Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw State University

Office of Research

IRB Training Certificates & CITI Registration Steps

Abstract Lab Work

Why do I need an IRB Training Certificate?

The Office of Human Research Protections, which oversees the federal guidelines regarding protection of human subjects in research, recommends that all researchers complete a training course in human subject protection prior to conducting research using human participants. At KSU, this includes faculty, staff, and students. All faculty members acting as faculty advisor on a student's project must also be certified as this involves supervision of student research.

The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online training program is the official certification program for KSU-affiliated personnel. The CITI program consists of a course of modules for both human subject and animal research. The main courses include biomedical research, social and behavioral research, student research, responsible conduct in research, IRB member training, as well as various animal research courses.

Which Course Should I Take?

Faculty and staff are required to complete either the Biomedical Research Investigators or Social & Behavioral Research Investigators curriculum. These in-depth courses take approximately 2-3 hours to complete. The selected course should reflect the type of research the faculty or staff member is conducting.

At a minimum, student researchers are required to take the Students Conducting no more than Minimal Research curriculum. This course contains an overview of human subject research and takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Students should note that when taking part in research that is considered to be of more than minimal risk to participants, one of the more in-depth courses reflected in the above paragraph should be completed, and many professors require that their students or research assistants complete one of the more in-depth courses, so please ensure to register for the appropriate course.

Once the online training course is completed, the certificate will automatically be forwarded by CITI to the IRB and certification information will be documented.

How Do I Register at the CITI Site?

In order to begin the course, you must create a member profile at the CITI website and register your affiliation with KSU. Please click here to view a collection of screen shots that will assist you in completing the registration process and selecting the appropriate course and curriculum.