Research Training Hub

All researchers at Pitt must complete certain training before beginning any research activity. Below is an at-a glance complete guide to Pitt's required and optional training for all researchers.

Research Training Matrix

General Requirements for All Researchers

Training Course	Human Subject Research	Animal Research	Laboratory Research
Responsible Conduct of Research (CITI) Required for all individuals involved in research before beginning research activities (re-certification every 4 years)	x	x	x
Research Security Required for key personnel on awards from or applications to federal funding agencies or who are currently serving as key personnel (re-certification annually)	x	x	x
Conflict of Interest (CITI) All investigators must complete Conflict of Interest (COI) training upon appointment with recertification every 4 years for externally funded investigators (re-certification every 4 years)	x	x	x

Required Training by Research Type

Training Course	Human Subject Research	Animal Research	Laboratory Research
Human Subject Research (CITI) Required for all members of human subject research teams (re-certification every 4 years)	x
Working with Large Animals or working with Small Animals (CITI) Required for researchers working with animals. (re-certification every 4 years)		x
Animal Species Specific Training (CITI) Required for researchers working with animals. (re-certification every 4 years)		x
Animal Exposure Surveillance Program (AESP) Required for researchers working with animals and animal tissue. (re-certification every 3 years)		x
Chemical Hygiene Training Required for all personnel who handle laboratory chemicals. (re-certification every 3 years)			x
Use of Controlled Substances in Basic and Animal Research (CITI) Required for all Animal and recommended for Basic researchers whose research uses controlled substances (re-certification every 4 years)		x	x

Required Training Based on the Nature of the Research

Training Course	Human Subject Research	Animal Research	Laboratory Research
Agent Specific Training Required for investigators using select biological agents			x
Biological Imports Required for Investigators using biological materials regulated by federal agencies for international importation and interstate transfer (annual re-certification)	x	x	x
Biosafety-MyIBC (CITI) Required if research involves recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (no re-certification required)	x	x	x
Bloodborne Pathogen Training Required for individuals handling human blood or bodily fluids, unfixed tissues, or organs, cell cultures, tissue or organ cultures, and animal or human cell lines. (annual re-certification)	x	x	x
Good Clinical Practice (CITI) Required for those conducting a Clinical Trial (recertification required every 3 years)	x
Human Stem Cell Research (CITI) Required if submitting a research protocol to hSCRO (no re-certification required)	x	x	x
Humanitarian Use Device (HUD) (CITI) Required for all research or clinical use of HUDs at UPMC No re-certification required	x
International Research (CITI) Required for anyone conducting research outside of the US (re-certification every 4 years)	x
Privacy & Information Security (CITI) Required for anyone accessing the electronic health record (re-certification every 4 years)	x
Radiation Safety (provided by the Radiation Safety Office) Required for all personnel using radioactive materials or working with radiation producing equipment (re-certification every 3 years)	x	x	x
Research with Children (CITI) Required for individuals interacting with minors (< age of 18) and/or who conduct research at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (re-certification every 4 years)	x
Shipping of Dangerous Goods Required for all personnel who ship biological substances, dry ice, genetically modified micro-organisms, or infectious materials (re-certification every 2 years)		x	x
Trade Compliance and Export Control Training  may be required by the Office of Research Security & Trade Compliance on compliance with U.S. trade regulations (no re-certification required)	x	x	x

Optional Training

Training Course	Human Subject Research	Animal Research	Laboratory Research
Clinical Research Coordinator (CITI)  Optional course for study coordinators, no re-certification required	x
Clinical Trial Billing Compliance (CITI) Optional course for individuals responsible for billing research procedures, no re-certification required	x
ClinicalTrials.gov Optional training for anyone working on investigator-initiated clinical studies	x

Training Courses

Below is more detailed description of Pitt’s training courses broken down by General Required Training for All Researchers and Specific Training required by Researcher Type.  

General Requirements for All Researchers

• Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
  Required for all individuals involved in research before beginning research activities with re-certification every 4 years.
  • Responsible Conduct of Research (CITI) 
     
• Research Security
  Required for key personnel on applications to federal funding agencies, or who are currently serving as key personnel on active federal awards with annual re-certification.
  • Research Security Training (CITI)
     
• Conflict of Interest
  All investigators must complete Conflict of Interest (COI) training upon appointment with re-certification every 4 years for externally funded investigators.
  • COI PHS Regulated Course (if you are Public Health Service (PHS)-funded) (CITI)
  • COI Non-PHS Regulated Course (if not Public Health Service (PHS)-funded)(CITI)

Required Training by Research Type

Animal Research

Required in addition to the General Required Training in RCR, Research Security and COI:

• Working with Large Animals or working with Small Animals (CITI)
  • Required for researchers working with animals with re-certification every 4 years.
     
• Animal Species Specific Training (CITI)
  • Required for researchers working with animals with re-certification every 4 years.
    • View all of the University of Pittsburgh animal research-related courses offered by CITI.
       
• ​​Animal Exposure Surveillance Program (AESP)
  • ​Required for researchers working with animals with re-certification every 3 years.
     
• Chemical Hygiene Training*
  • Required for all personnel who handle laboratory chemicals with re-certification every 3 years.
     
• Use of Controlled Substances in Basic and Animal Research (CITI)
  • Required for all individuals listed on Animal Research Protections protocols that entail the use of controlled substances with re-certification every 4 years. 

Other training that may be required depending on the nature of the research being conducted: 

• Biological Imports*
  Required for Investigators using biological materials regulated by federal agencies for international importation and interstate transfer with no re-certification required
   
• Biosafety-MyIBC (CITI)*
  ​​​​Required if research involves recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, no re-certification required
   
• Bloodborne Pathogen Training*
  Required for individuals handling human blood or bodily fluids, unfixed tissues, or organs, cell cultures, tissue or organ cultures, and animal or human cell lines not verified as free from contamination of human hepatitis viruses, HIV, and other recognized bloodborne pathogens with annual re-certification.
   
