Note: October ’22 - Training requirements for IRB have recently changed. See the below details for information on how to become fully trained for human subjects research at Ursinus College.

As part of the College’s ongoing efforts to do research ethically, the IRB has implemented the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Training module for human subjects protections. CITI is the gold standard of human subjects training across higher education. Not only is the training accessible, but UC students continuing on to graduate school or into the healthcare sector will likely encounter the software again.

Starting in Fall 2022, the College moved entirely to accepting CITI training certificates as the proper training for human subjects research. Students can submit Canvas training certificates obtained previously, but we ask that faculty complete the CITI training when submitting protocols.

These modules can also be used for general education or integration into curriculum. Contact the IRB administrator if you have questions on how to use CITI in your program.

Registering a new account for CITI and beginning training:

1. Go to CITI website: citiprogram.org
2. From the home screen, click on Register under “Create an Account”
3. Select Institution/Organization: Enter Ursinus College in the search bar. Click Continue. You will need to affiliate yourself with Ursinus College in order to be signed up for our curriculum. For more on institutional affiliation, please see this entry in the CITI Program knowledge base.
   1. If you are receiving an error that Ursinus “is not an active organizational subscriber”, please proceed with step 3 as normal to reaffiliate with UC. This is a CITI error that will appear only for those who have been with UC for an extended period.
4. Personal Information: Enter your first and last name as you are listed with the College. Under email, use your Ursinus email as the email address. It is recommended that you add another preferred address to the Secondary email address field if you plan to continue in academic human subjects research after your Ursinus graduation, such as through a job at a medical provider, or in graduate school.
   Please note: the email addresses entered here are the ones that any future password requests will be sent to; you are encouraged to use addresses that are stable and make sure to enter them without any typos. Click Continue.
5. Create Your Username and Password: Follow the instructions on the page regarding size and criteria. The username and password can be anything of your choosing that is accepted by the system. Click Continue.
6. Enter your country of residence. Click Continue.
7. Are you interested in the option of receiving Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit for completed CITI Program courses: You can sign up for these if you choose. CEU’s may be required in some programs.
8. Complete the demographic information.
9. Select Curriculum: The next set of screens will guide you through selecting the correct course(s). Select “Social & Behavioral Research” for your course. If you require Biomedical, please contact the IRB.
   1. All personnel involved with an IRB protocol, or using human subjects data, must complete the Social & Behavioral Research module before approval for a protocol will be granted or work can begin on a protocol. 
   2. All researchers (faculty, staff, and students) are encouraged but not required to complete the Responsible Conduct of Research module, which is a requirement for participation in research on a federal grant. 
10. Click on the course name to begin the training. Modules are presented in a linear fashion. There is also an audio slideshow that can be helpful. Proceed through the modules listed on the gradebook. After agreeing to the assurance statement; Click on the name of the Module to start each module.
11. Upon completion of all required modules and achieving 80% overall correct, a link will appear on the Grade Book page with your Completion Report. Keep this report for your records. The IRB will be automatically notified of your successful completion.