IRB Training

On this page: 

• DASH Research IRB Training
• Required CITI Training
• UTC Workshops and Presentations

Required CITI Training

UTC is strongly committed to ensuring that all research conducted by our faculty, staff, and students is conducted in a responsible and ethical manner. 

In pursuit of this goal, as of January 1, 2017, all UTC affiliates conducting research with human subjects will be required to complete the Human Subjects Research BASIC online training course through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) prior to beginning research activities.

CITI offers two basic courses on Human Subject Research (HSR) differentiated by research area: 

• Biomedical Research Investigators
• Social & Behavioral Research Investigators.

The researcher will select the course that best fits their research area by completing Question #1 of the "Add a Course" questionnaire.

Upon completion of the course a completion certificate will be automatically emailed to [email protected].  This certificate will be required prior to approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Click below to access the CITI website:

CITI Website

Frequently Asked Questions

• CITI Instructions for Users with Existing UTC CITI Accounts
• CITI Instructions for First Time Users
• Refresher Courses
• Can Other Courses Fulfill this Requirement?
• What if I Completed CITI HSR Training at Another Institution?

CITI Instructions for Users with Existing UTC CITI Accounts

Existing CITI User TUTORIAL

If you already have a UTC-affiliated CITI account and have not previously enrolled in the HSR Basic Course, you will need to "Add a Course" in order to have the required course show up on your Main Menu. Follow the below instructions:

1. Log in to CITI.
2. Select "Add a Course" under "My Learner Tools" on your Main Menu.
3. On Question #1 of the "Select Curriculum" page, select either Biomedical Research Investigators or Social Behavioral Research Investigators, depending on your research area.
4. On Question # 2, select "I have not previously completed an approved Basic Course."
5. On Question #3, select any of those populations that may apply in your research.
6. Questions #3-11 are optional and may be skipped. Answering these questions will enroll you in additional, optional courses.
7. Select "Submit" at the bottom of the questionnaire.
8. You should now see the course titled "Biomedical Research Investigators" or "Social Behavioral Research Investigators" listed in your Course List.
9. Begin a course by clicking on the course name. You will be presented with a list of modules, with a short quiz following each module. All modules within a course will need to be completed in order to earn a completion certificate. Course progress is automatically saved if you log out of CITI, so you may complete a course at your convenience. A quiz score average of 80% must be maintained to earn the Completion Certificate. Quizzes may be retaken as many times as necessary.
10. Once all modules are completed, you will be prompted to save or print your Completion Certificate. Please save a copy of this certificate for your own records. The IRB office will be automatically notified of your completion by CITI, so there is no need to email it to us separately.
11. HSR Certificates are current for 2 years, after which they will expire. You must maintain HSR certification for the length of your IRB project. You may renew your HSR Certificate by completing a CITI Refresher course or by retaking the Basic Course.

If you have questions about the CITI website, please visit the CITI Learner Support webpage or contact ORI.

CITI Instructions for First-Time Users

First-Time CITI User TUTORIAL

1. Create an account. Answer the questions as appropriately as possible and affiliate yourself with UTC in the institution drop-down menu.
2. Once registered, you will be prompted to complete a short questionnaire to enroll in courses. ;Questions # 1-4 will determine the HSR basic course that is most applicable to your research area. Note that Question #2 should only be answered if you have previously completed an HSR Basic course.
3. Questions #2-11 are optional and will enroll you in additional courses. These courses (Responsible Conduct of Research, Animal Care and Use, Export Control, and Biomedical Safety) are available to all investigators but are not required to gain IRB approval.
4. Complete the questionnaire by clicking "Submit" and you will be directed to your "Main Menu" that lists all courses that you are enrolled in. The HSR basic course names will be listed as "Biomedical Research Investigators" or "Social Behavioral Research Investigators" on your course list depending on your answers in the previous questionnaire.
5. Begin a course by clicking on the course name. You will be presented with a list of modules, with a short quiz following each module. All modules within a course will need to be completed in order to earn a completion certificate. Course progress is automatically saved if you log out of CITI, so you may complete a course at your convenience. A quiz score average of 80% must be maintained to earn the Completion Certificate. Quizzes may be retaken as many times as necessary.
6. Once all modules are completed, you will be prompted to save or print your Completion Certificate. Please save a copy of this certificate for your own records. The IRB office will be automatically notified of your completion by CITI, so there is no need to email it to us separately.
7. HSR Certificates are current for 2 years, after which they will expire. You must maintain HSR certification for the length of your IRB project. You may renew your HSR Certificate by completing a CITI Refresher course or by retaking the Basic Course.

If you have questions about the CITI website, please visit the CITI Learner Support webpage or contact ORI.

Refresher Courses

There are two ways in which you will be prompted to complete the HSR Refresher Course.

#1) You have completed the HSR Basic Course and your certificate is nearing its expiration date.

#2) You select a research category in Question #2 in the "Select Curriculum" Questionnaire. If you have not completed the HSR BASIC Course, select "I have not previously completed a CITI Basic course" in Question #2.

A current Refresher Course completion certificate will fulfill the training requirement provided that there is a record that you have completed the CITI HSR Basic Course. If you have erroneously enrolled in the Refresher Course by selecting a research area in Question #2 of the "Select Curriculum" Questionnaire, you will need to follow the instructions to "Add a course" found in the "CITI Instructions for Users with Existing UTC CITI Account" instructions to enroll in the Basic Course.

Can other CITI courses fulfill this requirement?

No.

In order to receive IRB approval on a submitted protocol, all investigators listed on the protocol must have completed an HSR Basic Course.

If you answer questions #2 - #11 on the "Select Curriculum" questionnaire, you may be enrolled in additional courses in Responsible Conduct of Research, Conflict of Interest, Laboratory Animal Research, Institutional/Signatory Official, Export Compliance, and Biosafety/Biosecurity. These courses may be required for other areas of research, but they are NOT required in order to receive IRB approval, nor will they be accepted as fulfillment of the IRB training requirement.

What if I completed CITI HSR training at another institution?

Many institutions across the country utilize CITI to provide online training for researchers. If you completed a CITI HSR BASIC course through another institution and that certification is still current (i.e., it hasn't expired), you may submit the certificate to the IRB. If the listed course modules are deemed sufficiently similar to the IRB HSR Basic Course by the Office of Research Integrity, that certificate will meet the UTC training requirement.

UTC IRB Workshops

The Office of Research Integrity offers approximately two IRB training sessions per semester which focus on the application and submission process. ORI staff are also available for classroom presentations upon request. One of our recent workshops was recorded and is embedded below for your convenience.

To schedule a member of the IRB team to come to your class for a presentation, please email [email protected].

IRB Basics Workshop: Recorded Live Feb 27, 2019

IRB Exempt vs Expedited Workshop: Recorded Live April 22, 2019

NEW - Changes to the Application and Review Process 06/20/2018 (.pdf)