• Human Stem Cell Research (CITI)*
  Required if submitting a research protocol to hSCRO, no re-certification required.
   
• Radiation Safety (provided by the Radiation Safety Office)*
  Required for all personnel using radioactive materials or working with radiation producing equipment. Re-certification is required every 3 years for radioactive materials users. Training is available in these application categories:
  • Analytical and research x-rays​
  • Gamma or x-ray irradiator use
  • Research using radionuclides
     
• Trade Compliance and Export Control*
  Training that may be required by the Office of Research Security & Trade Compliance on Trade Compliance with U.S. trade regulations.
  • Research Security
  • Trade Compliance

* May be required by more than one type of researcher

Human Subject Research

Required in addition to the General Required Training in RCR, Research Security and COI:

• Human Subjects Protection (CITI)
  All members of human subject research teams are required to complete the Human Subjects Protection course with recertification every 4 years:
  • Biomedical, or
  • Social-Behavioral-Educational 

Other training that may be required depending on the nature of the research being conducted:

• Biological Imports*
  Required for Investigators using biological materials regulated by federal agencies for international importation and interstate transfer with no re-certification required
   
• Biosafety-MyIBC (CITI)*
  Required if research involves recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules with no re-certification required
   
• Bloodborne Pathogen Training*
  Required for all personnel with potential exposure to human blood, human body fluids or potentially infectious material in a research or teaching environment with annual re-certification
   
• Good Clinical Practice (CITI)
  Required for those conducting a Clinical Trial with re-certification required every 3 years.
  • Clinical Trials Involving FDA Regulated Research (CITI) and/or
  • Social and Behavioral Research Best Practices for Clinical Research (CITI)
     
• Human Stem Cell Research (CITI)*
  Required if submitting a research protocol to hSCRO, no re-certification required
   
• Humanitarian Use Device (HUD) (CITI)
  Required for all research or clinical use of HUDs at UPMC with no re-certification required. 
  Requests for HUDs are processed through Sponsored Clinical Trials and Partnerships (formerly OSPARS).
   
• International Research (CITI)
  Required for anyone conducting research outside of the US with re-certification every 4 years
   
• Privacy & Information Security (CITI)
  Required for anyone accessing the electronic health record with re-certification every 4 years.
   
• Radiation Safety (provided by the Radiation Safety Office)*
  Required for all personnel using radioactive materials or working with radiation producing equipment. Re-certification required every 3 years for radioactive material users. Training is available in these application categories:
  • Research using radionuclides
  • Analytical and research x-rays
  • Research Radiopharmaceutical Training for PIs and Study Team Members
     
• Research with Children (CITI)
  Required for all individuals  interacting or intervening with minors under the age of 18 and/or who conduct research at  Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC with re-certification every 4 years
   
• Shipment of Dangerous Goods*
  Required for all personnel who ship biological substances, dry ice, genetically modified micro-organisms, or infectious materials with re-certification every 2 years.  
   
• Trade Compliance and Export Control*
  ​Training that may be required by the Office of Research Security & Trade Compliance on Trade Compliance with U.S. trade regulations.
  • Trade Compliance
  • Research Security

Optional Training

• Clinical Research Coordinator (CITI) 
  Optional course for study coordinators, no re-certification required
   
• Clinical Trial Billing Compliance (CITI)
  Optional course for individuals responsible for billing research procedures, no re-certification required
   
• ClinicalTrials.gov
  Optional training for anyone working on investigator-initiated clinical studies 

 
*May be required by more than one type of researcher

Laboratory Research

Required in addition to the General Required Training in RCR, Research Security and COI:
 

• Chemical Hygiene Training*
  Required for all personnel who handle laboratory chemicals with re-certification every 3 years.
• Use of Controlled Substances in Basic and Animal Research (CITI)*
  Strongly recommended for Basic scientists who use controlled substances in their research program with re-certification required every 4 years. 

Other training that may be required depending on the nature of the research being conducted:

• Agent Specific Training
  Required for investigators using select biological agents 
   
• Biological Imports*
  Required for Investigators using biological materials regulated by federal agencies for international importation and interstate transfer with no re-certification required
   
• Biosafety-MyIBC (CITI)*
  Required if research involves recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, no re-certification required 
   
• Bloodborne Pathogen Training*
  Required for individuals handling human blood or bodily fluids, unfixed tissues, or organs (excluding intact skin), cell cultures, tissue or organ cultures, and animal or human cell lines not verified as free from contamination of human hepatitis viruses, HIV, and other recognized bloodborne pathogens with annual re-certification
   
• Human Stem Cell Research (CITI)*
  Required if submitting a research protocol to hSCRO, no re-certification required
   
• Occupational Health Program for BSL-3 Workers
  Required for all faculty and staff who work in facilities operating at Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) 
   
• Radiation Safety (provided by the Radiation Safety Office)*
  Required for all personnel using radioactive materials or working with radiation producing equipment. Re-certification is required every 3 years for radioactive material users. Training is available in these application categories:
  • Research using radionuclides
  • Gamma or x-ray irradiator use
  • Analytical and research x-rays
     
• Shipment of Dangerous Goods*
  Required for all personnel who ship biological substances, dry ice, genetically modified micro-organisms, or infectious materials with re-certification every 2 years.  
   
• Trade Compliance and Export Control*
  Training that may be required by the Office of Research Security & Trade Compliance on Trade Compliance with U.S. trade regulations.
  • Trade Compliance
  • Research Security

 *May be required by more than one type of researcher