- Registering and Completing the Course
- Online Completion Lists
- Refresher Course
- CITI Training From Other Sites
- Additional Information
Registering and Completing the CITI Course
Who must complete CITI training? As of March 1, 2009, all Key Personnel* at UCSF or affiliated sites must complete human subjects protection training on the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) website. CHR approval of any individual application will be contingent upon the fulfillment of this requirement.
| * UCSF Key Personnel are defined as all individuals who contribute in a substantive way to the scientific development or execution of the study at or on behalf of UCSF or affiliated institutions. In addition, the CHR considers individuals who obtain informed consent to be Key Personnel. |
CITI training is only mandatory for Key Personnel. However, the CHR recommends that anyone involved with human subjects complete CITI training or similar human subjects protection training.
CHR members, HRPP staff, and Institutional Officials also must complete CITI training.
How do I register?
1. New users Register Here and follow steps 2-4.
Note: If you a VA investigator or staff, you do not need to complete the UCSF course (see below for more information).
2. Select University of California, San Francisco as your Participating Institution. Then create a user profile and enter your email address.
Important Note: Your UCSF or SF VAMC CITI training record is linked to your account in iMedRIS, the CHR’s online submission system. The two accounts will be linked by email address, so your Preferred Email Address in CITI must match your email address in the "My Account Information" section of iMedRIS.
If necessary, please update your Preferred Email Address on the CITI site or update your email address in the "My Account Information" section of iMedRIS (under "My Assistant"). |
3. When you are asked which course you plan to take, please choose one of the Basic Human Subjects courses based on the type of research that you conduct -- Biomedical, Social and Behavioral, or both.
4. You then will be asked to select your curriculum, or Learner Group. Choose the Human Subjects Protection Training group.
5. You also will be asked if you wish to enroll in the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) courses. These two courses are optional for most people. Some units on campus ask their staff to complete the GCP course. Also, some federal awards require that grantees undergo education in the responsible conduct of research, and the CITI RCR course is one way to meet this requirement. Please visit the Contracts and Grants website for additional information on the RCR course.
How many modules are required?
You will be required to take five core modules and two modules of your choosing. If you wish, you can take additional optional modules on specific topics such as International Research, Gene Therapy, and Internet Research.
How long does it take? Can I stop and start again later?
Most users complete all of their required modules in two to four hours.
You can stop and begin anytime. Save your work before you exit, and remember your user name and password.
What should I do if I forget my login information?
If you forget your user name or password, follow the "Forgot login information" instructions on the CITI website. The UCSF staff do not have access to your password.
How do I obtain a certificate of completion?
After you finish the required modules, you will be issued a completion report that is available to print from your learner menu after you log in to CITI. Please print the report and keep a copy for your records. Also give a copy to any members of your administrative team who need it for their records.
CHR will be able to confirm that you have taken the training by looking online, but CHR will not be able to print off your certificate for you.
Contracts and Grants also will be able to look this information up online.
Refresher Course
How often is the training required?
You are required to renew your human subjects training in CITI every three years. This can easily be accomplished by taking any three modules of your choosing.
The VA CITI training is valid for two years.
The optional UCSF GCP training is valid for four years.
How do I complete the refresher course?
After you log into the CITI site, the refresher course (Stage 2) will appear in your grade book (e.g. the “My Courses” section - see below). Click "Enter" to begin. You will be asked to select and complete any three modules of your choosing. Doing so will renew your CITI training for another three years.
Important note: The refresher course will only be available 90 days prior to your expiration date.
My Courses |
Status |
Completion Reports |
Voluntary Satisfaction Survey |
Human Subjects Protection Training, Stage 2 (or similar name) |
Not Started - Enter |
Not Earned |
Not Available |
CITI Training From Other Sites
What about VA investigators who have taken the VA's required CITI training course?
The VA requires regular training for all individuals engaged in research with human subjects, their tissue or data. If you are working at the VA, we recommend completion of the VA CITI module, which will meet UCSF’s requirements.
Please remember there are other annual education requirements for the VA, so please check the VA training page to ensure you and all members of your research team are current with those requirements.
Please contact the VA directly with any questions about these requirements.
What if I am transferring from another institution at which I completed CITI training?
This training may be valid at UCSF, depending on a number of factors. Please see the CITI Support Center for more information.
If your prior courses may be eligible for transfer, log on to the CITI site and add UCSF as an affiliate institution. CITI will review the modules you previously completed and the date(s) on which you took them. CITI will ask you to complete any modules required by UCSF that were not required by your previous institution and/or modules that are no longer eligible to be transferred.
Do collaborators at other sites need to complete UCSF's training?
Collaborators only need to complete this training if UCSF has agreed to act as their IRB of record.
If outside collaborators have received their own IRB approval, they do not need to undergo the UCSF training and should defer to their own IRB's educational requirements.
Additional Information
Why has UCSF subscribed to this online training?
UCSF is now part of the (CITI), along with over 600 other organizations throughout the world. About 80% of the AAHRPP-accredited institutions, of which UCSF is one, use this training. The majority of the institutions which are part of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), which UCSF is a part of, also subscribe to this training.
CITI training was chosen by UCSF because the content is extensively reviewed and critiqued and updated and participant satisfaction is high. In addition, the training is both more targeted and more complete. Additionally, if an investigator has taken CITI training elsewhere, this training will be accepted at UCSF, with only the small additional requirement that the investigator take the UCSF core module of the training.
Investigators may take additional modules, at their leisure, to fit their interests, but any additional modules would be optional. CHR Members may occasionally recommend an investigator take an additional module.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
Contact Melanie Mace at 476-9839 or call the CHR Front Desk at 476-1814 if you have questions. The CITI Support Center also provides resources, hints, tips and answers to frequently asked questions about the CITI Program.
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