The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to compliance with US and Texas research security regulations, and expects all students, employees, and researchers to follow relevant guidelines, policies, and laws. The Office of Research Security and Ethics (ORSE) administers the university’s research security program and operates related university policies. For more information, see the university’s research security framework.
Training Overview
Research security training prepares learners for meeting the challenges of performing federally funded research and navigating an increasingly complex world. Research security knowledge and skills are critical for researchers, institutional officials, university resource managers, and other personnel who support university research activities.
Research security training topics include grant reporting, conflicts of interest, export control, data security, research visitors, foreign collaborations, and foreign travel. This training often supplements compliance training offered by other university offices, including Sponsored Projects, Technology Commercialization, Institutional Compliance, and Information Security.
Funded Research Training Requirements
UT Dallas researchers supported by federal funding must complete the condensed Research Security Training module on an annual basis to comply with the training requirements of US funded research policy. This requirement generally applies to all personnel identified as ‘covered individuals’, but specific funding agency requirements may vary. The Principal Investigator/Project Director is responsible for ensuring compliance with any specific training requirements of the grant or contract and for ensuring that all personnel associated with the research also comply.
| Funding Agency | Covered Individual Training Requirement | Policy Statement |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | As required in specific research grants or contracts | Pending publication |
| Department of Energy | Must complete research security training within 12 months prior to submitting funding application | https://www.energy.gov/ia/research-security-training-requirement |
| NASA | As required in specific research grants or contracts | Pending publication |
| National Institutes of Health | Must complete research security training prior to submitting funding application | https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-25-161.html |
| National Science Foundation | Must complete research security training within 12 months prior to submitting funding application | https://www.nsf.gov/policies/pappg/24-1/ch-9-recipient-standards#c-research-security-ac3 |
According to the CHIPS and Science Act of 20222 and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the standard meaning of ‘covered individual’ in federally funded research is “an individual who (A) contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of an R&D project proposed to be carried out with an…award from a Federal research agency; and (B) is designated as a covered individual by the Federal research agency concerned.”
Accessing the Research Security Training Module
To enroll in and complete the Research Security training in the CITI Program:
- Navigate to https://about.citiprogram.org
- Select Log In Through My Organization and create or access a CITI account using your UT Dallas NetID
- Under Learner Tools, open ‘Add a Course’ and enroll in the ‘Research Security’ curriculum
- Select and complete the Research Security Training (Combined) Course.
Please review the CITI Training FAQs for additional information.
Training Certifications from Previous Institutions
ORSE will honor active training certificates from CITI and other recognized research security training programs for researchers new to UT Dallas. Please contact exportcontrol@utdallas.edu if you have questions about previous research security training or accessing CITI.
Additional Training Opportunities
Research laboratories, academic departments, and administrative units are welcome and encouraged to contact the Office of Research Security and Ethics with questions about training requirements and to schedule regular training and learning sessions. Please contact exportcontrol@utdallas.edu for scheduling and more information.
Visit the following pages for information on training in specific policy areas related to research security:
- Export Control Training and Resources
- Conflict of Interest Training and Resources
- Controlled Unclassified Information Training and Resources