NIH Research Security Training Requirements

Published April 15, 2026, via Research News

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will require Research Security Training for senior/key personnel effective for all applications submitted for due dates on or after Monday, May 25, 2026. Any researchers who are listed as senior/key personnel should complete training as soon as possible to ensure there are no delays in application submission.  

Additional federal funding agencies currently requiring Research Security Training include the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). More information is available here. 

Training required before proposal submission  

  • WashU requires researchers to complete the current online course Responsible Conduct of Research to fulfil this requirement. 
  • Senior Key personnel must self-enroll in the course.
  • Each individual listed as senior/key personnel must complete the qualifying research security training within the last 12 months of the application submission date. 
  • The Office of Sponsored Research Services (OSRS) will certify that all senior/key personnel on the application have completed training within the last 12 months. If any senior/key personnel have not completed training, the proposal cannot be submitted.    

Additional guidance  

  • Completion of legacy courses PERCSS or Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for Faculty and Staff do not meet NSF’s requirement for research security training. Only the Responsible Conduct of Research course fulfills this requirement. 
  • Department administrators with reporting access to Learn@Work can run reports for the RCR course to identify who has completed training in the last 12 months. 
  • WashU is in the process of developing a refresher training that will meet federal requirements following the completion of the initial training.

References