Required Training

Human Research Protections Program

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HRPP Training Requirements

Western Washington University (WWU) has partnered with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) to provide a free online regulatory training course in human research protections.

  • The HRPP will not initiate processing without current (within 5 years) CITI Social Behavioral Research training certification from key personnel and faculty advisors of student researchers.
  • Note that some funding agencies, particular with federal grants, may require 3-year certification. It's the researcher's responsibility to determine the grant requirements.
  • You must attach individual PDFs of CITI certificates with your submission email. We cannot accept links, email notification, JPGs or other formats. Missing certifications or incorrect formats will delay processing.
  • Students must include their faculty advisor's CITI certificate. You do not need to include other committee members, unless they will be serving as co-investigators.

🚩 IMPORTANT: The HRPP does not require Responsible Conduct of Research training or Good Clinical Practice Social Behavioral training. Those certifications will not be accepted as part of an HRPP application.

How to Register for CITI and Access Training Certificates

(Already have a CITI account? Log in here.)

These links provide instructions with step-by-step screenshots.

 

Screenshot showing how to register for CITI training.

Adding CITI Courses

Required Social-Behavioral Course

After registering for a CITI account (see above), follow our step-by-step instructions (screenshots included) to add the HRPP required course.

Supplemental/Optional Modules

Depending on the nature of your protocol, you may be asked to complete additional modules to ensure higher participant protections (e.g., Internet-Based Research or Research in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools). You do not need to complete these modules in advance, unless you're sure they will be relevant.

To access additional courses, scroll to Step 6+ on the step-by-step instructions and select "Human Participant Research Training."

Screenshot of HRPP required training course select on CITI select a course page

Common Questions

  • Principal Investigators (PIs) 
  • Faculty advisers (if applicable)
  • All key personnel who will work directly with participants or their identifiable data.

Your protocol will not be processed unless it includes all required Social-Behavioral CITI training certificates (as PDFs), which includes all key personnel who will work with identifiable data or directly with research participants. For student protocols, you must also include your faculty adviser's CITI certificate.

Do not include Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training, which the HRPP does not require.

Initial HRPP submissions require only the CITI Social and Behavioral Research -- Basic/Refresher Course. But if your research involves a specific topic or population, reviewers might ask you (and other key personnel and faculty adviser, if applicable) to complete relevant supplemental modules to enhance ethical protections.

If your research will involve one or more of the areas listed below, you may opt to proactively complete the modules before submitting your application. Also, faculty members might wish to assign certain additional modules related to their courses for pedagogical purposes.

Note: Your basic CITI certificate will not show supplemental modules or courses. To verify completion, you will need to go to your list of completed courses to print as a PDF to submit with your application or upon request.

How to Access Supplemental Modules

  1. After logging into CITI, click VIEW COURSES
  2. Locate your "Social and Behavioral Research" course and click REVIEW COURSE (You must complete this course before supplemental modules will be visible.)
  3. Scroll beneath the Required Modules to OPTIONAL MODULES
  4. To find your preferred supplemental course click CONTROL + F (on PC) and COMMAND +F (on Mac) and type a relevant word to find the appropriate module (e.g., schools, children, internet, employees).

Social and Behavioral Research -- Basic/Refresher Course

  • History and Ethical Principles - SBE (ID: 490)
  • Assessing Risk - SBE (ID: 503)
  • Informed Consent - SBE (ID: 504)
  • Privacy and Confidentiality - SBE (ID: 505)

