a formal NIH training grant or fellowship*.  Students funded through formal NIH training grants or fellowships must complete the in-person training course (AS.360.625) at the first available opportunity but may be placed on payroll before the course is completed.  This course is offered at multiple points during the year. (A course description can be found in SIS.) During the appropriate online registration periods, students can register for the in-person course via SIS.  Outside of the online registration periods, students must visit the Office of the Registrar to enroll.

Any master’s students, from any school, paid by the WSE from sources of funding other than formal NIH training grants or fellowships must complete the online RCR course (AS.360.624) and cannot be placed on payroll until they have presented a certificate of course completion to the department/center administrator for verification. 

Get instructions on how to register for this course >

Any WSE master’s students conducting unpaid research to help meet degree requirements with a formal essay, project, or journal submission (as indicated on the WSE Master’s Degree Certification Form) must complete the online RCR course (AS.360.624) at some point prior to degree conferral.  

Get instructions on how to register for this course >

NOTE: If the student completed the course as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins, verification of course completion can be re-used, with two exceptions: (1) for those students on formal NIH training grants or fellowships, the in-person course must be completed at each level funding is received (i.e., the course must be re-taken as a master’s student); and (2) for those students on NSF grant funding, the online course must be completed at each level funding is received (i.e., the course must be re-taken as a master’s student).  Students should ask the faculty sponsor or the departmental/center administrator about the funding source.

Master’s students who must complete Responsible Conduct of Research training will not receive a diploma until course completion is verified.

All WSE doctoral students, as well as all non-WSE doctoral students paid by the Whiting School of Engineering to conduct research, will be required to complete the in-person training course in Responsible Conduct of Research (AS.360.625).  Doctoral students are expected to complete the course by the end of the first year but have until the start of the fourth semester to meet this requirement.  (A course description can be found in SIS.) This course is offered at multiple points during the year.  During the appropriate online registration periods, students can register for the in-person course via SIS.  Outside of the online registration periods, doctoral students must visit the Office of the Registrar to enroll.  Failure to comply with this requirement by the start of the student’s fourth semester may result in a loss of funding.

NOTES: 1. If the doctoral student completed the in-person course previously as an undergraduate or master’s student at Johns Hopkins, verification of course completion can be re-used, with two exceptions: (1) for those doctoral students on formal NIH training grants or fellowships*, the in-person course must be completed at each level funding is received (i.e., the course must be re-taken as a doctoral student); and (2) for those doctoral students on NSF funding who have previously completed the in-person course as a JHU undergraduate or master’s student, the online course can be used to satisfy this requirement as a PhD student.  Students should ask the faculty sponsor or the departmental/center administrator about the funding source. 2. For those doctoral students on formal NIH training grants or fellowships*, in-person training must occur at a frequency of no less than once every four years within each level. 3. Doctoral students who intend to depart JHU after completing the master’s degree are subject to the master’s student requirements found above. 4. Biomedical Engineering doctoral students are permitted to meet this requirement using either the “Course on Research Ethics” or the “Introduction to Research Ethics I” and “Introduction to Research Ethics II” classes.  (These will not appear on a transcript, but the student can provide certification of completion.)

If you cannot attend the course before you expect to complete degree requirements, please contact Christine Kavanagh in the WSE Office of Academic Affairs.

All WSE postdoctoral fellows, as well as all non-WSE postdoctoral fellows receiving payment from the Whiting School of Engineering, will be required to complete the in-person training course (AS.360.625) at the first available opportunity.  Failure to comply with this requirement may result in a loss of funding.  (A course description can be found in SIS.) This course is offered at multiple points during the year.  Postdoctoral fellows must visit the Office of the Registrar to enroll.

NOTES: 1. If the postdoctoral fellow completed the in-person course previously as a student at Johns Hopkins, verification of course completion can be re-used, with two exceptions: (1) for those postdocs on formal NIH training grants or fellowships*, the in-person course must be completed at each level funding is received (i.e., the course must be re-taken as a postdoc); and (2) for those postdocs on NSF funding who have previously completed the in-person course as a JHU student, the online course can be used to satisfy this requirement as a postdoc. 2. For those postdoctoral fellows on formal NIH training grants or fellowships*, in-person training must occur at a frequency of no less than once every four years within each level. 3. Biomedical Engineering postdoctoral fellows are permitted to meet this requirement using either the “Course on Research Ethics” or the “Introduction to Research Ethics I” and “Introduction to Research Ethics II” classes.  (These will not appear on a transcript, but the student can provide certification of completion.)

If you cannot attend the course before you expect to complete you appointment, please contact Christine Kavanagh in the WSE Office of Academic Affairs.