All new IRB members must complete training to learn about the policies and procedures of the University of Pittsburgh IRB as well as the federal regulations and ethical codes surrounding the conduct of human subject research. Certain parts of the training are self-paced while others will be completed via virtual or in-person meetings. Please contact askirb@pitt.edu if you are interested.
Orientation Session with IRB Chair
This is a face-to-face training (in-person or video conference) with the IRB Chair. The session takes about 60-90 minutes and covers the basic history of human subject protections, regulatory and ethical bases, the criteria for IRB approval and the elements of informed consent.
IRB Meeting Observation
Each member must observe at least one IRB meeting prior to becoming a voting member but may observe as many as they'd like. Prospective members may also request to observe a meeting to get a feel for the process and help determine if IRB membership is right for them. Please refer to IRB Committee Meetings to choose a meeting that works with your schedule.
CITI Training
IRB members are required to complete the following CITI courses at their own pace. Completion of these courses will also satisfy the basic requirements as a researcher. Other courses may be required depending on the type of research that you conduct:
The following courses are required for IRB membership. Instructions and access information is available through the Pitt CITI Portal:
- Responsible Conduct of Research
- Research with Human Subjects
- IRB Member Education
PittPRO Training
PittPRO is the University of Pittsburgh IRB’s electronic submission and review system for human subject research. All applications to conduct human subject research, including all study documents, must be submitted, reviewed and approved through the PittPRO system. PittPRO training for new IRB members takes approxmiately one hour and is completed face-to-face (in-person or video conference) with a member of the IRB staff. An overview of the PittPRO system can be found in the PittPRO Getting Started Guide.
The Belmont Report
All new members are required to read The Belmont Report. The Belmont Report was written by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. The Commission, created as a result of the National Research Act of 1974, was charged with identifying the basic ethical principles that should underlie the conduct of biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects and developing guidelines to assure that such research is conducted in accordance with those principles.