Training, Education and Outreach

One of the responsibilities of the Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) is to provide training, education, and outreach to members of the University community who engage in human subject research.  The HRPO uses a multi-faceted approach to training, education, and outreach.  Activities can take many forms and be provided in a number of venues, from developing on-line resources and electronic newsletters, to formal customized classroom instruction, or one-on-one meetings with investigators. Activities include some of the following:

Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Human Subjects Training (Required)

All UMass Amherst human subject investigators must complete online training through CITI. For more information on the UMass Amherst CITI training requirements please see CITI Human Subjects Training.

Students Conducting Human Subject Research - One on One Consultation

The UMass Amherst Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) offers assistance for students navigating the Institutional Review Board (IRB) review process.  Whether you are conducting human subjects research as part of an honors project, thesis or dissertation project, or an independent study, the HRPO staff is here to help! For further information, please see: Students Conducting Human Subject Research.

Educational Workshops on Demand

The Research Compliance staff offers various training sessions, lectures, and educational seminars for faculty, staff, and students conducting research with human subjects.  These training sessions and workshops are available upon request.  Training and workshops are developed for the campus community based on demand.  Currently, training is available on the following topics and may be delivered as class sessions or workshops:

  • The history of abuses in human subject research underpinning the ethical principles of the Belmont Report, its relationship to the IRB review process, the role and functions of the IRB, and the types of IRB review
  • How to complete an IRB application
  • Introduction to Kuali as the platform for submitting, reviewing, and monitoring the status of human subject research protocols
  • The protections afforded by Certificates of Confidentiality and how to apply for one

These workshops are particularly useful for students who may conduct human subject research for a thesis or dissertation.  In addition to the topics above, workshops may be custom designed and tailored to meet the needs of a particular group.

External Resources for Additional Human Subjects Protections Training

In addition to the mandatory CITI training, a variety of additional on-line training options are available through a number of sources and cover a wide array of topics related to the ethical principles governing human subject research and human subject research protections.