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  1. Training

All Investigators

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

All individuals involved in research are required to complete the CITI Responsible Conduct of Research course before performing research activities. This requirement also applies to faculty mentors listed in the IRB application who are responsible for the conduct of research for their students. Re-certification is required every 4 years.

  • Responsible Conduct of Research (CITI)

Trainees who receive National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Health (NIH) or other support from a training grant may be required to complete additional, in person,  discussion-based RCR training. The University of Pittsburgh Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) holds RCR Center workshops which may meet these requirements. If you have any questions about this additional requirement, contact Teri Reiche at tmr75@pitt.edu.

Research Security

Effective October 1, 2025, NIH will require senior/key personnel on NIH-funded projects to complete research security training. This training covers how to properly disclose all “other support” — including resources that may not have monetary value or be located at your institution — to ensure transparency and compliance with federal rules.

Institutions must certify completion of this training for all covered individuals. NIH allows institutions to use approved materials (such as NSF-developed training) or create their own that meet federal requirements. For details, visit the NIH Research Security Training Requirements page.

To complete the Research Security training that fulfills the requirements of the NIH, NSF, and USDA:

  • Visit https://www.citi.pitt.edu.
  • Log in using your University credentials.
  • Scroll to the bottom of the menu and select “Add a Course.”
  • Under the “Other Courses” section, choose Research Security Training (currently the final option on the list).

Once completed, your training record will be automatically recorded and made available to the appropriate University offices for compliance and reporting.

Conflict of Interest (COI)

Click here to review the University of Pittsburgh COI training requirements.​

Guidance to address who is an investigator:

This is a guidance tool and may not capture all scenarios /description of an investigator. It is better to complete the training if there is any uncertainty.

  1. The Principal Investigator, any Co-Investigator and any others who are independently responsible for or who have or may acquire the authority from the PI to significantly influence the direction of the research, data acquisition, method and analysis of the research are considered Investigators.

  2. Any Co-Investigator and any others who may be a co-author on manuscripts or presentation of the research findings are considered Investigators (this also includes students who meet this definition).

  3. Senior/Key Personnel who are identified on a grant or funding application or report as contributors to the research are considered Investigators whether or not they receive salary support.

  4. Collaborators and consultants at the University of Pittsburgh who are independently responsible for or significantly influence any portion of the research, data acquisition, or method and analysis of the research are considered Investigators.

  5. Sub-recipients, collaborators and consultants outside of the University of Pittsburgh who are performing PHS funded research on behalf of Pitt who are independently responsible for or significantly influence any portion of the research, data acquisition, or method and analysis of the research are considered Investigators and must complete COI training. The University of Pittsburgh will accept COI training from outside Institutions that have PHS-compliant policies.  If the outside institution does not have a PHS-compliant COI policy, the Investigator must complete Pitt’s CITI COI training module.

  6. Postdoctoral students and Clinical fellows may be considered Investigators depending on their ability to independently and significantly influence the research.  This should be determined by the PI on a case by case basis.

  7. If an investigator leaves the University before the research is published and he/she is included as an author, the COI training must have been complete at the time the work was done that contributes to the paper.  Retraining after departure from the Institution is not required.

The following are not usually considered Investigators:

  1. Consultants who provide a “fee for service” only and do not conduct the research are not considered Investigators.

  2. Administrators or individuals who perform routine or supportive tasks related to the research are not considered an Investigator.