Research Compliance Training

Orientation to Animal Research at UCSD

Triennial Online Refresher

Breeding Colony Basics*

Anesthesia & Surgery in Large Animals*

Anesthesia & Surgery in Small Animals*

All who work with animals and are the Principal Investigators (PI) or a participant on an Animal Use Protocol.

Additionally, all protocol personnel including PIs are required to complete the Triennial Online Refresher every three years which coincides with the year of UCSD's AAALAC accreditation site visit.

*Additional training may be required by IACUC depending on species & procedures used.

Hands-on technical training may be provided upon request. Please send an email to acp-training@ucsd.edu to request this service.

All Investigators and senior/key personnel are required to take PHS-compliant training prior to engaging in PHS-funded research for new awards and at least every four years while engaging in PHS-funded research. Training is also required immediately if an Investigator or senior/key personnel is new to the institution, if the UC policies change in a way that affects Investigator and senior/key personnel requirements or if UC finds that an Investigator or senior/key personnel is noncompliant with any policy or management plan. This training requirement also applies for those funding agencies that have adopted the PHS FCOI regulations.

On October 4, 2021, the University of California launched an online Ethics and Compliance Briefing for Researchers.  The Ethics and Compliance Briefing satisfies two mandatory training requirements, the UC training requirement that all researchers be trained periodically to recognize and deal with ethical issues and conflict of interest situations that may arise during their work, as well as the Conflict of Interest training requirement by the National Institutes of Health. 

University employees (mandated and identified by the UC Office of Ethics, Compliance and Audit Services) who received a portion of their salary from extramural funding sources are required by UC Office of the President (UCOP) to complete the UC Ethics and Compliance Briefing for Researchers (ECBR).

The course is available online through the UC Learning Center and was developed by the UC Office of Ethics, Compliance and Audit Services by UCOP. It was designed to raise awareness of the University of California Statement of Ethical Values and Standards of Ethical Conduct and to convey important information about conflict of interest (COI) regulations when accepting extramural research funds. In addition, this briefing satisfies the PHS FCOI training requirement.

All identified UC San Diego employees received an email from the UC Learning Center with a link to the online training. You can also search Blink – Personal Tools to access the UC Learning Center once you log in with your single sign-on the "Ethics and Compliance Briefing for Researcher (ECBR)," training will be listed in your “To Do List/Assigned Training” to access the Briefing click the course. 

Injury and Illness Prevention Program

All non-laboratory employees including staff, faculty, students, visitors and those receiving financial compensation (stipends excluded) from the University

Laboratory Safety Training

All laboratory personnel before beginning work in UCSD laboratory facilities 

These courses are designed for labs where hazards are present or hazardous chemical waste is generated.

Annual Laboratory Hazards Training is required to be completed annually and UC Laboratory Safety Fundamentals every 3 years.

Laser Safety Training>

All who work with class 3b or 4 lasers or laser systems

Laser safety training is required of laser operators and maintenance service personnel. Laser safety training is recommended for personnel working with class 1, 2, and 3a laser systems containing embedded class 3b or 4 lasers.

Radiation Safety Training

All using radioactive materials

Controlled Substances Training

Air-Purifying Respirator

All using an air-purifying respirator during the course of their job duties.

New Principal Investigator (PI) Orientation

Contact the EH&S Research Assistance Program manager to schedule

Radiography – Industrial

Contact the EH&S Radiation Safety Health Physicist assigned to building to schedule

Area Safety Coordinator Orientation

Contact EH&S Research Assistance Program manager to schedule
See UCSD Blink: What Area Safety Coordinators Need to Know.

Assessing Chemical Hazards

Contact the EH&S Chemical Hygiene Officer to schedule

Recommended for those who work with chemicals

Laboratory Ergonomics

Radiation: Liquid Scintillation Counting Methods

Contact the EH&S Radiation Safety Health Physicist assigned to building to schedule

Recommended for anyone working with liquid scintillation counters

University Export Controls (login required)

This training provides a basic overview of export controls regulations and licensing requirements that apply to researchers, staff and students at UCSD. Learn about license exceptions such as the fundamental research exclusion and its limitations to certain export transactions.

