Training for Investigators & Personnel

CITI

• www.citiprogram.org
• Instructions for Registering for CITI training and adding courses to your course list
• FAQs about the CITI training courses (common questions)

AALAS Learning Library

• www.aalaslearninglibrary.org
• Instructors for Registering for AALAS training

All personnel who have access to the Research Support Facility (RSF) and who will interact with the animals housed there will be required to complete an orientation process provided by the Director of the RSF that includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Gowning and entry procedures
• Required traffic flow through rooms
• Animal transport, shipping, receipt, and quarantine policies
• Equipment, food, and waste storage and disposal requirements
• Management of hazardous materials and controlled substances
• Contact information for the Director, Assistant Director of the RSF, the veterinarians, and who to contact in the case of an emergency
• Biosecurity
• Procedures for compliance concerns
• Record Keeping
• Cage/tank card and room labeling requirements

Orientation training must be completed before personnel can be granted security access to the RSF.

All investigators and key personnel are required to complete the following types of training:

• Basic-Initial training: Working with the IACUC -- Investigators, Staff and Students, Lab Animal Research (required)
• Species Specific Training (required for personnel listed on the protocol)
• Protocol Specific Training i.e. surgical training, pain monitoring training (if applicable to the protocol and their role in the protocol)

For investigators who are conducting field or observational studies, they must complete the Wildlife Training Modules from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) Learning Library instead of CITI’s Working with the IACUC training.

When registering in the CITI program Investigators and key personnel (including co-investigators, student researchers and research assistants) should choose the “Working with the IACUC” course under Animal Care and Use Courses.

The specific modules found in the Basic Initial – Working with the IACUC training course for investigators and key personnel that must be completed are:

• About the IACUC
• Federal Laws, Policies, and Guidelines
• Planning Research and Completing the Protocol Form
• Personnel and Their Welfare
• Making Changes to an Approved Animal Use Protocol
• Reporting Animal Care Use Concerns

After most CITI modules there is a multiple choice quiz that relates to that module. In order to obtain credit for the training, individuals must complete the quiz after each module and obtain an overall average passing score for all quizzes of 80%. Individual quizzes may be re-taken in order to obtain a passing score. CITI is designed so that you do not have to complete all the training modules in one sitting. You may exit and re-enter CITI as many times as you need to complete all the training modules. In order to ensure that you receive credit for a particular module, you must complete the quiz (if applicable) and click the submit button at the end of the module.

Principal Investigators (PI) for protocols (including field study and teaching protocols) should provide a description of their experience and expertise with the particular species being utilized in the activity in the initial protocol application. The IACUC will make a determination on a protocol per protocol basis whether the training and expertise of the PI is sufficient or whether additional training will be required.

Species-specific training for protocol personnel may be completed by one of two methods:

1. Completing appropriate training modules in the CITI program listed as optional OR
2. Completing comparable training through other IACUC approved sources, such as one-on-one training with the protocol Principal Investigator (PI) or training available through the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) Learning Library

Available species specific training modules in CITI include:

• Working with Amphibians in a Research Setting
• Working with Mice in Research Settings
• Working with Rats in Research Settings
• Working with Hamsters in Research Settings
• Working with Gerbils in Research Settings
• Working with Guinea Pigs in Research Settings
• Working with Rabbits in Research Settings

Additional species-specific modules may be added to the DePaul CITI program course list, as they become available or as needed when additional species are added to the DePaul animal care and use program. If the PI would like to request approval to use other sources or types of species-specific training the IACUC would require the PI to complete the IACUC Request for Approval of Alternate IACUC Training Methods form that is found at Forms & Templates page. The form should be submitted as part of the protocol application or prior to submission of the protocol, if training will be completed before IACUC protocol submission.

The form requests the following information which will allow the IACUC to determine whether the alternative type of training will be acceptable:

• A short summary of the training and the justification for using this species-specific training option for this protocol
• A description of who will be trained with this training option AND
• Plans for documentation of training

Once training is completed for individual research staff members, written documentation of completion of the training should be provided to the IACUC/RP using the IACUC Alternative Training Documentation form which is found at the Forms & Templates page.

The form requests the following information:

• A short summary describing the training topics and methods of instruction used to provide training to the trainee(s) and indicating the species of animal.
• The trainee(s) name(s) and dates they received training.
• The trainer(s) name(s) and signature(s) assuring they provided the training.

