Instructions for Linking Previous CITI Training

Who should submit a linking request?

• UW-Madison or UW Health personnel who have created an account through the UW CITI Portal and have completed CITI human subjects training outside of that account. NOTE: if you selected “I already have a CITI Program account” when creating an account through the UW CITI Portal and you input your outside account’s credentials, your accounts should already be linked. No additional linking should be necessary. Important: Do not attempt to request mergers directly from the CITI Program. Doing so may result in damage to your accounts and significant delays.

Who should not submit a linking request?

• Personnel who need to retain training at another institution. Linking accounts could interfere with how the other institution tracks training. For advice on what to do in this scenario, email citisupport@research.wisc.edu.
• UW-Madison, UW Health, or Madison VA personnel who have never created an account through the UW CITI Portal. These individuals should follow the instructions on the “Completion Instructions for First-Time Users” tab. Linking will automatically occur when you select “I already have a CITI Program account” and enter your previous credentials.
• If you only have one CITI account and it was created using the UW CITI Portal, you do NOT need to submit a linking request to link your account to your NetID. The UW CITI Portal automatically creates a username that is linked to your NetID. If you completed training through the UW CITI Portal and your training is not showing up in the Training Information Lookup Tool, see the “FAQs/Troubleshooting” tab.

Linking Request Instructions

If you have determined based on the above that linking is appropriate:

1. Record the CITI account member ID(s) you want linked to your NetID:
   • Log in to your CITI account at www.citiprogram.org
   • Write down the CITI member ID that is at the top right of the “Main Menu” page.
     • Label this number “Member ID Number(s) to be linked.”
   • If you have more than one CITI account that you would like linked, log in to those accounts and record those member IDs also.
   • Log out of all CITI accounts.
2. Record member ID for NetID linked account:
   • Log in to the UW CITI portal using your NetID credentials.
   • After entering your NetID and password, you will be re-directed to the CITI website.
   • Write down the CITI Member ID that is at the top right of the “Main Menu” page.
     • Label this number “Member ID Number for NetID linked CITI account.”
     • If the Member ID numbers are the same for both accounts, these accounts are already linked. Please do not submit a linking request.
3. Complete the Linking Request Form using the member IDs collected in the steps above. The CITI Program typically completes these requests within 1-2 business days and will copy you on the confirmation email.
4. If you are a user with training from another institution who is attempting to have your previous training recognized, you MUST do the following once your accounts are linked:
   • Log in to the UW CITI portal using your NetID.
   • Add the relevant courses to your account, see “Instructions for adding the UW Human Subjects Protections Course” within the “Instructions for Completing CITI Recertification (Refresher)” tab.
   • After adding the course, you will be credited with any identical modules completed at your previous institution. Only modules with the same Module ID number that have been completed within the past three years will be credited to you. You must complete any remaining necessary modules to receive credit at UW-Madison.

Once the merger (and, as necessary, any leftover modules) is complete, your training will be visible in the Training Information Lookup Tool and ARROW after the next download of data from CITI.

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Instructions for Completing CITI Recertification (Refresher)

All personnel conducting human subjects research that is approved, ceded, or determined to be exempt by a UW-Madison IRB must have current human subjects training. Training must be completed every three years. You will receive reminder emails starting 90 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 Training Information Lookup Tool.

If you previously completed the UW Human Subjects Protections Course, the refresher course will automatically populate in your account 90 days before expiration.

If you previously completed the UW Biomedical Course or UW Social & Behavioral Course, you will now need to complete the UW Human Subjects Protections Course, rather than the UW Biomedical Refresher or UW Social & Behavioral Refresher. The UW Human Subjects Protections Course must be manually added to your account (see instructions below).

