IBC Training
Except for TCU Laboratory Safety in Research and Education, which is administered through SafetySkills, training will be administered through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program). The CITI Program is a well-respected, web-based training that was designed by, and is updated and maintained by, a number of nationally known research professionals. It is designed around topic-specific modules, each followed by a short quiz. The core courses will take approximately 2-3 hours to complete, while each specialized species or model specific course will take approximately 45-60 minutes to complete. The courses do not have to be completed in one sitting.
Prior to beginning work with any biohazardous materials, all personnel must complete the relevant training and be added as project personnel to the appropriate IBC active protocol by the principal investigator. CITI completion certificates must be provided to the IBC at the time of protocol submission. The required training will depend on the type of activity being conducted. See the following chart.
| Training | Who? | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 1. CITI- Initial Biosafety | All faculty, staff, students, or other individuals working with any biohazardous materials under the aegis of TCU | One time |
| 2. CITI- Biosafety Retraining | All faculty, staff, students, or other individuals working with any biohazardous materials under the aegis of TCU | Every four years on or before the anniversary of completion of the Initial Training |
| 3. CITI – NIH Recombinant DNA Guidelines | Principal Investigators and key personnel who work with recombinant DNA | One time |
| 4. CITI – OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens | All TCU faculty, staff, students, or other individuals working under the aegis of TCU with occupational exposure to human blood or other potentially infectious materials | Prior to the initial exposure and annually thereafter |
| 5. SafetySkills – Laboratory Safety in Research and Education | All faculty, staff, students, or other individuals working with any biohazardous materials in laboratories under the aegis of TCU | Every two years |
CITI access for new users
Go to CITI www.citiprogram.org and click on “Register”
Step 1. Select your Institution or Organization Texas Christian University
Step 2. Enter your name (first and last) and your TCU email. You may also choose to enter a “secondary email.”
Step 3. Create a Username and Password. Continue with registration through to step 7.
Step 4. Enter your Country of Residence
Step 5 . CME/CEU Credits. There is a charge for credit. Select whether you would like to receive credit or not and enter professional affiliation if credit is desired.
Step 6. Complete additional information requested by TCU
Step 7. Select your Curriculum. This page asks multiple choice questions targeting the curriculum you will need.
Click Complete and then Finalize Registration
Course Completion Certificate – Once you successfully complete a course, a CITI training certificate of completion is automatically sent to the Office of Research and the appropriate research committee chairperson, if any. If you need additional copies of your completion report or certificate, you may access the CITI site and print additional copies.
For all courses, Course completion reports and certificates are available for viewing, downloading and printing. To view and print your course completion history, select “Print” under “Completion Report” on the Main Menu. To print the certificate, instead of the completion report, select the second available option that is identified as “certificate”. Print and retain a copy of the completion report and certificate for your records.
Adding a Course – If you are an existing CITI user, you may select additional courses after you log in by clicking on “Add a Course” on the Main Menu page, under the Texas Christian University Courses. Once you have registered, you can access all CITI courses available to you as a TCU student or faculty member by clicking on “Add a Course.”
Safety Skills access for new users
- All TCU faculty and staff will gain access to Safety Skills via my.tcu.edu. Once logged in to my.tcu.edu, you will access Safety Skills via the Helpful Links icon.
- All TCU students must be given permission to access safety skills. TCU faculty and staff (PIs) should email Richard Adickes R.ADICKES@tcu.edu and request that he give specific students access. Requests should include the student’s TCU ID number.
