CITI Training FAQs

This page contains frequently asked questions about CITI Training requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about CITI Training

Click below for FAQs related to CITI Training. If you are having difficulties with CITI that are not resolved with the guidance below, please send a detailed inquiry to the CITI Helpdesk.

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Should individuals who will be engaged in research complete CITI Human Subjects Protections training before submitting to the IRB?

Yes, please be sure that the CITI training for Human Subjects Research is completed before adding research personnel to eIRB.

eIRB will automatically update with research personnel CITI training

Do I have to complete Good Clinical Practices (GCP) training for the IRB?

If your study meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial, you need to complete GCP training to be compliant with regulatory requirements. The Penn IRB does not review nor track GCP training, and it is not accepted as a substitute for the Human Subjects’ Protection Course. Please contact the Office of Clinical Research (OCR) with questions about GCP training compliance.

Contact OCR

If CITI Human Subjects’ Protection training no longer expires, why does my completion report have an expiration date?

According to Penn IRB SOPs you do not have to renew your training. However, if you would like an updated certificate or report of completion to reflect that the training does not expire, please view the following guidance.

CITI Training: Update Certification to Reflect Expiration PDF

What if a funder or another IRB of Record requires training within the last 3 years?

If a funder (such as the Department of Defense) or another IRB of Record requires more frequent or other training requirements in addition to those that the University of Pennsylvania requires, the investigator is responsible for ensuring that the training is completed for those involved in the conduct of the research. Researchers should work with the funder or IRB of Record to complete their education requirements.

If I intend to add an Independent Investigator to my eIRB protocol, do they need to have completed the CITI Human Subjects’ Protection Course?

Yes. Individuals added as independent investigators should have completed the Human Subjects’ Protection Course through CITI, their organization, or the training through the Division of Medical Ethics at Penn. The Penn IRB does not accept Human Subjects’ training through the NIH.

Required HSR Training (CITI)

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