NSF requires this training for all proposers as of October 10, 2025.
NIH will soon announce its implementation date.
Per the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, covered individuals must complete research security training within the 12 months prior to proposal submission. Covered individuals includes all individuals listed on a funding application for a research award, or someone who contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development and/or execution of an externally funded research project (example: PI, co-PI, Investigator, Researchers, Senior/Key Personnel).
NSF, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DOD), developed four online research security training (RST) modules as a resource to awardee organizations. Subsequently, the SECURE Center developed an updated and condensed version of the four modules. The condensed RST module is designed to meet the government-wide RST requirement in Section 10634 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. § 19234). To that end, NSF, NIH, DOE, and DOD all recognize completion of the condensed module as compliant with their respective RST requirements.
The NBER has made arrangements with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), to offer its compliant courses to our investigators.
*Please note there are two versions of the course available.*
Research Security Training (Combined Course) is the condensed and combined single-module course based on the SECURE Center model. It is estimated to take 1 hour to complete and meets the government side RST requirement.
Research Security Basic Training covers the full four module course developed by NSF as a resource. It is estimated to take 4 hours to complete.
You can print or download a Completion Report as evidence that you have completed the course. You do not need to submit this report to the NBER as the system automatically alerts the NBER that you finished the course. You may return to the course site in the future to obtain a copy of the completion report.
If you have completed training at your home institution that meets the government-wide RST requirement in Section 10634 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. § 19234) the NBER may accept it in lieu of the NBER course. Please submit the completion report for your course to irb@nber.org. Due to the volume of requests, it must be readily apparent that the university course was designed to meet the requirements, otherwise the NBER will ask that you please complete the NBER course offered through CITI.
Accessing the NBER Course
To access the site and take the required course, please follow these instructions:
1. Go to www.citiprogram.org/
2a. - For new users
On the home page, click on Register. Select ‘National Bureau of Economic Research’ from the first drop‐down list, create your user name and password according to guidelines, select and answer a security question, and enter your name and email address. Choose ‘no’ on questions 6 and 7, and choose ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on your willingness to complete a course survey. Go to step 3 below.
2b. - For users already registered through another institution
If you have already registered with CITI, login with your username and password and from the Main Menu, select ‘Affiliate with another institution,’ and then select ‘National Bureau of Economic Research’ from the first drop‐down list, and click ‘Submit’.
You will see a page asking for member information. Fill in the three starred fields with your email address, as well any additional info in regards to your faculty position. Please list Grants as the department. The remaining fields are optional. Go to step 3 below.
2c. - For users who have already affiliated their CITI account with the NBER
If you have previously affiliated with the NBER to complete IRB or RECR training, upon logging in you will see National Bureau of Economic Research listed under Institutional Courses. You will be able to click on View Courses and then you should scroll to the bottom of the Course listing page to select Add a Course. Go to step 3 below.
3. Next under Select Curriculum, Question 5, select the NBER Research Security Training course, and click submit.
4. Last, your Course list page appears. To start the course, select Start Now.
This course is one module presented in an audio-visual format. CITI recommends the use of the current version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, or Firefox to complete the course. The system tracks your progress, so you do not have to complete the program in one session – just exit and reenter by logging back in.