Recommended for researchers, staff and students at UCSD.

Traveling Abroad  (login required)

Export controls apply to travel abroad to sanctioned countries, includes hand carrying research equipment abroad. 

This training is recommended for anyone traveling abroad.

International Shipping Overview (login required)

This training provides an overview of the legal requirements for international shipping, including import and export requirements that impact shipments for UCSD. This video provides a good introduction for those involved with international shipping.

International Shipping Documentation (login required)

This training includes US government and foreign customs documentation requirements for international shipments such as documents, terminology and import/export requirements.

ITAR (login required)

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) regulates military controlled items on the US Munitions List and requires export licensing and foreign national access control requirements for items controlled by ITAR. 

Export Control for Restricted Parties (login required)

This video provides an overview of Restricted Party and Sanctions Screening and answers the “what, when and how” regarding the responsibility of researchers to screen all potential collaborations, awards, agreements and financial transactions with foreign entities or persons against US government watch lists.

Export Control for Temporary Exports (login required)

This video provides information about Temporary Exports (exported goods which will return to the U.S. within (1) year) including the various ways to ship or hand-carry goods internationally and the trade, duty and tax implications and exemptions of the various methods.  It also covers required Electronic Export Information filing (EEI) for Temporary Exports.

Foreign National Export Control Considerations (login required)

This video provides information about what qualifies as an export (disclosures of “controlled” technical data or technology, whether written, oral or visual to a “foreign person” in the U.S. or abroad) and how to know when an export license is required.  It also provides an overview of Fundamental Research Exemptions (FREs) and the conditions under which they may or may not apply to your export.

OFAC (login required)

The Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) list of sanctioned countries includes: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Sudan.

Biological Agents (login required)

This training details export licensing requirements for certain biological and genomic materials.

UC Webinar: Biological and Chemical Export Controls That Impact University Research: What You Need to Know from April 30, 2014. This webinar provides detailed information on export controls on biologicals and chemicals and associated equipment.

Biosafety: Dual Use of Research Concern (login required)

This course is intended for personnel conducting life sciences research with one or more of the listed DURC agents, and satisfies the training requirement under the United States Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern.

Recommended for researchers working with DURC agents.

Restricted Party Screening (login required)

Recommended for researchers, staff and students at UCSD.

UCSD Export Control is available to present customized training for your laboratory or department on request. Contact export@ucsd.edu with your training request.

NIH issued a policy, effective January 1, 2017, establishing the requirement that all investigators and staff involved in the conduct, oversight, or management of NIH funded clinical trials must be trained in Good Clinical Practice (GCP).

For additional information, see the NIH policy (Notice Number NOT-OD-16-148) and FAQ.

GCP training can be completed through the CITI program.

All investigators and staff involved in the conduct, oversight, or management of NIH funded clinical trials.

All responsible parties should complete their GCP training before their involvement in the clinical trial.

NIH requires that GCP training be renewed at least every 3 year.

For questions on the UC San Diego implementation process, see the Research Compliance and Integrity website or contact Research Compliance and Integrity at rci@ucsd.edu, (858) 822-4939.

• Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Human Subject Research Training:

1. Biomedical Research
2. Social and Behavioral Research

Principal Investigators and Key Personnel conducting human subjects research.

For questions about Office of IRB Administration training requirements, please see the guidance here.

• CITI Research Privacy training:

1. Health Privacy Issues for Researchers
2. Basics for Health Privacy

UCSD faculty and staff who would like to learn about the patenting process and how to search for patents on the web

All who work with intellectual property agreements

Intellectual Property Essentials for Academic Researchers

UCSD faculty and staff who are involved in the intellectual property process

Fiscal administrators, fund managers, and Principal Investigators who manage funding for federally sponsored projects.

Fiscal administrators, fund managers, and Principal Investigators who manage funding for federally sponsored projects.

