Training (including CITI)
CITI Basics:
What is CITI?
The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) at the University of Miami is a leading provider of research education content. CITI Program was established in 2000 to provide training content in areas such as: Animal Care and Use (ACU), Biosafety and Biosecurity (BSS), Export Control (EC), Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Human Subjects Research (HSR), Information Privacy and Security (IPS), and Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) including the Conflicts of Interest (COI) course. The CITI program was introduced in 2010 to Cal Poly Pomona and became mandatory for protocol approval in 2011.
Cost: CITI is free of cost for you. Cal Poly Pomona pays the subscription fee.
Availability: The courses are available 24/7 on-line. You may log out and return at a later time, but it is suggested that you complete the module you are working on, including the quiz, first.
Web Browser Compatibility: A message from CITI, October 2014. The current version of the CITI Program’s website supports Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Effective March 2015, CITI Program's website blocks use of Internet Explorer version 7; site users need to have IE 8 or later.
1. Before you begin:
- We strongly recommend that you review the registration process tutorial: PowerPoint demonstration (PDF) (updated 30 July 2015).
Note: CITI may have made changes to its screens, so the PowerPoint "shots" may not match exactly.
- Navigate through the "General Information" area and become familiar with the site.
2. Registration:
- Register the first time at https://www.citiprogram.org using any name and password you choose. Select California State Polytechnic University, Pomona as the institution. There will be a space to provide your Bronco ID number so we can further identify you in the future. You can provide your Bronco ID in the space labeled "employee number" in Step 6 of the registration process.
3. Using CITI:
- Once registered, provide your user name and password each time you log-on and you will go to the appropriate learner's group. You can change your learner's group should it be necessary. You may also affiliate yourself with other institutions that recognize the CITI training.
4. Selecting courses:
- Select the group in which you must train as defined by the IACUC (for a CPP class e.g. “Classroom and teaching activities with animals”, for the basic CPP introduction to animal care “101” for investigators (PIs, faculty, students), for the IACUC member, etc.). If you are unsure which group you should choose, please contact your professor, PI, or the Office of Research Compliance iacuc-office@cpp.edu (as appropriate) for further assistance.
- The groupings and the modules composing them are located here in an Excel file (XLS).
- You may take any other modules and repeat modules after you complete (obtain a passing score) the group of modules in which you originally enrolled. Simply click on "Cal Poly Pomona Courses" then click on "Add a course or update learner groups" which is on the CITI main menu page. A passing score - set by the CPP IACUC - is 80% over all of the modules; professors and courses may have other requirements.
5. Course validity:
- A transcript (completion report) is generated when you complete the required group of modules, which can be used to show evidence of training to the IACUC or for a classroom activity.
- The CPP IACUC has set three (3) years as the length of time for which the training is valid. This is subject to change should there be changes in regulations, campus policies, or research methodology. Investigators may be asked to complete additional training to fulfill requirements for other animal activities.
6. Obtaining, sending, or printing your CITI training report:
- The CITI Program does not offer certificates. Upon course completion you are issued a completion report, which will be e-mailed to the institution(s) designated. It is also available to print directly from your account within the CITI software.
- The report serves as the official document issued by the CITI Program upon completion of a course. Follow this link to view instructions on where to find your CITI report and printing options.
Additionally, information about other means of training can be obtained by contacting the IACUC office 909.869.3713 or the Building 92 facility coordinator (909.869.4955).
Training in Specific Laboratory Practices
In addition to CITI training, all research/teaching personnel must display proficiency in the performance of the specific procedures described in each animal-use protocol. Evidence of training such as degrees, certifications, hands-on training should be included in the protocol application form. Competence is a measure of knowledge, skills, and aptitudes (KSAs). Be specific to the techniques, manipulations, and animals which are to be used in the protocol.
Related Training Items
- Rabbit handling: http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/category.asp?catID=19 (scroll down to the bottom of the NC3Rs page and under "Related resources" click on "AHWLA tutorial" for a short video on rabbit handling)
- AALAS Learning Library: http://www.aalaslearninglibrary.org/ (needs a paid subscription)
- Digital Resources for Veterinary Trainers: http://www.digires.co.uk/
- Procedures with Care tutorials: http://www.procedureswithcare.org.uk/
- The Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE): http://www.jove.com/ (unique techniques which may be of interest to particular researchers, although not all of them involve animals)
- There is a training module on the CITI program website for IOs (Institutional Officials) responsible for the human subjects and/or animal research programs. There is also a journal article that helps provide an overview of what the IO needs to know and other helpful information. You can read this here.
- Follow this link if you would like to hear a podcast about Wildlife Animal Research from AAALAC International.
- Education resources from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) at the NIH, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/educational_resources.htm