Human Subjects Protection Training Requirements

Who needs to complete training?

The SBS IRB requires human subjects protection training for the principal investigator and any research study personnel considered engaged in human subjects research activities (e.g., responsible for overseeing/implementing the study, obtaining consent, collecting data, interacting with human subjects, analysis of identifiable data, etc.). Please note that exceptions to training requirements are no longer able to be granted as of 01/01/2019. Please click here for more information.

What satisfies the basic training requirement?

See below to learn more about the CITI course that can be used to satisfy the general education requirement. Training taken previously through another institution can also satisfy the SBS IRB’s training requirement as long as that training included similar modules to ours. For questions about whether your previous training satisfies the requirements, please send a description of the training and a copy of your completion certificate to sbs-irb@uchicago.edu

Please note that SBS IRB policy does not require research personnel to re-certify at intervals or take refresher courses at this time. However, sponsors, cooperative agreements, data holders, and other IRBs may impose additional requirements (including refreshers, specific courses, etc.). It is the researcher’s responsibility to comply with any requirements beyond the basic training course.

If you have never taken human subjects protection training before:

CITI: Please follow the instructions below to register on the CITI website and complete the course entitled “Social and Behavioral Sciences IRB Human Subjects Protection Training Course.”

Go to http://www.citiprogram.org and click on the button labeled “Register.” Several options for registration will appear at the top of the page. Please click the option “Log In Through My Institution” and select “University of Chicago (SSO).” You will then be prompted to login using your CNet ID. Registering in this manner allows us to see that you have taken the CITI course so that you do not need to provide us with your completion certificate.

Once logged in, select “Add a Course.” You will be asked a series of questions about which course(s) you want to register for–select “Social and Behavioral Sciences IRB Human Subjects Protection Training Course” in the applicable question. This course takes about 1-3 hours to complete and does not need to be finished in one sitting.

Protecting Human Research Participants (PHRP):

We also accept the online course entitled “Protecting Human Research Participants.” The course can be accessed online at https://phrp.nihtraining.com/#!/. This course is available to anyone, regardless of institutional affiliation. Please note that the course is no longer provided by National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is no longer offered for free. Once completed, the completion certificate should be provided to the SBS IRB office at sbs-irb@uchicago.edu and uploaded with the application submission in AURA.

Expiration:

The SBS IRB does not require research personnel to re-certify or take refresher courses; taking the CITI course once satisfies the SBS IRB requirement. Sponsors, departments, and labs may have additional requirements.

Other CITI course requirements:

Please note that while the SBS IRB only requires the “SBS IRB Human Subjects Protection Training Course,” other CITI courses may be required from other entities involved in your study. The National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes for Health (NIH), and several other federal agencies require grant recipients to take the “Responsible Conduct of Research” Course. Investigators conducting a clinical trial are required to take the “Good Clinical Practice” course. Additionally, these entities may require investigators to take periodic refresher courses. It is the researcher’s responsibility to comply with requirements for CITI training from other entities. Please click here for more information on other trainings that may be required.