The Human Subjects Protection Training/Education
This section presents detailed information concerning the necessary steps for the mandatory CITI Human Subjects Training, which all researchers involved in studies with human subjects or their data are required to complete. We encourage you to examine this information thoroughly. Should you have any queries regarding the CITI program, please do not hesitate to reach out to the IRB Office using the contact details provided below for further guidance.
Human Subjects Training Requirements
Federal Regulations and NYCHP policy require that for studies involving human subjects, all research personnel must undergo training to ensure the protection of research subjects. Research personnel includes investigators (principal and co-) as well as members of the research team (research assistants) who will be interacting with human subjects or will be handling data (even if they do not interact with the human subjects).
The NYCHP IRB will only accept human subject training through the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative Program (CITI). All research personnel must complete the CITI: Human Subjects Research Course. This course provides foundational training in human subjects research and includes the historical development of human subject protections, ethical issues, and current regulatory and guidance information.
All NYCHP affiliates (students, staff, faculty) are required to take the NYCHP CITI Human Subjects Training course. All non-NYCHP affiliated researchers (co-investigators, research assistants, coordinators, etc.) may either complete this training with their home institution or they can complete the course for the college or academic unit with whom they are collaborating.
Do I need to complete any other CITI courses?
The CITI Human Subjects Training is the mandatory course required by the IRB. Nevertheless, there might be additional requirements from other NYCHP departments pertaining to your field of study. For further details, please reach out to the head of the respective department.
When should I complete this training?
You must complete the CITI Human Subjects Training before starting the Researcher Qualification xForm and New Protocol Submission xForm.
How often do I have to complete CITI Human Subjects Training?
The CITI Human Subjects Training must be recertified every 3 years as long as you are involved in research with human subjects or their data. You can recertify once via a Refresher Course, which grants an additional 3 years of certification. However, if your initial training was completed before July 30, 2018, you won’t be eligible for the refresher course, and you’ll need to retake the full course. This update was made to comply with new training requirements.
Instructions for Reimbursing CEUs Fee for CITI Program:
- The CITI Program provides fee-based training services to all researchers involved in human subjects research at CITI Program.
- If you are an NYCHP student, faculty, or staff member, you can be reimbursed for the CEUs Fee by submitting the receipts from the CITI Program.
- In case you are prompted to pay for the training, follow the instructions below to waive this fee:
a. Contact the Research Director at 1800-922-7337 for guidance on the correct reimbursement process.
- If you have already paid the fee directly to the CITI Program, please get in touch with the Research Director at 1800-922-7337 for assistance in properly reimbursing this fee.
These steps will help ensure that you receive the appropriate reimbursement for the CEUs Fee related to your CITI Program training.
Accessing the CITI Program Website:
To access the CITI Program website, simply click on the provided link: https://about.citiprogram.org/
Create a New CITI Program Account.
To create a new CITI Program account, follow these steps:
- Click on the link below to download instructions on how to create your CITI account and register for the appropriate course: Instructions on how to create a new CITI account (Google Drive)
- Please note that the CITI Program operates independently from NSU, so your NSU login credentials will not work. During registration, you’ll be required to set up a new login and password for your CITI account.
By following the provided instructions, you’ll be able to successfully create your CITI Program account and get started with the required course.
Add the Required IRB Training Course in CITI Program.
Please ensure you register for the appropriate CITI training course. The only acceptable course for meeting the human participants protection training requirement is the ‘Human Research’ training course. Other courses, such as Lab Animal (IACUC), Responsible Conduct of Research Gradebook (RCR), CITI Good Clinical Practice (GCP), or Conflicts of Interest, DO NOT fulfill the requirement for human participants protection training. Thus, it is essential to select the ‘Human Research’ course to meet this specific requirement.
Contact someone with questions regarding CITI Program.
If you have any questions regarding the CITI training required for your program or center, we encourage investigators to reach out and consult with the Research Director. They will be able to provide guidance and assistance to address any queries related to the CITI Program.
For login issues and other CITI-related queries, please contact Dr. Bruce Park, DACM during normal college business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, at 516-364-0808 x561 or email bruce.park@nycollege.edu. Bruce will be available to assist you with any login or CITI-related concerns you may have.
