Human Subjects Research Training
Effective March 28, 2002, Teachers College entered into a new agreement with the federal government that regulates our ability to conduct research involving human subjects. This agreement, known as a Federal Wide Assurance (FWA), requires all institutions that receive federal research funds to provide a comprehensive, ongoing training program in basic human subjects protections and that it verify that all applicants for IRB approval have undergone this training. Your signature, as well as the signature of your faculty advisor and any additional investigators listed on any of the three main IRB forms, certifies that you have satisfied the training requirement. The IRB office will verify all incoming applications against its records to ensure the requirement has been satisfied. Effective April 30, 2002, the IRB will not review any protocol whose principal investigator or faculty advisor has not satisfied the training requirement. Researchers who have served on the IRB or who have applied for funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since October 2000 have mostly likely already fulfilled the requirement.
Researchers at Teachers College have two options available for satisfying the requirement: Please note that both satisfy the requirement equally and have no associated fees. You only need to choose one option. As of right now, there are no continuing education requirements, so this should be the one and only time you need to take any type of human subjects training.
The NCI/NIH's Computer Based Training is designed for the broad spectrum of researchers and research staff conducting both biomedical and behavioral research throughout the US. Most US institutions of higher education accept it as satisfying their human subjects training requirement, which makes it the best option for faculty working collaboratively with researchers at other institutions, or for doctoral candidates planning to pursue a career in research. It is also the most convenient way of obtaining certification, since it is accessible to all 24/7 from any computer with Web access. The major drawback of the NIH training is that it asks questions that pertain specifically to biomedical research. This does not ordinarily prevent anyone from passing the test, but it can be a source of frustration for social and behavioral researchers. It takes less than an hour to complete.
Researchers who complete the NIH CBT should print the screen that states they have completed it successfully and forward their certificates to OSP at Box 151. Researchers may also simply attach the certificates to the first IRB application they submit after completing the training.