Training

The following is the research-specific training required at the Long Beach VA Medical Center. Please note that depending on your status or the type (s) of research with which you are involved, you may need to take more than one of the trainings.

Detail information are on the VALBHS R&D Education Plan: VA Long Beach Healthcare System Research and Development Education Plan For Human, Animal, and Basic Science Programs

All Research Personnel

VA employees and WOCs must complete the following course in TMS:  VA Privacy Information Security and Rules of Behavior.  If you will be involved with any contact with Veteran patients, you also need to take the course entitled,  Privacy and HIPAA.

Included are VA-paid staff, Without Compensation (WOC) appointments, the Medical Center Director, the Chief of Staff, the Research Compliance Officer, voting and ex officio members of the Research and Development Committee (R&DC), and voting and ex officio members of VALBHS research subcommittees (IRB, Safety, IACUC).

These courses are available on the TMS (Talent Management System) website - https://www.tms.va.gov/plateau/user/login.jsp. WOCs need to self-enroll by clicking on the “Create New User” tab. Additional instructions are available here. These courses must be taken prior to appointment and yearly thereafter.

Human Research Training Requirements

Research Personnel Involved in VALBHS Human Research must also complete The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) website “VA Human Subjects Protection and Good Clinical Practices.” This training is required prior to appointment and every two years thereafter.  (https://www.citiprogram.org)

Included is anyone who:

• will interact with research participants, and/or

• will see identifiable data, and/or

• is a member of the IRB or the R&DC (voting and ex officio), or

• is an R&D Service staff member

Lab Research Training Requirements

Personnel with Access to VALBHS Research Lab Areas (e.g., those working in labs or other research areas with restricted or unrestricted access) must also complete General Safety Training. This training must be taken prior to appointment and yearly thereafter.  This course is available at www.citiprogram.org.

Personnel Working in Wet Labs must also complete Bio-safety Training. This training must be taken prior to appointment and yearly thereafter.  This course is available at  www.citiprogram.org.

Research Personnel Involved in Animal Research at the VALBHS must also complete the following CITI courses at https://www.citiprogram.org:

1. “Working with the IACUC” (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

2. Appropriate species-specific courses (e.g., “Working with Mice in Research Settings,” "Working with Rats in Research Settings”)
   See the Veterinary Medical Unit training page for more information on these and other trainings for animal research staff.
   These trainings must be taken prior to appointment and yearly thereafter.

IACUC Members and IACUC Support Staff must also complete the CITI course “Essentials for IACUC Members.” This training must be taken prior to appointment and yearly thereafter.

Other Training Requirements

Research Personnel Working with Radiation or in a lab licensed for radioactive materials must also complete Radiation Safety Training. This training must be taken prior to appointment and yearly thereafter.  This course is available at www.citiprogram.org.