Supplemental Modules

  • Belmont Report and Its Principles (ID: 1127) (Strongly recommended for all researchers)
  • Research with Children - SBE (ID: 507)
  • Research in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools - SBE (ID: 508)
  • International Research - SBE (ID: 509)
  • Internet-Based Research - SBE (ID: 510)
  • Unanticipated Problems and Reporting Requirements in Social and Behavioral Research (ID: 14928)
  • Populations in Research Requiring Additional Considerations and/or Protections (ID: 16680)
  • Conflicts of Interest in Human Subjects Research (ID: 17464)
  • Human Subjects Considerations and Big Data Research (ID: 19126)
  • Mobile Apps and Human Subjects Research (ID: 19728)
  • Ethical and Appropriate Uses of Administrative Data for Research and Evaluation (ID: 19826)
  • IRB Risk Assessment of Technologies in Human Subjects Research (ID: 20480)
  • Research with Prisoners - SBE (ID: 506)
  • International Studies (ID: 971)
  • Students in Research (ID: 1321)
  • Vulnerable Subjects - Research Involving Workers/Employees (ID: 483)
  • Hot Topics (ID: 487)
  • Cultural Competence in Research (ID: 15166)
  • Humanitarian Use Devices (HUDs) (ID: 16306)
  • Research with Older Adults (ID: 16502)
  • Research with Persons who are Socially or Economically Disadvantaged (ID: 16539)
  • Gender and Sexuality Diversity (GSD) in Human Research (ID: 16556)
  • Research with Critically Ill Subjects (ID: 16592)
  • Research with Decisionally Impaired Subjects (ID: 16610)
  • Research with Subjects with Physical Disabilities and Impairments (ID: 16657)
  • Research Involving Subjects at the End-of-Life (ID: 16658)
  • External IRB Review (ID: 16711)
  • Phase I Research: Understanding Phase I Research (ID: 16873)
  • Phase I Research: Protecting Phase I Subjects (ID: 16874)
  • Consent and Subject Recruitment Challenges: Remuneration (ID: 16881)
  • Consent Tools Used by Researchers (ID: 16944)
  • Introduction To Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) (ID: 16994)
  • Introduction to Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) (ID: 16995)
  • Ethical and Practical Considerations in Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) (ID: 16996)
  • Consent in the 21st Century (ID: 17060)
  • Consent and Biobanks and Associated Databases (ID: 17254)
  • Consent and Subject Recruitment Challenges: Therapeutic Misconception (ID: 17259)
  • Consent with Subjects Who Do Not Speak English (ID: 17260)
  • Consent and Cultural Competence (ID: 17263)
  • Informed Consent and Incidental Findings in Research with Human Subjects (ID: 17342)
  • Introduction to Public Health Research (ID: 17637)
  • Public Health Research and Public Health Practice (ID: 17638)
  • Informed Consent and Confidentiality in Public Health Research (ID: 17639)
  • Ethical Issues in Public Health Research (ID: 17640)
  • Overview of the Clinical Trial Agreement (CTA) (ID: 17356)
  • Understanding the Terms of the Clinical Trial Agreement (CTA) (ID: 17357)
  • Role of the Researcher and Site in Managing the Clinical Trial Agreement (CTA) (ID: 17358)
  • Clinical Trial Agreement (CTA) Negotiation for Researchers and Sites (ID: 17359)
  • Disaster and Conflict Research, Part 1: PI Responsibilities (ID: 17384)
  • Disaster and Conflict Research, Part 2: Best Practices and Recommendations (ID: 17385)
  • Single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) Use and Administration: When Relying on a sIRB (ID: 17387)
  • Single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) Use and Administration: When Serving as a sIRB of Record (ID: 17388)
  • Single Institutional Review Board (sIRB) Use and Administration: Authorization Agreements (ID: 17392)
  • Are You Thinking About Being in a Research Study? (ID: 14562)

Before new personnel may join any aspect of the study, you must follow these steps and wait for written HRPP confirmation:

Exempt studies: Email the HRPP with names, specific roles and duties, and CITI certificates.

Expedited and Full-Board studies: Submit a Modification Request and include CITI certificates.

The WWU HRPP requires that you complete the basic refresher course every 5 years. You are responsible for ensuring all key personnel maintains current training.

NOTE: The CITI certificate indicates a 3-year expiration, and Federal funding agencies and some other external agencies require that you refresh CITI certification every 3 years. It is your responsibility to determine the expectations of other agencies and meet their requirements.

The steps on the How to Register for CITI Trainings page will assist you if you have mistakenly chosen the wrong institution, your institution has changed, or you have an affiliation with more than one institution and need to transfer module completion credit.