Navigating the UCF CITI Training Program: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of Central Florida (UCF) is committed to fostering a culture of ethical research and academic integrity. To ensure that all members of its research community adhere to the highest standards, UCF mandates specific training programs, primarily through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program). This article provides a comprehensive overview of the UCF CITI training program requirements, covering various aspects such as responsible conduct of research, financial conflicts of interest, and academic integrity.

Introduction to CITI Program

The CITI Program is a leading provider of research ethics education. It offers a wide range of courses designed to promote ethical research practices and ensure compliance with federal regulations. The CITI Program's courses are recognized and accepted by numerous institutions worldwide, including UCF.

The CITI Program is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training. CITI Program courses are approved for CME credits through the Albert Einstein Montefiore Continuing Professional Development Center (CPDC). Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center (Einstein) is accredited by the Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education to provide continuing education activities for healthcare professionals.

The BIC Study Foundation is a resource for those who want to take CITI Program courses in Korean.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have established requirements for training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), impacting all NSF grants and certain NIH awards. Important Note: UCF policy requires all doctoral students to complete the online CITI Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training.

UCF policy mandates that all doctoral students complete the online CITI Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. This training is crucial for ensuring that researchers understand and adhere to ethical principles and regulatory requirements in their research endeavors.

Key Components of RCR Training

The RCR training covers core areas defined by federal guidelines, including:

Data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership: This module focuses on the responsible collection, storage, and dissemination of research data.
Conflict of interest and commitment: This module addresses potential conflicts of interest that may arise in research and how to manage them appropriately.
Human subjects: This module covers the ethical considerations and regulatory requirements for research involving human participants, emphasizing the importance of informed consent and protection of privacy.
Animal welfare: This module focuses on the ethical treatment of animals in research, including proper care, handling, and experimental procedures.
Research misconduct: This module defines research misconduct (fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism) and outlines the procedures for reporting and investigating allegations of misconduct.
Publication practices and responsible authorship: This module addresses ethical issues related to authorship, peer review, and publication of research findings.
Mentor/mentee responsibilities: This module outlines the responsibilities of mentors and mentees in research collaborations, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and guidance.
Collaborative research: This module addresses the ethical challenges that may arise in collaborative research projects, including data sharing, authorship, and intellectual property.

Instruction and Contact Hours

The NIH expects discussion-based instruction to be the key feature of RCR training and to include substantive face-to-face interaction among participants and faculty. Instruction must include at least eight contact hours. The NIH recognizes advances in video conferencing and allows for incorporating video conferencing options in RCR instruction if it is utilized in a way that fosters discussion, active learning, engagement, and interaction among participants.

Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Training

Investigators are required to complete university financial conflict of interest training PRIOR to engaging in research and no less than once every 4 years thereafter. University financial conflict of interest training consists of an online COI course through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program. ORC is responsible for delivering the financial conflicts of interest training and tracking investigator’s training completion. The Huron COI disclosure system provides instructions, definitions and help text to assist the Discloser in submitting their AA-21.

Managing financial conflicts of interest is crucial for maintaining objectivity and integrity in research. UCF requires all investigators to complete financial conflict of interest (FCOI) training through the CITI Program prior to engaging in research and no less than once every 4 years thereafter.

Key Aspects of FCOI Training

The FCOI training covers the following key aspects:

Identifying financial conflicts of interest: Researchers learn to identify situations where their personal financial interests may potentially bias their research.
Disclosing financial interests: Researchers are required to disclose any financial interests that could reasonably appear to be affected by the research.
Managing or eliminating conflicts of interest: The training covers strategies for managing or eliminating financial conflicts of interest, such as recusal from decision-making, divestiture of financial interests, or independent monitoring of research.

Academic Integrity Training

UCF places a strong emphasis on academic integrity. UCF’s academic integrity training policy information can be found in the Graduate Catalog under Master’s and Doctoral Program Policies. Doctoral students who have not completed two academic integrity workshops must register for and complete Part 1 and Part 2 of the ethics workshops above. All graduate students must complete the Pressures to Plagiarize Webcourse before the end of their first semester.

Workshops and Webcourses

All graduate students must complete the Pressures to Plagiarize Webcourse before the end of their first semester. Doctoral students who have not completed two academic integrity workshops must register for and complete Part 1 and Part 2 of the ethics workshops.

Integrity Workshops

In this discussion-driven workshop, we examine the concept of integrity and its role in shaping our behaviors and attitudes as individuals. We compare personal integrity with research integrity and academic integrity through examples, case studies, and conceptual lenses. This workshop focuses on research integrity as an essential attribute of graduate students, in your dual role as student-learners and research leaders. We work through the core federally-defined areas of responsible conduct of research via examples and cases, articulating connections among ethical challenges across the research lifecycle.

The UCF Center for Ethics aims to cultivate an institutional culture of ethical literacy, including a unified and ongoing conversation about ethics and a habit of practical application around ethics in research, teaching, and partnerships. The College of Graduate Studies collaborates with the Center for Ethics to provide Academic Integrity workshops and other ethics-based programming.

Read also: Benefits of Citi Student Card

The UCF Center for Ethics

The UCF Center for Ethics plays a pivotal role in cultivating an institutional culture of ethical literacy. The Center aims to promote a unified and ongoing conversation about ethics and foster a habit of practical application around ethics in research, teaching, and partnerships. The College of Graduate Studies collaborates with the Center for Ethics to provide Academic Integrity workshops and other ethics-based programming.

Additional Resources and Support

Beyond the mandated training programs, UCF offers a range of resources and support services to promote ethical research and academic integrity. These resources include:

The Office of Research Compliance (ORC): The ORC provides guidance and oversight on research compliance matters, including human subjects research, animal care and use, and research misconduct.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB): The IRB reviews and approves research involving human subjects to ensure the protection of participants' rights and welfare.
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC): The IACUC oversees the care and use of animals in research to ensure their humane treatment.
The UCF Library: The UCF Library provides resources and training on research ethics, plagiarism prevention, and responsible use of information.

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