Training: Research Involving Human Subjects

How to Register and Complete Training

MIT requires all personnel directly involved in human subjects research to complete training appropriate to their research and role in the study. See COUHES policy on Training of Research Personnel.

COUHES encourages the use of CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) to fulfill the human subject training requirement. Personnel that completed training outside of MIT can submit copies of their training certification for review. COUHES will consider outside training on a case-by-case basis.

Non-MIT international enumerators can use a paper-based training through Harvard.

Personnel that completed outside training can submit certificates to: COUHES@mit.edu.

Human subjects training is valid for three years after which recertification is required.

CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) online training

Web-based training courses are hosted by the CITI program at BRANY and are accepted by institutions nationwide. When registering for a course, select the module most appropriate to your research activities. 

For more information on completing training through the CITI program, see the instructions below or review the step-by-step guide for more detailed instructions [PDF].

Logging In to CITI

  • For MIT Users (Active Kerberos account): Use the MIT portal (Touchstone required). CITI training records completed through the MIT Portal automatically sync with COUHES Connect after 24 hours.
  • For non-MIT Users: Use the University of Miami CITI site, register an account and complete the appropriate training. When registering for the course, select 'Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Affiliates' as your institution.

CITI Modules

CITI offers Basic and Refresher human subjects training. If you have never completed human subjects training, you must complete a Basic course in CITI. Investigators requiring recertification can compete the Refresher courses if they have previously completed the Basic course.  

Basic Courses

Investigators must first complete a basic course or submit proof of previous training to COUHES for review. 

CITI offers three distinct basic courses that correspond to the proposed research activities and study role:

  • Biomedical Research Investigator – Stage 1 Basic Course: Applicable to investigations related to biological processes and causes of disease.
  • Social & Behavioral Research Investigator– Stage 1 Basic Course: Applicable to investigations involving psychological processes, motivations, and interactions.
  • Data or Specimens Only Research – Stage 1 Basic Course: Applicable for research involving previously collected biospecimens or data sets.

  • To enroll in MIT’s Basic Course Training for the first time:

    1. Log into the CITI site via Touchstone: CITI website 
    2. You will then enter the CITI training portal. Scroll to the bottom of the View Courses screen. In the Learner Tools for Massachusetts Institute of Technology section, select Add a Course.
    3. To enroll in IRB courses, you must answer questions 1, 2, and 3. 
      • Question 1: Select the module most appropriate to your training activities. Do not select “I have already taken a basic IRB Course.”
      • Question 2: Select “I have not previously completed an approved Basic IRB Course.”
      • Question 3: Select either option.
    4. Once you submit responses, you will be redirected to your COURSES page to take the training. 

    If you have successfully added the training, you Courses should see an available basic course. Example screenshot: 

    CITI Stage 1 Biomedical Training Screenshot 2026

  • Refresher Courses

    CITI offers distinct Stage 2 - Refresher Courses corresponding to the associated basic courses. A refresher course (a shorter version of the basic course) must be completed every three years. Investigators must undergo a recertification in human subjects training every three years to maintain active training. 

    Note: Refresher courses do not meet the initial training requirements unless a basic course has been completed. Investigators must first complete a basic course or submit proof of previous training to COUHES for review.

    To enroll in MIT’s Refresher Course Training:

    1. Log into the CITI site via Touchstone. 
    2. You will then enter the CITI training portal. Scroll to the bottom of the View Courses screen. In the Learner Tools for Massachusetts Institute of Technology section, select Add a Course.
    3. To enroll in IRB courses, you must answer questions 1, 2, and 3. 
      • Question 1: Select “I have already taken a basic IRB Course.”
      • Question 2: Select the module most appropriate to your training activities. Do not select “I have not previously completed an approved Basic IRB Course.”
      • Question 3: Select either option.
    4. Once you submit responses, you will be redirected to your Courses page to take the training.

  • COUHES has adopted a paper-based training guide [PDF], for international enumerators and field workers not affiliated with MIT. This training may be completed by enumerators who are assisting on MIT-led human subjects research projects when it is not feasible for them to undertake online human subjects protection training such as CITI training. 

    This training, or the use of a proposed alternative training solution, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

    The training completion sheet must be maintained with the study records and made available at the request of COUHES.

Additional Institute Requirements 

Certain projects may require additional training, such as Good Clinical Practice (for NIH-sponsored clinical research) or the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR). These courses are not substitutes for human subjects training. 

How Track Study Personnel Training Record

In addition to taking human subjects training themselves, investigators should review whether their study team has completed the required training:

Follow up with study team members if you receive notifications about incomplete or expired human subjects training.