Required Education
Collaborative Investigator Training Initiative (CITI) – Required human subjects protection education
Continuing Education requirement: The CITI Biomedical or Social-Behavioral Refresher course is required 2 years after completion of the CITI Basic course for all investigators and key personnel. Completion of a Refresher course is required every 2 years.
Basic CITI
required for new investigators, research staff, and those new to VCU |
Refresher CITI
required for investigators, research staff, and students who have taken Basic CITI |
IRB Learner Group Refresher Course
Required for IRB members and staff in addition to Basic and Refresher |
Optional Courses |
More questions and answers |
Basic CITI
Required for new investigators, research staff, and those new to VCU
What is CITI?
VCU requires investigators and key personnel to complete the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) Basic Course in either Biomedical or Social-Behavioral Research as baseline entry into human subjects research at VCU. The course and exam are web-based and can be accessed at www.citiprogram.org. All the modules listed for VCU must be completed. There is a short quiz after most modules. An aggregate passing score of 80% is required. New protocols (including ‘exempt’), continuing reviews, and change to research submissions will be forwarded for IRB review only after the principal investigator’s completion of the required CITI Biomedical or Social-Behavioral Course has been verified. The CITI Refresher course does not qualify as a Basic course. Make sure you take the Basic course if you have not yet done so at VCU or another institution.
Who takes CITI?
All key study personnel, including the principal investigator, sub-investigators, study coordinators, and students, are required to complete the Basic CITI human subjects protection education in either Biomedical or Social-Behavioral Research. Key personnel are persons involved with the research protocol through interacting or intervening with research participants or their identifiable data. Those obtaining informed consent from a study participant, or having access to identifiable data, are considered key personnel. Upon request by the investigator, the IRB may consider alternate training arrangements for certain kinds of research (such as community engaged research) involving key personnel. IRB members and staff are expected to take both Basic Courses.
How long does it take and when does it expire?
Depending on your experience with human subjects research, the Basic CITI course can take 4 to 6 hours to complete. It does not have to be completed in one sitting. Verification of completion is sent to you immediately. Print off a copy and retain in your files. The Basic course expires 2 years after completion. CITI generates a reminder email 30 days before the Basic course expires. The Basic CITI course must be completed before qualifying for the Refresher course. CME’s and CEU’s are available for CITI completion. See the CITI site for more information.
Registration for CITI
CITI can be accessed at www.citiprogram.org. Closely follow the directions for first time registration. Write down your user name and password and save it. Use this same username/password for all subsequent entry into CITI. Indicate your affiliation with Virginia Commonwealth University in order for VCU to obtain your record. When completing the Registration Profile as a first-time CITI participant, DO NOT indicate prior completion of another human subjects protection course. To take the Basic Course, choose a Learner Group that is appropriate to your activities in human research. The program will automatically select the modules you are required to complete. Follow the instructions and links on the Learner’s Menu to begin the Basic course. Use the “View/Update your Learner Group” link on the Learner’s Menu to select or change groups for the Basic Course. Retain the username and password used to create the CITI account and complete the Basic course. DO NOT take the Refresher course if you have not previously taken the Basic course at VCU or another institution.
Transferring your Basic CITI record to VCU
Depending on how much time has elapsed, a Basic CITI course taken at another institution can be electronically transferred to VCU. To do so, click on the ‘Affiliate with Another Institution’ account link. Choose Virginia Commonwealth University. You will need to review the VCU module, plus complete any modules that your former institution did not require. Once you have completed all VCU modules, your completion will show up in the CITI VCU database. In most cases, VCU will honor the completion certificate from another institution.
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Refresher CITI
Required for investigators, research staff, and students who have taken Basic CITI
Continuing Education requirement: The CITI Biomedical or Social-Behavioral Refresher course is required every 2 years for all investigators and key personnel who have completed the CITI Basic course.
Who takes the CITI Refresher course?
All key study personnel, including the principal investigator, sub-investigators, study coordinators, and students, are required to complete the Refresher CITI human subjects protection education in either Biomedical or Social-Behavioral Research after their Basic expires. IRB members and staff are expected to take the Refresher course that is relevant to their IRB Panel (or their research, if investigators) as well as the IRB Learner Group Refresher course. Use the same username and password for the Refresher course as was used for the Basic course.
When is the Refresher course required?
To find out when you took the Basic or Refresher CITI, check a printed copy of the completion certificate or go to the CITI website. Enter the user name and password that was used to complete the Basic or Refresher course. On the Learner’s Menu scroll down to ‘Previous Coursework Completed’ and click. Go to 'Coursework completed.’ Check your course completion status. If you do not know your username and password, either contact CITI directly using the “Forgot username or password” retrieval tool on CITI’s home page (www.citiprogram.org) OR you may contact IRBIntake@vcu.edu.
