• faculty
  
• administrators
  
• students, graduate and undergraduate
  
• student advisors

Brief Description

After becoming certified to conduct research with human subjects, investigators must subsequently complete one credit of continuing education annually.

Initial Certification

Before research can be approved, researchers (and if they are students, their advisors) must complete the module "Protecting Research Subjects" offered at the DUMC research ethics site. The module covers the development of the current regulations and a discussion of the ethical principles underlying the regulations.

There are two ways to take the module:

1. Streaming video (approximately 33 minutes)
2. Slides - at your own pace.

The quiz following the module must be completed and passed. Please notify the IRB staff when you have completed the module.

DO NOT complete any other Medical Center modules other than "Protecting Research Subjects," unless at the request of the IRB.

Continuing Education

Continuing education consists of completing one credit of continuing education each calendar year, beginning the year after initial certificaion was secured, for five years.

You may obtain your transcript for reference by contacting the IRB staff. In addition, reminder notices will be sent to you as the end of each certification period approaches.

There are two ways to accumulate credits:

1. On line tutorials for social and behavioral sciences are worth 1/2 credit.
   
2. 60-minute workshops offered by Duke faculty, IRB staff, and outside experts are worth 1 credit.

NIH Education Requirement

NIH requires that all key personnel on grant-funded research with human subjects receive training on the ethical conduct of such research. The Duke certification requirement may be used to meet the NIH training requirement. IRB staff will prepare letters to NIH describing the certification requirements met by the key personnel. Note that the campus IRB staff cannot attest to the certification of Duke Medical Center personnel.