The Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) has partnered with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to offer online human subjects protection (HSP) training for community partners engaged in research. Community partners are non-academic personnel, such as business associates, local government officials, and preschool/K-12 school educators/administrators, who may be engaged in research by recruiting research participants, obtaining informed consent, or collecting data, and are from organizations that do not have their own Human Subjects Protection training (HSP) programs to ensure ethical research practice.
UIC’s CIRTification Community Partner Training course addresses this gap by providing a solid foundation in ethical principles and regulatory compliance while emphasizing the practical application of human research practices. Key areas covered include best practices for recruitment and informed consent, strategies for collecting and safeguarding participant data, and strategies for addressing challenges encountered during participant interactions.
Flexibility is built into the training format, allowing participants to complete the approximately four-hour course over multiple sessions. Upon successful completion, learners undergo an online assessment and receive a date-stamped certificate of completion, valid for three years.
With its affiliation to UIC’s CIRTification program, U-M will now accept completion of UIC’s Community Partner training, in place of PEERRS HSP training for community partners listed on the eResearch IRB application. It’s crucial to note that this training option does not replace the PEERRS Human Subjects Research Protection training requirement for U-M faculty, students or staff involved in research activities requiring IRB approval.
Equipping non-academic personnel with the requisite knowledge and skills not only enhances the quality and integrity of research outcomes but also fosters meaningful collaboration between academic institutions and diverse community stakeholders.
Visit the HRPP Education Resources site for more information.
Contact Lori Deromedi, Compliance Specialist if you have any questions.
