ORI Education and Training Update

June 20, 2024

The Office of Research & Innovation is pleased to announce that we are updating its educational resources and training programs to further support our commitment to research excellence and compliance. These updates are designed to ensure that all researchers, staff, and students have access to the most current information and best practices in research compliance and ethics.

SAVE THE DATE-Revisions to Live RCR Course

Previously, face-to-face Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training, as required by NIH, was provided as Course RCRG 600 as assigned by Graduate Academic Advisors. Based on feedback from Faculty and Students, and understanding the other commitments our students have during the year, we have chosen to move this to a single-day face-to-face course offered as part of Welcome Week, starting Fall of 2024.

As you begin to plan your fall and Welcome Week (starting the week of September 16th), please save Thursday, September 19th, 2024, for live RCR training. We will be providing more details and registration in the coming weeks.

This course is being offered instead of the Winter RCR 600 course provided by the Graduate College. It is required for all individuals considered trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant. Face-to-face RCR training is also strongly recommended for undergraduate and graduate level students, as well as faculty, who plan to conduct research, regardless of the funder, for individuals who have not otherwise completed live RCR training.

Please note that for programs requiring RCR 600, the Graduate College will reach out directly to those program managers on how this will be accommodated.

This change does not affect the Drexel University College of Medicine’s RCR Course, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems RCR Course, or the RCR-CITI Training Requirements.

Development of Enterprise Learning: Research Compliance Course

ORI and HR have developed a learning module for all faculty and staff that provides essential training on Drexel University’s Research Compliance and Regulatory Affairs programs and requirements.

This essential training is designed to ensure that everyone has a fundamental understanding of both Drexel University’s commitments and our individual responsibilities, regardless of participation in research. This learning module will be deployed using the Career Pathway this Summer and will be in addition to the CITI Modules

CITI Update-Drexel University & Salus University Merger

With Salus University’s integration and the upcoming implementation of a new electronic system (COEUS Replacement Project), it's imperative that we align our operations and processes. As part of this effort, we are aligning the CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) training requirement for all members of our research community.

CITI training provides essential education on responsible conduct of research, ethics, and regulatory compliance. It equips researchers with the knowledge and tools necessary to ensure that their work meets the highest ethical and professional standards.
All individuals involved in research activities on behalf of Drexel and Salus University, including principal investigators, co-investigators, research assistants, graduate students, and any other personnel directly or indirectly engaged in research projects, must affiliate with Drexel University in the CITI system and complete any outstanding training modules by 11/01/2024.

Failure to complete CITI training by the 11/01/2024 deadline may result in an inability to start new research or cause existing research to expire, resulting in non-compliance.

To affiliate your existing CITI training and complete any outstanding modules, please follow the following instructions and training matrix:

For additional frequently asked questions, please review: Drexel University and Salus University CITI Affiliation Frequently Asked Questions [PDF]

Questions and Resources

We understand that your time is valuable, but the knowledge gained through these trainings for our Faculty, Staff and Students is crucial for maintaining the integrity and credibility of our research endeavors and institution. Your engagement and commitment to these requirements and the ethical conduct of research is appreciated.

For any questions or assistance, please contact Carissa Miller and Cassandra Myers.