Additional Regulatory & Research Compliance Resources

Required Training

As a prerequisite for conducting certain types of research activities, researchers (including staff, students, postdocs and others) must complete required ethics and compliance training courses. These include, but are not limited to:

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Anyone applying for or receiving external funding must complete the "Managing Conflict of Interest in Research" training. Visit the Conflict of Interest Disclosure page for more information.
Responsible Conduct of Research: Investigators with certain types of funding are required to complete the "Responsible Conduct of Research" training. Additional in-person training may be required. Visit the Responsible Conduct of Research page for more information.
Human Participants: Anyone working with human subjects must complete training. Visit the Human Participants page to determine which course(s) you must complete.
Animals: Anyone caring for or using animals in research must complete training. Visit the Care & Use of Animals page to determine which course(s) you must complete.
Biological Research: Anyone working with biological materials or experiments must complete training. Visit the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) page to determine which course(s) you must complete.
Export Controls: Depending on your externally sponsored award’s specific requirements, you may be required to complete the "Foreign Influence and Export Controls" training and/or other courses. Visit the Export Controls page for more information.

Additionally, you may optionally complete any offered training if you wish.

For questions or concerns related to training, please contact the Office of Regulatory and Research Compliance at 518-437-3850 or [email protected].

All training is provided via the online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) system. Researchers create and manage their own accounts, research curriculum and course completion records.

Always save copies of your course completion records as documentation of your training. You may be asked to provide copies of your certificates for certain reviews or audits of your activities.

If you’ve never had a CITI Program account before, you must register for a new account:

Go to the CITI Program website.
Click “Select Your Organization Affiliation.”
Search for “SUNY - University at Albany.”
Follow the registration instructions and enter your UAlbany email address in the required field. Upon completing registration, you’ll be directed to the Main Menu / My Courses page.

Updating an Existing Account

If you already have a CITI Program account that’s affiliated with another organization:

Go to the CITI Program website.
Click “Login.”
After logging in, you'll be brought to the My Courses page. At the bottom of the Institutional Courses section, click “Add Affiliation.”
Search for “SUNY - University at Albany.”
Follow the registration instructions and enter your UAlbany email address in the required field. Upon completing registration, you’ll be directed to the Main Menu / My Courses page.

Add Courses

To add courses to your curriculum:

Go to the CITI Program website.
Click “Login.”
On the Main Menu / My Courses page, click “View Courses” next to SUNY - University at Albany.
Under the heading My Learner Tools, click “Add a Course.”
Answer the setup questionnaire to select courses.
Once you click “Submit,” the courses you selected will appear on the Main Menu / My Courses page.
Click on the course name to begin your course.

Data Use Agreements & Genomic Data Assurances

Data Use Agreements

A Data Use Agreement (DUA) is a contract outlining the transfer of nonpublic, or otherwise restricted, data from the entity that developed the data to another entity looking to use the data. UAlbany enters DUAs so our researchers can access third-party data needed for their work.

The DUA review process safeguards our faculty, staff and students, as well as their work, while ensuring the University meets its various obligations, such as federal and state laws, for the responsible use of data.

The Office of Regulatory and Research Compliance (ORRC) manages the University’s DUA review process, working and consulting with other offices as needed. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

How to Request a DUA Review

All DUA requests, whether they be an initial request or a modification request, should be submitted by the Principal Investigator.

Completed DUA packets should be sent to [email protected].

Initial Request Packet

Submit the following to request the University enter into an agreement for access to third-party data:

DUA Initial Request Form (New Version, April 2024)
DUA Signature Forms from all data users subject to the agreement
The proposed Data Use Agreement and any other forms requiring a University signature
Any other relevant, data-related forms submitted to the data owner or sponsor (such as a data use application, confidentiality agreements, etc.)
An IRB determination letter (only for data connected to human subjects)
A separate Data Management Plan, if created

Modification Request Packet

Submit the following to request a modification to an existing DUA or to add data users to an existing DUA’s coverage:

DUA Modification Request Form
A list of all personnel who would have access to the data under the modified agreement
DUA Signature Forms from all new data users subject to the agreement
Copies of previously submitted forms
An updated Data Use Agreement and any other forms requiring a University signature
Any other relevant, data-related forms submitted to the data owner or sponsor (such as a data use application, confidentiality agreements, etc.)
An IRB determination letter (only for data connected to human subjects)

Additional Research Data Management Resources

The University Libraries’ Data Services unit can help you find, manage, collect and document, store and analyze, and share and preserve data.

DMPTool can help you create Data Management Plans.

Information privacy, security and expert control training is available to all UAlbany campus community members though the CITI Program. Visit the “Required Trainings” tab above to learn more about registering for optional trainings.

Genomic Data Sharing Certifications

Investigators who plan to share certain genomic data about human participants must obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and obtain a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutional Certification.

An NIH Institutional Certification — submitted by the Principal Investigator and signed by the UAlbany’s Office of Regulatory and Research Compliance (ORRC) — determines whether it is necessary to limit secondary research use.

This process ensures large-scale human genomic data submitted to an NIH-designated data repository adheres to NIH policy and any relevant laws, as well as the original study participants’ informed consent and preferences.

Review NIH’s instructions for completing an Institutional Certification Form.

Contact [email protected] with any questions.