May 1, 2006. The merger of the RCREC and the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) is now official. The Executive Committee of APPE has approved the creation of the Responsible Conduct of Research Education Committee (with the acronym RCREC) as one of the standing committees of APPE. This new standing committee assumes the mission of the previous Responsible Conduct of Research Education Consortium and shares the same acronym to emphasize the historical link during the transition. Vivian Weil, Chair of the APPE Executive Committee, has appointed an RCREC standing committee including:

· Michael Kalichman, University of California San Diego, Chair
· Francis L. Macrina, Virginia Commonwealth University
· Daniel R. Vasgird, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
· Karen M. T. Muskavitch, Boston College

For current RCREC members, membership renewals will now be made through the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. The transition to membership in APPE begins on May 1. APPE membership year runs July 1 - June 30. Current RCREC memberships that have been paid effective March 1, 2006 or later will be granted a complimentary APPE membership through June 2006 and a regular membership starting July 1, 2006 and extending though June 30, 2007. Full membership dues for the next year will be due July 1, 2007. For those who renewed their RCREC membership after July 1, 2005 but before March 1, 2006, their designated APPE dues needed on July 1, 2006 will be prorated based upon how many months of RCREC dues remain beyond the July 1, 2006 deadline. For example, if a member had joined the RCREC effective October 1, 2005, then on July 1, 2006 that member would have 3 months of membership remaining, and the member’s APPE dues to be paid on July 1, 2006 would only be 9/12 of the annual APPE dues normally paid. Full membership dues for the next year would be due July 1, 2007.   

The three levels of membership in the RCREC will continue to exist within the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics framework.

Individual members
Any individual member of APPE can choose to be identified as part of the RCREC Special Interest Group.  Individual Memberships (which were $50 with RCREC) will, under APPE membership scale, range from $25-$100 depending on income. 

Organizational members
RCREC Organizational members will join the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics and will be associated with both RCREC and APPE at no additional cost. RCREC Organizational Memberships will continue to be $500. RCREC Organizational Sponsors will remain at $2,000 or more. Both levels of Organizational membership will now include an APPE Institutional Membership at no additional cost and will continue to allow access to the RCREC Internet-based Course. The RCREC web site will continue to be maintained.

Please go to FAQs for frequently asked questions.