Transition period until December 2026
As of September 1st, 2025, all RU PhD candidates are required to complete a course on scientific integrity. For externally funded PhDs (UNL 3, 4, and PhDs with RU-FSS sandwich funding), we have decided to extend the transition period until December 2026. Below you will find an overview of how the rules apply in different situations.
1. You will submit or have already submitted your manuscript in Hora Finita before April 1, 2026
- BSI grants dispensation from the scientific integrity course. However, if you want you are still welcome to complete the MOOC (time investment: 7 hours).
- Please inform the Graduate School Coordinator, who will record the dispensation in Hora Finita and mark the required course as ‘fulfilled’ once your manuscript has been uploaded within the stated timeframe.
2. You will submit your manuscript in Hora Finita between April 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
- You are required to complete either the MOOC (time investment: 7 hours) or a course/workshop/module of your choice offered by another provider, as long as it aligns with the RU course policy on Scientific Integrity. Check the RU policy in advance or contact the Graduate School Coordinator for advice.
- You may also choose to follow the BSI online module Scientific Integrity for external PhDs (starts every November, time investment: 20 hours). Please upload proof of participation to Hora Finita.
- If you choose a course from another provider, please also upload the course information in addition to your proof of participation.
3. You will submit your manuscript in Hora Finita after December 31, 2026
- You are required to complete the BSI online module Scientific Integrity for external PhDs (starts every November, time investment: 20 hours) or a course/workshop/module of your choice from another provider, in accordance with the RU course policy on Scientific Integrity. Check the RU policy in advance or contact the Graduate School Coordinator for advice.
- Proof of participation must be uploaded to Hora Finita.
- If you choose a course from another provider, please also upload the course information in addition to your proof of participation.
Once a month a new added training activities will be checked and approved in Hora Finita. If there are additional questions, you will be contacted.
If your situation does not fit any of the categories above, please contact the Graduate School Coordinator (meta.vandeneng [at] ru.nl (meta[dot]vandeneng[at]ru[dot]nl)) so we can advise you further.
RU policy PhD training on Research Integrity (2025)
A complete list of MOOCs and free online courses. | MOOC List, Coursera MOOC - H2020 INTEGRITY
Goals and manual
The course is designed to help you achieve the following goals.
- You will become familiar with ethical issues in scientific research in general
- You will reflect critically on these issues
- You will be able to express your thoughts in discussions with others
- You will be able to reflect critically on your own research project
- You will become familiar with resources within the BSI that can help you with challenges concerning ethical issues in your own project
- You will become familiar with aspects of social safety in relation to scientific integrity and with the support structures of the Radboud University
Full details about the objectives, admission criteria and format are described in the course manual: