Funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, have expectations about Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training for students involved in the research. UAB requires all undergraduate students who will be conducting research to have an understanding of research ethics and professionalism. This means that you're required to complete training to receive certification of RCR compliance. You can do this by completing the training process outlined below.
There are multiple paths to complete RCR training.
- If you are going to conduct research in a School of Medicine lab, you must register for PSDO 200 Introduction to Research. This is a 1-credit course that gives you additional training needed to participate in a School of Medicine lab.
- If you are going to conduct research in any other area on campus, we recommend the 0 credit course, Undergraduate Research 101.
- All students are required to complete the RCR CITI certification. This is incorporated into PSDO 200 and Undergraduate Research 101. You can also complete it independently (see below for instructions for signing up for just CITI).
Undergraduate Research 101
The Office of Service Learning and Undergraduate Research is now offering an online training course called "Undergraduate Research 101. " It is free and at your own pace. The required CITI Training is embedded into the course. There are nine modules:
- Research 101- What is research and how to get involved
- How to Find a Mentor
- Lab Basics 101
- Lab Safety
- Research Ethics and Professionalism
- Writing an Abstract
- How to Create the Perfect Poster
- How to Give a Winning Presentation
- CITI Training
This 0 credit course gives a strong foundation of knowledge to prepare you for undergraduate research at UAB.
As part of these courses you must complete the CITI RCR Abbreviated Course for Undergraduate Students, though certain labs or research experiences require more. The Office of Service Learning and Undergraduate Research will receive an email after online module completion. You will be able to print a record of completion from the CITI site.
How to Access CITI
As part of PSDO 200 and Undergraduate Research 101 you will be required to complete the CITI training. Here is how to access CITI.
- Go to www.citiprogram.org
- Click on Log in through my institution or the box in the middle that says, “Log in via SSO.”
- Scroll down to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (#53) and click UAB.
- This takes you to the Blazer ID sign-in page. Sign in.
- A pop-up screen will come up; click continue.
- Select the option for “I don’t have an account and need to create one.”
- Click on the blue link at the bottom.
- Click on add a course.
- Scroll down and click the RCR Abbreviated Course for Undergraduate Students.
- Take the six required modules.
The RCR Abbreviated Course consists of:
- Authorship (required)
- Research Ethics and Society (required)
- Data Management (required)
- Plagiarism (required)
- Research Misconduct (required)
- Collaborative Research (required)
- Conflicts of Interest
- Mentoring
- Peer Review
- Research Involving Human Subjects
- Using Animal Subjects in Research
What to Do When You've Finished Training
Once you have finished training, please have your certificate stamped, scanned, and submitted by visiting our office on the second floor of Sterne Library. Alternatively, you can email the certificate to
The stamped certificate may then be presented to your principal investigator, research mentor, or professor in order to begin the research process.
Note: Graduate students should print the completion report and certificate of completion to submit with their candidacy application.
Additional Lab Safety Training
How to Access Lab Safety Training
- Go to the Campus Learning System — all that is required is your Blazer ID.
- Use the keyword "Undergraduate Research Lab Training" in the catalog search bar.
- Courses commonly required of students working in campus research labs will be displayed.
- These courses may not be required in all labs or additional courses may be required. You should discuss training requirements with your faculty mentor.
You can read more about safety programs and training at UAB Environmental Health and Safety.
Governmental regulatory agencies, funding entities, accrediting bodies, and other entities external to the UAB have established mandatory training requirements for persons involved with certain types of research require lab training to minimize risk on researchers and subjects.
Some training focuses on ensuring that live research subjects, including humans, are respected and not put in unnecessarily risky, stressful, or painful situations. Other required training is designed to ensure researchers understand the proper precautions needed to protect themselves during their work.
Reporting Concerns and Questions Regarding Ethics and Professionalism
It is important to know where to report concerns regarding responsible conduct of research. UAB has a Research Integrity Officer (RIO) who oversees these issues. Please visit the UAB Office of Research's Research Misconduct page learn more about proper reporting and identification. UAB’s RIO's contact information can be found at the bottom of that page.
Questions?
Send any questions to