Preparing to Conduct Research at GCU:

There are several necessary steps that must completed prior to conducting a research project at GCU.  These steps include completion of ethics training (CITI training), obtaining approval to use GCU data (Site Authorization) and receiving IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval which allows you to use human subjects in your research. Some of these steps take considerable time to complete and therefore, it is important to begin completing these steps early in the planning stages to ensure that they are completed prior to the start of your research.

The following video, by Morgan McNaughton, outlines the steps to preparing to do research at GCU:

CITI Training:

GCU requires all researchers to successfully complete research ethics training prior to applying for IRB approval. The CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) training program involves web-based instruction in the ethics of research with human subjects.  CITI Training is free to GCU researchers and requires approximately 10-15 hours to complete. Researchers must submit completion reports for the Basic Research Course and the Responsible Conduct of Research Course as part of the IRB application in IRBNet. Training certification remains in effect for five years. 

 Faculty Registration Instructions

To log into the CITI website, please follow the instructions outlined in the Technical Support article found here.

Once you have logged in, follow the instructions outlined in this article to register as a faculty member and generate the appropriate training modules.

1. Select Update Institution Profile on the home page.
2. Institutional Email address should already be selected. Do not modify these fields.
3. Select your gender, highest degree, employee id number.
4. Select Research Administrator from the drop-down menu titled Role in Human Subjects Research
5. Select Basic Human Subjects – Social and Behavioral Focus for the drop down titled Which course do you plan to take?
6. Click update to proceed to the next step.
7. To complete the next step, return to the home page and select Add a Courseand respond to questions 1 and 2 on the Select Curriculum page according to the instructions below:
   • Question 1. Do you conduct human subject’s research? Select “Yes, I conduct social or behavioral research for Faculty”.
   • Question 2. Are you required to complete the CITI Responsible Conduct of Research Course? Select “No, I am not required to take the RCR course at this time”.
8. Click “Complete Registration” then click “Finalize registration”. Click on drop down menu next to Grand Canyon University Courses.
9. You will be enrolled in one course: SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH (Basic Course). To pass this course you must complete all 15 required modules. Optional modules are available based on your learners’ needs.
10. CITI Training provides a Completion Report upon successful completion of each course. This is located in “Main Menu” page (see below). Print and save a copy of each Completion Report(s) for your records.
11. Next, copy/paste your reports into a word document or save as a pdf. Please save this document for your records for future IRB research applications and verification of completion for GCU doctoral faculty training courses.
12. Please note, CITI training expires after 5 years.