Campus Email Sent 7/14/25
Dear Colleagues,
In April, we communicated to campus that the Department of Energy (DOE) would begin enforcement of the research security training requirement for all individuals listed on DOE applications starting in May. At that time, we warned PIs and research support staff that other federal agencies were expected to begin enforcement of this requirement by July. Additional federal agencies, including NSF, have now released updated policies requiring that all individuals listed on grant proposals must complete research security training at the time a proposal is submitted.
In response to these different agency requirements, starting August 1, 2025, UMass Amherst will require that all covered individuals (Principal Investigators, Co-Principal Investigators, Key Personnel, and other named individuals) complete research security training before a proposal is submitted to a federal agency. This requirement is in effect for both proposals when UMass Amherst is the prime recipient as well as when participating in a subaward or subcontract.
UMass considers completion of the CITI course Research Security Training or Research Security Training (Combined) within the 12 months immediately preceding the application date to be compliant with this requirement. Note: The “combined” version is shorter, taking about an hour to complete.
To avoid delays in your grant submissions, please ensure that you and all covered individuals on your federal grant applications have completed research security training prior to routing the proposal in Kuali. Please note that this training must be completed at the time of submission, and the Office of Pre-Award Services (OPAS) will confirm training as part of our institutional certification process. Failure to complete the necessary training will result in a hold of the grant submission until training can be verified.
Research support staff in schools and colleges can use this job aid, which has instructions for how to verify that all Key Personnel in Kuali have completed research security training.
Thank you for your continued efforts towards compliance, and for your attention to this important training requirement. We appreciate your participation and support in helping to maintain a program of excellence in research compliance and integrity here at UMass Amherst.
Sincerely,
Karen Moré
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Compliance
Office of Research & Engagement