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University of Wisconsin–Madison

CITI Human Subjects Protections (HSP) Training Instructions

UW-Madison, UW Health, and Madison VA personnel listed on human subjects research studies must have current HSP training taken via CITI using their UW NetID. See this link for further details regarding HSP training including guidance for external personnel. If you have questions about your NetID (including how to obtain one), contact your program manager/regulatory specialist. VA Personnel should refer to the instructions provided to them or contact Mina.Herreman@va.gov for assistance.

Completion Instructions for First Time Users

The following instructions are meant for those accessing CITI for the first time.

  1. Log in to the CITI program via the UW CITI portal using your NetID and password. Logging in via the UW CITI portal associates your account with your NetID.
  2. Under “Log in through my organization” choose the applicable option (if you are not presented with these options, try a different browser):
    • If you have an existing account with CITI, select “I already have a CITI Program account” and enter your previous credentials as prompted. By acknowledging your existing account, your previous training should remain visible within your NetID-linked account (within your “Completed Modules”). If your previous training does not appear to have linked,  see Instructions for Linking Previous CITI Training.
    • If you do not have an existing CITI account, select “I don’t have a CITI Program account and I need to create one.” You may be prompted to set up a profile—answer these questions the best you can; the answers will not affect your training options.
  3. Once in your account, click on the “Add a Course” link under the “University of Wisconsin Madison Courses” menu. Complete question 2 and click submit at the bottom of the page.
  4. Once the UW Human Subjects Protections Course is in your account, click on the course title to begin the course and follow the instructions within CITI to complete your training. On average, it takes two hours to complete a basic course. If needed, courses can be completed in multiple sessions. Successful completion requires a composite score of 85% on the quizzes. Quizzes can be repeated in order to achieve this score.
  5. Course completions will load into ARROW and the Training Information Lookup Tool shortly after the next regularly scheduled database update. The database updates at 12:00 am, 6:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 6:00 pm CT seven days a week.

Instructions for Completing CITI Recertification

All personnel conducting human participants research that is approved (or determined to be exempt) by a campus IRB must have current human subjects training. Training must be completed every three years.

If you previously completed the UW Biomedical Course or UW Social & Behavioral Course, you will now need to complete the UW Human Subjects Protections Training Course, rather than the UW Biomedical Refresher or UW Social & Behavioral Refresher. See the above instructions under “Completion Instructions for First Time Users” for adding this course to your account.

You will receive a reminder email ninety days before your course expiration. Be sure to access your training via the UW CITI Portal using your NetID and password. Expiration dates can be verified by using the VCR Training Information Lookup Tool.

Supplemental Training

There are training courses in CITI for researchers looking to supplement their basic Human Subjects Protections Training. These courses contain modules not found in the basic course that are focused on the course topic. You can add supplemental courses to your account as appropriate for your type of research or training needs. Supplemental Training courses are added via question 5 on the “Add a Course” page.

Additional Information

If you are UW-Madison, UW Health, or Madison VA personnel who has completed CITI training without your current UW Madison NetID, had a NetID change, or completed training at another institution that does not show up in your account after logging in through the UW CITI Portal, please visit this page for information on how to have that training linked with your current NetID account.

If you experience any difficulty, please contact: citisupport@research.wisc.edu.