Human Subject Protection Training

Required human subject research training

Under the direction of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Northeastern University requires completion of training on the protection of human subjects and the ethical principles of research for all human subject research (HSR), regardless of whether or not investigators have received funding to support their project. This training is mandatory for all faculty, staff, and students who conduct/supervise HSR whether on campus or off-campus.

If you have completed HSR training, please provide documentation. Documentation is only required to be submitted once and may be provided with your IRB protocol application. The Office of Human Subject Research Protection (HSRP) will accept documentation of human subject protection training from other institutions. If you have not yet completed some type of human subject protection training, Northeastern University has an account with CITI. All NU affiliates can take this course at no charge. Please note that approval for training is for 3 years. Those who continue to be engaged in HSR will be instructed to complete a refresher course.

The HSRP requires completion of the training module titled CITI Social & Behavioral Research Stage 1 Basic Course.

INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO ACCESS AND COMPLETE THE CITI TRAINING

For new users:

  1. Go to the CITI Program
  2. Select the “Register” button located on the top right of the page to begin.
  3. Select Northeastern University from the drop-down menu titled “Select your institution or organization.”
  4. Please register using your NU email address and submit the remaining registration details.
  5. On the “Institutional Courses” page, select “View Courses.”
  6. On the following page, select “Add a Course.”
  7. On the “Select Curriculum” page, go to Question 4 Human Subjects Research and select the second button choice titled “Social & Behavioral Research Investigators.”
  8. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “submit” button.
  9. Complete the course as directed

For users with an existing CITI account:

  1. Go to the CITI Program
  2. Select the “Log In” button located on the top right of the page. Sign into your existing account and verify that your account reflects your Northeastern University affiliation.
  3. On the “Institutional Courses” page, select “View Courses.”
  4. On the following page, select “Add a Course.”
  5. On the “Select Curriculum” page, go to Question 4 Human Subjects Research and select the second button choice titled “Social & Behavioral Research Investigators.”
  6. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “submit” button.
  7. Complete the course as directed.

Once completed, please forward a copy of your training certificate to HSRP at IRBreview@northeastern.edu.