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Transition to CITI for Human Research Protection Training

November 14, 2025

The MSU Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) is updating its training requirements for researchers, transitioning to the use of CITI Program courses for human research protection training.

Advantages of using CITI include:

  • Many academic and other institutions use CITI for human research protection training

  • CITI modules completed at another institution will transfer when a researcher adds MSU affiliation in CITI

  • MSU uses CITI for other training such as Responsible Conduct of Research

  • CITI provides options for either biomedical or social science / behavioral / education focused human research protection training modules

With the transition to CITI, refresher courses offered by CITI will also be required every four years for researchers with active human research projects.

The MSU HRPP will still accept alternative human research protection training for non-MSU individuals.

Phase 1 – Researchers who have Not Completed MSU Human Research Protection Courses

The first phase of the CITI transition will begin with new researchers who have not completed MSU’s previous human research protection program training.

Beginning January 5, 2026, researchers who have not completed MSU’s previous human research protection training will be required to complete the CITI human research protection training courses. Researchers will be able to select from either biomedical focused CITI human research protection modules or social science / behavioral / education focused CITI human research protection modules.

Phase 2 – Researchers who have Completed MSU Human Research Protection Courses

The second phase will transition all MSU researchers to the CITI courses.

Researchers who completed MSU’s human research protection training (MSU Legacy HRPP Training) and are still conducting human research will be required to complete the CITI human research protection training courses by January 4, 2027.  Researchers will be able to select from either biomedical focused CITI modules or social science / behavioral / education focused CITI modules.

Questions

The HRPP website will be updated with additional information about CITI and human research protection training.

To learn more, please visit MSU HRPP Manual 11-1-A, Education: Investigators and Research Staff.

If you have any questions, please contact: irb@msu.edu