In response to the Research Security Training (RST) requirement announced on September 10th, the KC System will undergo several system changes on the evening of October 8th. The KC System will be unavailable for approximately 1 hour beginning at 10pm.
As a result of these changes, KC proposals with NSF or DOE as sponsor/prime sponsor* will not be routed to RAS unless all key personnel have completed Research Security Training. Additional enhancements are being made to support this requirement:
For KC proposals:
Changes for DLCI Administrators (Aggregators):
- New pop-up message when creating a KC proposal, noting “Required Action for Federal Initiatives,” including links to Research Security Training information (see updated “Minimum Proposal Requirements for Routing” Quick Card)
- New data validation error(s), preventing proposal routing where Sponsor/Prime Sponsor is NSF or DOE, for those listed under Key Personnel that have not completed Research Security Training (see updated “Minimum Proposal Requirements for Routing” Quick Card)
- In Key Personnel, ability to review Research Security Training and other training within a KC proposal (see new “Checking Key Personnel Training” Quick Card)
Changes for PIs, Co-PIs and Key Personnel:
- New pop-up message when certifying on a proposal, noting “Required Action for Federal Initiatives,” including links to Research Security Training information (see updated “KC Proposal Notification for PI, Co-PI and Other Key Personnel” Quick Card)
- Enhanced email notification to certify with information on RST required prior to proposal submission (see updated “KC Proposal Notification for PI, Co-PI and Other Key Personnel” QC)
For KC Active Awards with NSF or DOE as Sponsor/Prime Sponsor:
When an award modification is received, RAS will check to ensure all Key Personnel (“covered individuals”) have completed Research Security Training. If this training is not completed, your RAS Contract Administrator will notify you, and the award modification will be placed on HOLD status until Research Security Training is completed. Note - for those with an Active NSF or DOE award, a KC notification will be sent to the PI for personnel that have not completed Research Security Training, but the Award remains Active.
In addition, we wish to remind the community of NSF’s requirement of full disclosure of current and pending support, which includes domestic support and any foreign support or engagement. MIT has developed the External Contract Depository (ECD) to help MIT researchers and their administrators meet NSF’s requirements to maintain supporting documentation, updated as of October 10, 2025. More information may be found on the RAS NSF Disclosure Guidance webpage.
Should you have any questions about these changes or about a specific proposal or award, please contact RA Support at ra-help@mit.edu, or join one of our upcoming Community Drop In Sessions, held every Monday (except Institute holidays) at 1pm.
* On September 29, 2025, NIH temporarily delayed its implementation of the research security training requirement.