How long does the Refresher course take and when does it expire?
The Refresher course takes about 2 hours to complete. It does not have to be completed in one sitting. Verification of completion is sent to you immediately. Print off a completion certificate and retain in your files. CITI generates a reminder email 30 days before the Basic or Refresher course expires. The Basic CITI course must be completed at VCU or another institution before qualifying for the Refresher course. Use the same username and password for the Refresher as was used for the Basic course.
The Refresher course will expire 2 years after it is completed. In some cases, a sponsor may require an earlier completion. Using the same username and password, enter CITI and take the Refresher course at any time. The completion dates will be updated.
How do I know which modules are required for the Refresher course?
When you enter CITI using the same username and password used for the Basic course, you will be automatically routed to the Refresher course. Take the Refresher course in the Learner Group most relevant to your research activities – Biomedical or Social-Behavioral Research. Note that you can change your learner group. Depending on the learner group, some modules are required for everyone. In addition, you can choose from a selection of elective modules to total 12. Refresher course completion requires taking a total of 12 modules. The required total number for the Refresher course must be completed before any optional courses are available. CME’s and CEU’s are available for CITI completion. See the CITI site for more information.
Transferring your Refresher CITI record to VCU
Depending on how much time has elapsed, a Refresher CITI course taken at another institution can be electronically transferred to VCU. To do so, click on the ‘Affiliate with Another Institution’ link. Choose Virginia Commonwealth University. You will need to review the VCU module, plus complete any additional that your former institution did not require. Once you have completed all VCU modules, your completion will show up in the CITI VCU database. In many cases, VCU will honor the Refresher completion certificate from another institution.
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Optional Courses
Good Clinical Practice Course - The Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Course through CITI is not required at this time. It is an optional course available to VCU research teams. The GCP does not qualify as a Basic or Refresher course; it is an educational option. The GCP course is highly recommended for research teams conducting clinical trials.
Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) Courses – The RCR courses are optional. Funding sponsors, such as the National Science Foundation, require completion of an RCR course as a condition of funding. Take the course that best suits your area of research. The CITI RCR course may be a partial solution. For additional RCR courses, see: http://www.research.vcu.edu/vpr/resources/rcr_courses.pdf
IRB Learner Group Refresher Course – Although this course is required for IRB members and staff, it is an educational option for researchers and research staff.
To access either course, click “Add a Course or Update Your Learner Groups” once inside the CITI site. Completing all required course modules will generate a completion certificate.
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More questions and answers
I completed the CITI Basic course in October of either 2009 or 2010, when does it expire?
The Basic course expires 2 years after the month/date it was taken. If you completed the Basic course on October 15, 2009, it expired on October 16, 2011. If you completed the Basic course on October 15, 2010, it expires on October 16, 2012. You will need to take the CITI Refresher course to keep your human research protections training current. Use the same username and password for the Refresher as was used for the Basic course.
I completed the CITI Refresher course February 14, 2010, when does it expire?
Your CITI Refresher course will expire on February 15, 2012. You will need to take the Refresher course by that date to keep your human research protections training current.
How do I find out if I am due for the Refresher course and how do I log on?
To find out when you took the Basic CITI, check a printed copy of the completion certificate or go to the CITI website. Enter the user name and password that was used to complete the Basic course. On the Learner’s Menu scroll down to ‘Previous Coursework Completed’ and click. Go to 'Coursework completed.’ Check your Basic course completion. If you do not know your username and password, either contact CITI directly using the “Forgot username or password” retrieval tool on CITI’s home page (www.citiprogram.org) OR you may contact IRBIntake@vcu.edu.
What happens if my Basic CITI course expires and I have not taken the Refresher course?
New protocols (including ‘exempt’), continuing reviews, and change to research submissions will be forwarded for IRB review after the principal investigator’s completion of the CITI Biomedical or Social-Behavioral Refresher Course has been verified. Investigators and key personnel must have taken the Basic course before qualifying for the Refresher course.
Is the Good Clinical Practice course required for those conducting Biomedical Research?
The Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Course through CITI is not required at this time. It is a highly recommend optional course available to VCU research teams conducting clinical trials. The GCP does not qualify as a Basic or Refresher course; it is an educational option.
How do you take the Optional Modules listed under the Learner Groups?
The optional modules become available after the required number of modules are completed.
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For questions about VCU CITI requirements contact IRBIntake@vcu.edu. Note that your questions will be addressed on a first come, first served basis.
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