Instructions for adding the UW Human Subjects Protections Course:

1. Log in to the CITI program via the UW CITI Portal using your NetID and password.
2. Once in your account, select “View Courses” next to University of Wisconsin-Madison.
3. Click on the “Add a Course” link under “Learner Tools for University of Wisconsin-Madison.” 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. Remember to complete all the “required modules” and at least two of the “elective modules.”
5. Successful completion requires a composite score of 85% on the quizzes. Quizzes can be repeated to achieve this score.

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Supplemental Training

There are optional 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 4 on the “Add a Course” page.

Current supplemental training option include:

• Community Research
• Informed Consent
• International Research
• Internet Research
• IRB Member Training
• Repositories and Genetic Research
• Subject Selection/Vulnerable Populations
• Unanticipated Problems
• Information Privacy & Security
• Clinical Trial Billing Compliance
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

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Troubleshooting/FAQs

If you are experiencing issues with CITI training, you may be able to troubleshoot them yourself using the information below. Otherwise, please reach out to the Office of Research Compliance at citisupport@research.wisc.edu.

Why is my training not showing up in ARROW or the Training Information Lookup Tool (TILT)?

There are several possibilities for why training might not be showing up in TILT.

• • The correct course(s) were not completed. All UW-Madison personnel must complete the UW Human Subjects Protections Course (except certain personnel on VA studies, who must complete the VA Human Subjects Protection Course). Some personnel must also take one of the two Good Clinical Practice course options, which is a separate requirement from the human subjects protections course requirement. If you received an email telling you that your training is about to expire, check the email to see which course is needed to keep your training up to date.
  • The course was not completed in its entirety. Check to make sure you completed all the necessary modules and received at least an 85% cumulative score. If you recently linked training from another institution, you will only receive credit for modules that have the same ID numbers as those used at UW-Madison and have been completed in the past 3 years; you will need to complete any remaining necessary modules.

I completed CITI training at another institution. Can I get credit for it?

Possibly! See the “Instructions for Linking Previous CITI Training” tab above. You will only receive credit for modules that have the same ID numbers as those used at UW-Madison and have been completed in the past three years. You will need to complete any remaining necessary modules.

How can I check that my training is up to date?

Personnel who completed training via the UW CITI Portal can check their training through the Training Information Lookup Tool (TILT). TILT updates periodically throughout the day.

I don’t see the UW Human Subjects Course in my account?

You may need to manually add the course to your account. See either the “Instructions for Completing CITI Recertification (Refresher)” tab above or the “Completion Instructions for First Time Users” tab above (whichever applies to you) for instructions.

How can I get completion certificates for my study team members?

The best option is to ask your team members to download their certificates from CITI. They can do this by logging in to the UW CITI Portal, clicking “View Previously Completed Coursework,” and clicking “View-Print-Share” for the applicable course.

Why do I see the full course in my account instead of the refresher?

For human subjects training, if you previously complete the UW Biomedical or UW Social & Behavioral Course, you will now need to complete the UW Human Subjects Protections Course. You will need to manually add the new course to your account, and the basic version will populate. Alternatively, after three completions of a refresher, you will need to re-take the basic course. CITI will automatically populate the correct version.

I don’t have a NetID. How do I take the training?

UW Health and VA personnel can request NetIDs using the instructions on the Accessing ARROW and the NetID Process page. External personnel should not request NetIDs; training can be completed using the options in the “External Personnel” page, which do not require a NetID.

How long will training take?

On average it takes 2-3 hours to complete, but this can vary learner to learner. Courses do not have to be taken in one sitting; they can be completed over multiple sessions.

What happens if I do not receive a passing score?

You can re-take quizzes as many times as needed.

Can I re-take the training early instead of waiting for it to expire?

You can review the content at any time. If you re-take quizzes prior to 90 days before training expiration, your quiz scores will not update, and you will not receive a new completion date. If you need to re-take the training early, contact citisupport@research.wisc.edu.

My training is about to expire. Can I get an extension for my expiration date?

No, we are not able to offer extensions. Training should be completed prior to the expiration date. Personnel should not engage in human subjects research if their required training is expired.

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