UC San Diego and its research community are responsible for fostering research that is performed in an ethical and responsible manner. Responsible conduct of research (RCR) training promotes awareness and application of ethical principles and standards in all aspects of research.  Depending on the research funding source, the specific RCR requirements may vary. In addition to some departmental requirement for RCR training, the primary requirements for RCR training are set by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

To learn more about UC San Diego's Institutional Plan for the Responsible Conduct of Research, see Research Compliance and Integrity.

Requirement – NIH requires that all trainees and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development (individual or institutional), research education or dissertation research grant, must receive instruction in responsible conduct of research.  Substantial face-to-face discussions among the participating trainees, a combination of didactic and small-group discussions (e.g. case studies), and participation of research faculty members are highly encouraged. Online courses can be incorporated into training, provided they are used to foster discussion, active learning, and engagement. Online instruction, by itself, is considered insufficient to meet the NIH RCR training requirement outlined by updated guidance NOT-OD-22-055, and guidance of NOT-OD-10-019, which remains in place. 

Training Options:

• Undergraduate Students
  • On request, the Research Ethics Program will provide, or advise on developing, cost effective training options.
• Graduate Students
  • The Research Ethics Program offers courses for graduate students to meet the NIH training requirements.  More information and registration can be found on the Research Ethics Program courses home page.
• Postdoctoral Scholars
  • The Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs (OPSA) offers an ‘Ethical Challenges of Research’ series
• Customizable Department Courses
  • Departments are encouraged to develop their own RCR training plans in consultation with the Research Ethics Program to ensure their plans meet the format and content requirements of NIH. The Research Ethics Program can assist in setting goals, selecting topics to be covered, identifying useful approaches for teaching and learning, and assessing outcomes, as well as offering ‘Train the Trainer Workshops.’

Requirement – NSF requires that institutions provide training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers supported by NSF.

Training Options:

• Undergraduate Students
  • RCR training is integrated into the online Integrity Tutorial that all undergraduates must take prior to enrolling in their second quarter. Completion of this course is automatically tracked by Canvas; students who do not complete before the end of their first quarter will have a hold on their account prohibiting them from continuing into their second quarter. Departments are encouraged to include undergraduate students in additional training opportunities appropriate to their level of participation in research.
• Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars
  • Department organized trainings that include direct faculty mentoring
  • The Research Ethics Program Core courses or UCSD’s Research Ethics Program can be consulted to customize courses and/or a program.
  • Online CITI training RCR courses
  • Postdoctoral Scholars:  The Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs (OPSA) offers an ‘Ethical Challenges of Research’ series. For postdoctoral scholars training completed outside of OPVSA, Departments are responsible for tracking and submitting completion verification into RSAS or sending to OPSA.  Certification of training is required before reappointments are issued.

Requirement – NIFA requires all participants including all program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and any staff participating in the project receive appropriate training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research.

Training Options:

• Undergraduate Students
  • RCR training is integrated into the online Integrity Tutorial that all undergraduates must take prior to enrolling in their second quarter. Completion of this course is automatically tracked by Canvas; students who do not complete before the end of their first quarter will have a hold on their account prohibiting them from continuing into their second quarter. Departments are encouraged to include undergraduate students in additional training opportunities appropriate to their level of participation in research.
• Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars
  • Department organized trainings that include direct faculty mentoring
  • The Research Ethics Program Core courses or UCSD’s Research Ethics Program can be consulted to customize courses and/or a program.
  • Online CITI training RCR courses
  • Postdoctoral Scholars:  The Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs (OPSA) offers an ‘Ethical Challenges of Research’ series. For postdoctoral scholars training completed outside of OPVSA, Departments are responsible for tracking and submitting completion verification into RSAS or sending to OPSA.  Certification of training is required before reappointments are issued.

Regardless of the funding, Departments are responsible for tracking the completion of training requirements associated with extramural awards. For further information on training resources, including Train-the-Trainer Workshops, customized departmental programs and the Research Ethics Program Core, please contact the UC San Diego Research Ethics Program at (858) 822-2647 or ethics@ucsd.edu. 

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Research Compliance and Integrity Office at (858) 822-4939 or rci@ucsd.edu.