At the time of training, the PI may want to utilize a sign-in sheet when training multiple personnel at one time as an additional method of documenting attendance at training sessions. This type of documentation would be maintained in the PI’s records.

Required when applicable to the protocol or the individual's role in the conduct of the protocol.

If a protocol involves procedures that require additional training, such as survival surgery, monitoring post-surgery pain, animal restraint, collecting blood or a protocol involves the use of animals that require special consideration according to the Guide, PHS policy, or Animal Welfare Regulations, additional protocol-specific training modules listed as optional on the CITI course list will be REQUIRED BEFORE final IACUC approval can be provided for the protocol or before a particular person may be involved in the conduct of a specific protocol or procedure.

Protocol-specific training modules available through CITI include the following:

• Surgery
• Antibody Production
• Collecting Blood Samples
• Using Hazardous and Toxic Agents in Animals
• Prolonged Restraint
• Housing Rodents on Wire Floors
• Using Human Patient Care Areas for Animal Research
• Primate Psychological Enrichment
• Housing Social Animals
• Introduction to Post Procedure Care of Mice and Rats in Research
• Minimizing Pain and Distress

Additional training may be required related to pain assessment and management for a particular species or surgical procedure, which should be provided by the Principal Investigator to research staff. The training should be specific to the type of procedure being conducted and the type of pain or discomfort expected from the procedure. The training should include how to recognize and assess pain and discomfort in that particular species. Additional training options that are available outside of CITI will be accepted as meeting this requirement, if an investigator justifies why the alternative training option is an improvement over CITI offered modules or if CITI does not offer appropriate training. The IACUC must pre-approve any alternate training options. In order to obtain approval for alternative training options the PI should complete and submit the IACUC Request for Approval of Alternate IACUC Training Methods form to the IACUC/RP.

The form contains the following information:

• A short summary of the training and the justification for using this training option for this specific protocol or procedure
• A description of who will be trained with this training option AND
• Plans for documentation of training

Once training is completed for individual research staff members, written documentation of completion of the training should be provided to the IACUC/RP using the IACUC Alternative Training Documentation form, which includes the following:

• A short summary describing the training topics and methods of instruction used to provide training to the trainee(s) and indicating the species of animal.
• The trainee(s) name(s) and dates they received training
• The trainer(s) name(s) and signature(s) assuring they provided the training

For teaching protocols where an entire class of students may be part of the activity described in the IACUC protocol, the students listed on the class roster will not be required to take training through CITI or AALAS, unless the PI would like to utilize these training methods. The IACUC will require that the protocol application explain what activities the students will be involved with and what specific training will be provided by the PI to ensure the health and wellbeing of the animals and the health and safety of the students. The IACUC will decide on a protocol per protocol basis whether the training plan is acceptable.

Graduate Assistants or research assistants who have a more substantial role in the activity and who are specifically listed on the IACUC protocol application will need to be trained as outlined above for key personnel.

Investigators and their research staff who are going to conduct field or observational studies must complete the Wildlife Training Modules form the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) Learning Library instead of CITI’s “Working with the IACUC” training. In addition, for field studies in which the more formalized species-specific training offered through CITI and AALAS may not be available or possible due to multiple species being involved or the nature of the field study activity, the PI may provide a summary of the training that will be provided to personnel listed on the protocol using the IACUC Request for Approval of Alternative Training Form or in the initial protocol application. The training should focus on ensuring the health and well-being of the animals, as well as ensuring the health and safety of the personnel, especially as related to zoonosis or potential health issues related to contact with the particular species. The IACUC will decide on a protocol per protocol basis whether the species-specific training plan is acceptable.

DePaul requires that all individuals involved in the animal care and use program complete continuing education. Personnel must complete a minimum of 1 contact hour of continuing training/education every 3 years after initial training. For example, if you complete initial training on 12/1/12 you will be required to take continuing education prior to 12/1/15. The goal of continuing education is to keep research personnel current in their knowledge and to ensure personnel are informed of changes to PHS policy, the Animal Welfare Regulations, and DePaul policy and procedures.

Principal Investigators, co-investigators, and key research personnel may fulfill the continuing education requirement by participating in one of the following:

• Attending animal research training seminars presented at another institution or through national or regional training conferences focused on animal research. The seminar, conference, or training must be pre-approved by Research Protections (RP) in the Office of Research Services and RP must receive documentation of attendance from the individual.
• Completing the CITI online Lab Animal Welfare Refresher training.
• Completing training from the AALAS library.

Office of Research Services staff must receive documentation of training from the individual.