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Required Research Trainings

Virginia Tech researchers must complete specific trainings in order to remain compliant with federal and state laws and regulations. Below is a list of the training requirements related to research.

Required trainings

Virginia Tech is committed to a high standard of animal care and use, as well as a high standard of occupational health and safety for its faculty, staff, and students. Quality training and educational activities are essential to help us meet and exceed these standards.

The Virginia Tech Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee requires that animal users and handlers complete four training elements before the processing of a protocol will be initiated.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the IACUC website.

Investigators must take financial conflict of interest training every four years in CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative Program). Initial training takes approximately one hour to complete, and the refresher course takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. Investigators will be notified as their training becomes due.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the website that outlines Conflict of Interest and Commitment Requirements for Reseachers.

Training for principal investigators, co-principal investigators, graduate assistants, and other project personnel is required when the research project becomes restricted due to acceptance of publication, access and dissemination controls, or if a defense article is involved in the research. The research project may become subject to U.S. export regulations or trade sanctions depending on the contractual terms of the award or funding contract.

Training for personnel who are engaging in export controlled (ITAR, EAR) restricted research projects that require a Technology Control Plan. This training is targeted at project specific requirements for safeguarding export controlled research and the security protocols that must be followed.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the Office of Export Controls and Secure Reseaerch Compliance website.

Environmental Health and Safety  actively promotes a positive, responsible, integrated safety culture at all levels of the university community, advocates providing a safe and healthy living, learning, and working environment for all, and assists departments with complying with regulations and mandates. This university office is responsible for ensuring that all university employees receive the required training under federal and state regulations and other non-regulatory agency guidelines.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the Environmental Health and Safety website.

Virginia Tech’s Human Research Protection program uses industry standard training required at peer universities and federal research institutions. The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative training is transferrable and meets requirements for collaborative or multi-site studies. If a researcher has previously taken human protection training either at Virginia Tech or at another institution, they can affiliate with Virginia Tech through their account to transfer completed courses without retaking them.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the Human Research Protection program website.

Virginia Tech’s Institutional Biosafety Committee provides oversight of research that involves the use of biohazardous agents, including recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules. The committee is charged with the planning and implementation of the campus Biosafety Program with a purpose to ensure the health and safety of all personnel working with biohazardous agents.

To learn more about the requirements and to take training, visit the Institutional Biosafety Committee website.

While Responsible Conduct of Research training is recommended for all researchers, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) require faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in the research project to receive appropriate training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has established a training requirement in RCR for individuals receiving support through NIH Institutional Research Training Grants, Individual Fellowship Awards, Career Development Awards (Institutional and Individual), Research Education Grants, Dissertation Research Grants, and any other program that requires such training as identified in the NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement.  

The RCR training requirement applies to all trainees, fellows, participants, scholars, and faculty who are supported by certain NIH programs including competitive renewals.  

For more information on the programs that are subject to this requirement can be found on the website.

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has established a training requirement in the Responsible Conduct of Research for students, postdoctoral fellows (postdocs), faculty, and other senior personnel supported by NSF projects. The requirement applies to all undergraduates, graduate students, postdoc, and faculty researchers who are supported by NSF projects submitted (and subsequently awarded) after July 31, 2023, including competitive renewals. The RCR training requirement also applies to principal investigators, supported by NSF projects or directing students or postdocs supported on NSF projects.

The new regulations implement provisions of the Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide 2023.  

Virginia Tech utilizes online training through the CITI to meet this requirement.

For questions regarding the NSF RCR training requirement, contact the Research Integrity and Consultation Program at integrity@vt.edu.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) requires all participants including all; program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in the research project to receive appropriate training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research. The new RCR training requirement is applicable to all awards subject to the USDA NIFA February 2013 Terms and Conditions (PDF)  or subsequent Terms and Conditions that contain the RCR training requirement.

Virginia Tech utilizes online training through CITI to meet this requirement. 

For questions regarding the USDA NIFA RCR training requirement, contact the Research Integrity and Consultation Program at integrity@vt.edu.