Human Subjects Research Training (CITI)

CITI Program Training

Researchers at SUNY Old Westbury are required to complete online training on the protection of human subjects in research through the institution's subscription to the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). CITI offers accessible and thorough online training modules for all students, faculty, and staff.

Please Note: Academic advisors overseeing student researchers must maintain current CITI certification.

Direct Link to CITI Program 

All researchers from the SUNY Old Westbury community that conduct human subjects research are required to complete this certification every three years.

What is human subjects research?

This training is required for all individuals conducting research with human participants. This means all research for which there is a research involves intervention, interaction, and information from a participant. 

  • Interventions includes physical procedures that manipulate the  participant's environment or daily life (for research purposes). 
  • Interactions include some level of communication between a participant and the researcher; this includes remote, anonymous surveys and similar.
  • Information: The researcher is gaining information from a participant through these interventions and interactions. 

More thorough definitions of these components are found elsewhere on this site.

Registering for a course

You can access the course at any time and you do not need to register for a course in advance.

  1. Go to the CITI website
  2. Click “Register” near the top of the page
  3. Under “Select Your Organization Affiliation,” enter “SUNY - College at Old Westbury.”
  4. Continue to follow the directions on the screen
  5. Take the appropriate modules listed below (students and faculty will have different requirements)

*Notes to ensure your CITI training will link to your IRB proposals:

  1. Make sure to enter your name exactly as you will in the IRB module. For instance, if you include a middle initial in CITI, do the same in the IRB. Similarly, if you use your full legal name or a nickname (such as Michael instead of Mike), ensure you use the same format in the IRB module.
  2. Ensure your CITI training is up-to-date (needs to be renewed every three years.)
  3. You must wait 24 hours between completing your CITI training and submitting an IRB for CITI to run overnight and connect with IRB.

Each module includes a short quiz at the end, and you must achieve a score of 80% to pass. If you don't pass on your first attempt, you can retake the quiz as many times as needed to reach a passing score.

The CITI Program provides "Completion Reports" for each course you finish, which remain valid for up to three years. The IRB office does not store CITI certifications, but you can access your completion records online through the CITI website at any time.

In response to numerous requests, CITI Program now also offers "Completion Certificates" that learners can print or share. 

Required Modules

New/First time users:

  • Integrity Assurance
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Human Subject Research
  • Health Information Privacy and Security (HIPS)
  • Responsible Conduct of Research

Renewing/Refresher:

  • Social & Behavioral Research - Basic/Refresher

Please note that these are subject to change over time. Your certificate will "grandfather" for three years, but updated modules may be required when you go to renew.