MDHHS IRB Announces Important Changes to Required Human Research Protections Training

Providing training resources to people at MDHHS involved in research is an important part of MDHHS responsibility for protecting human subjects who participate in research. Training in human research protections is required for responsible department employees submitting applications to the IRB, primary investigators responsible for ethically conducting research, and IRB members responsible for evaluating research projects. The MDHHS IRB is pleased to announce it is transitioning training requirements to new resources offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). OHRP has made new training materials publicly available through a web-based platform: Human Research Protection Training | HHS.gov.

The OHRP training is offered in multiple lessons. If you are required to take the training, you may not need to complete all lessons to satisfy requirements for your role with MDHHS. To learn more about the new training requirement, the lessons you may be required to take, and how to register your training with the MDHHS IRB, we encourage you to access the MDHHS IRB site on Required Human Research Protections Training.

Current responsible department employees, primary investigators, IRB members, and others who engage in research at MDHHS are probably familiar with the web-based training offered through the CITI Program. The MDHHS IRB anticipates those having completed CITI Program Training or those in the process of completing that training may continue to access their MDHHS CITI Program affiliated account through 4/30/2021. While the MDHHS IRB will continue to track CITI Program Training certificates earned through 4/30/2021, we encourage those who are newly completing training or renewing their training soon to try the new OHRP training. All completed CITI Program Training certificates will continue to be honored for their three-year approval period.

If you want to check the date your current training or if you have questions or concerns about this transition, you are encouraged to email questions to MDHHS-IRB@michigan.gov.