Required Tutorial on
Human Subject Research Protection

• Link to CITI website
• View training completion records (does not include VA records - contact VA Research Administration at 650-493-5000 x.65354).

Completion of human subject training by all staff working on a research project (all investigators and other study personnel, including all persons who are responsible for the design, conduct, data analysis or reporting) is one of the requirements for protocol approval by the IRB.  It is suggested you take the CITI training before submitting your protocol.

To complete the training, you must pass (by gaining 80% average on the module quizzes):
         - all required modules for your Learner Group
plus
         - your choice of an additional two 'elective' modules for your initial CITI training.
           Your initial CITI training is not complete without the two 'elective' modules.

Stanford provides access to the required training through an interactive online tutorial - CITI (Collaborative IRB Training Initiative) Course in The Protection of Human Research Subjects. CITI offers a Basic (initial) course and then a Refresher course which must be taken every two years.

• Who should take Human Subject Research Protection training?
• How do I register for training? Go to the CITI website.
    This has two links to choose from – one for Already Registered users
   (who have previously taken a CITI training) and one for New Users
   (who have not previously registered for CITI training).
• Which Participating Institution should I select as a new user?
• What about third party personnel?
• Do I need a SUNet ID and password to register for CITI?
• What is a Learner Group and which should I select for my training?
• What Group do I choose if I am an investigator and an IRB member?
• Can I complete this training in several sessions?
• How do I get a copy of my completion certificate?
• How often do I have to take this course to keep my training current?
• What do I do if I have forgotten my username or password?
• Other questions regarding CITI training?

Who should take Human Subject Research Protection training?
All investigators and other study personnel, including all persons who are responsible for the design, conduct, data analysis or reporting of research that involves human subjects must complete Human Subject Research Protection Training. Thereafter, a Refresher course must be completed every two years.
Note: The list of personnel who must take this training might be more extensive than the list of study personnel on the protocol application.

Which Participating Institution should I select as a new user?
If you are doing research at Stanford (University or Hospital & Clinics) or Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, select "Stanford University" from the "Participating Institutions" drop down menu.
VA personnel should select "Palo Alto VA" from the “Veterans Affairs” menu.

What about third party personnel?
Third party (subcontract) research personnel or consultants must comply with this education requirement as well. They may satisfy this requirement at their home institutions, provided that STANFORD is assured of completion of the necessary training. A letter, certificate, or email notification by a representative from the home institution will satisfy this requirement.

Do I need a SUNet ID and password to register for CITI?
You do not need a SUNet ID to take the CITI course.  You will be asked to choose a CITI username and password.  These are not the same as your SUNet ID and password.

What is a Learner Group and which should I select for my training?
There are eight Learner Groups to choose from, with each group reflecting a different research area of focus.  Group descriptions are provided when you register for CITI.  Choose a Learner Group that best reflects the your area of research and responsibilities.

Most investigators and staff fall into Group 1 or Group 2, depending on whether medical or nonmedical research is involved:

• Group 1 - for Medical Research Investigators and Staff,  which covers research conducted at Stanford Hospital and Clinics or LPCH.
• Group 7 - if GCP is desired in addition to the medical research modules. 
• Group 2 - for Nonmedical Research Investigators and Staff (research conducted in the areas of Education, Psychology, Engineering, Law, Business, Sociology, etc). 

Other Groups are for IRB members (medical/nonmedical), Institutional Officials and Research Compliance Office staff.

What Group do I choose if I am an investigator and an IRB member?
Choose an IRB member Group (not an investigator/staff Group):
        •  Group 3 - if you are a member of a medical IRB.
        •  Group 4 - if you are a member of a nonmedical IRB.

Can I complete this training in several sessions?
Yes.  You can leave and come back to the site using your CITI username and password.

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How do I get a copy of my completion certificate?
You can view and print a copy of your completion certificate by logging into the CITI home page with the username and password you selected when you first registered.  

Upon successful login, you will be at the "Learner's Menu" screen:

If under the Status heading it says "passed", then under the next column heading - Completion Reports - click on the print link.  This will display a table and the last column of the table is headed Print Completion Report - click on the print completion report link in this column to print the certificate. 

If under the Status heading it says "Not Started - Enter" or "Incomplete - Re-enter", click on Previous Coursework Completed link, then click on See coursework completed for Stanford University since... . This will display a table and the last column of the table is headed Print Completion Report - click on the print completion report link in this column to print the certificate. 

How often do I have to take this course to keep my training current?
Training is required every two years for Stanford University, Stanford Hospital and LPCH researchers, and every year for researchers affiliated with the VA or affiliated with both Stanford and the VA. You will need to access the CITI tutorial again to take the Refresher course, so make sure you record your username and password for future use. top

What do I do if I have forgotten my username or password?
CITI has an automated username and password retrieval system available at http://www.citiprogram.org/emaillogin.asp.  If you encounter problems retrieving this information, contact CITI Support at (305) 243-7970.

Other questions regarding CITI training?
Contact IRB Education.

The five STANFORD affiliated organizations are:
• Stanford University
• Stanford Hospital and Clinics (SHC)
• Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford (LPCH)
• Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS)
• Palo Alto Institute for Research and Education (PAIRE)