CITI Program Launches Community Research Partner Training Course to Strengthen Ethical Collaboration in Research

New course empowers community partners with foundational ethics, regulatory, and research knowledge

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, UNITED STATES, December 1, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- CITI Program has announced the launch of its newest course, Community Research Partner Training, developed to empower community partners engaging in research through foundational ethics, regulatory understanding, and partnership knowledge.

Community partners, such as members of Community Advisory Boards (CABs), non-profit organizations, and local volunteers, play a vital role in ensuring that research reflects and serves the needs of diverse populations. Yet, many of these partners lack access to practical, high-quality training tailored to their experience level. The new Community Research Partner Training course fills this gap by providing accessible, video-based modules that strengthen understanding of ethical research practices and promote authentic collaboration between academic researchers and communities.

"By offering foundational ethics training in a format that's easy to understand, this course empowers community research partners to engage meaningfully and responsibly in research collaborations," said Alexa McClellan, Associate Director, Research Foundations at CITI Program.

Course Overview

The Community Research Partner Training course includes six required modules covering the core aspects of ethical and compliant community-partnered research:
• Basics of Research
• Research Regulations and Guidelines
• IRBs in Community-Partnered Research
• Informed Consent and Voluntariness
• Collecting and Protecting Data in Research
• Roles and Responsibilities of a Community Research Partner

Learners may also explore two optional modules for advanced insights: Comparing CBPR to Traditional Research Practices and Grant Writing, Receiving Funds, and Authorship.

Each module is short and engaging—designed to be completed in approximately 15 minutes—and presented in a video-based format suitable for learners without scientific or research backgrounds.

Key Benefits and Features

CITI Program developed the Community Research Partner Training course with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. Explicitly designed for community partners such as members of Community Advisory Boards (CABs), non-profit organizations, and individual lay collaborators, the course provides clear and approachable instruction for those who may not have prior scientific or research backgrounds. The course presents each topic through short, engaging video modules, typically about 15 minutes, allowing learners to progress efficiently while reinforcing comprehension through real-world examples and practical context.

A key feature of this training is its seamless integration into CITI Program’s Human Subjects Research (HSR) series. Organizations that subscribe to HSR can add this course at no additional cost to existing training options. It is also accessible to individual learners, ensuring that anyone participating in community-partnered research can receive foundational ethics education that aligns with institutional and regulatory standards.

The curriculum emphasizes the ethical principles that support meaningful collaboration between researchers and community stakeholders. By focusing on respect, oversight, transparency, and shared responsibility, the course helps foster trust and mutual understanding in research partnerships. Doing so strengthens compliance and promotes equitable and ethical engagement throughout the research process.

Availability

The Community Research Partner Training course is now available through CITI Program's learning platform. Institutions and individual learners can access the course by visiting www.citiprogram.org

About CITI Program

For more than 25 years, CITI Program has been a leading provider of research ethics, compliance, and professional development education. Its online courses serve millions of learners worldwide in areas such as human subjects research, clinical trials, animal care and use, information privacy, and responsible conduct of research.

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