Research Security Training

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs is committed to fostering international research and educational collaborations; we are focused on creating global impact by cultivating and supporting collaboration on campus and across the globe while also promoting full transparency surrounding all interactions with external sponsors, industry and foreign entities.

The Presidential Memorandum on United States Government-Supported Research and Development National Security Policy (NSPM-33) of 2021 and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 mandate that federal funding agencies develop safeguards and policies to protect research security. As part of these safeguards, several federal funding agencies have issued Research Security Training requirements for PIs and others working on federally sponsored programs.

NOTE: Federal agencies, per federal law, are in the process of implementing similar Research Security Training requirements. This page will be updated once those requirements are in place.

Training Requirements

Currently, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are the only federal agencies that will require Covered Individuals (typically defined as PIs, Co-PIs, key/senior research personnel, or investigators) on proposals to complete Research Security Training.

Department of Energy (DOE)
To meet Department of Energy (DOE) certification requirements:
- Before May 1, 2025: All PIs and faculty planning to submit applications to DOE on May 1, 2025 must complete Research Security training by May 1, 2025.
- After May 1, 2025: PIs and covered individuals must have completed Research Security training prior to the date of an application to DOE.
- Who is Required to Complete the Training? All covered individuals involved in Department of Energy (DOE) funded projects or proposals.
- What training should be completed? CITI Research Security Training (Combined Course) A condensed and combined single-module course based on the NSF’s Research Security Training.
- How Long Does the Training Take to Complete? Approximately 60 minutes.
- When Does the Training Need to be Completed By? Prior to proposal submission or within 30 days of being newly added to an existing award. Individuals must have a training completion date within twelve months prior to the submission of the proposal.
- Note: This requirement does not impact existing DOE grant awards unless requested at the time of renewal by the Sponsor.
NOTE: While the DOE is among the first to implement this requirement, all federal funding agencies are expected to require Research Security training. We are currently awaiting further guidance from other federal funding agencies.

Details on the Research Security CITI Training and how to sign-up are below.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
The NSF requirements are to take effect on October 10, 2025, per NSF Important Notice No. 149. Additional information should be included in NSF’s implementation of the 2026 NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), draft 26-1.

Effective October 10, 2025:
NSF requires research security training certifications from all Principal Investigators (PIs) and individuals identified as senior/key personnel by the PI. Those planning to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) on or after October 10, 2025, must complete NSF Research Security training prior to submission.
- Who Is Required to Complete the Training? All covered individuals involved in NSF-funded projects or proposals, including:
  - Principal Investigators (PIs)
  - Senior/Key Personnel
- How Long Does the Training Take to Complete? Approximately 60 minutes.
- What training should be completed? CITI Research Security Training (Combined Course) A condensed and combined single-module course based on the NSF’s Research Security Training.
- When Does the Training Need to Be Completed By?
  - Prior to proposal submission, or
  - Within 30 days of being newly added to an existing NSF award (best practice)
  - Individuals must have a training completion date within 12 months prior to the proposal submission date.
- How is this reported? Individuals will certify in the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support documents that they have completed training.
This requirement does not apply retroactively to existing NSF awards unless specifically requested by the sponsor at the time of renewal or continuation.

Details on the Research Security CITI Training and how to sign-up are below.

Training Resources

UCCS is offering the CITI training [Research Security Training (Combined Course)] which provides an overview of Research Security, the importance of disclosure, and mitigation and management strategies.

The CITI training is anticipated to take 60 minutes to complete. This training is shorter than the 4-hour long training modules offered through NSF.

To sign up, follow these steps:

Sign in to an existing CITI account or start a new account. If you start a new account, be sure to use your UCCS email address and associate your account with UCCS. Guides on how to do this are available on CITI’s website.
Navigate to your “My Courses” page and scroll down to the bottom where you will see “Add a Course”
Select “Research Security”
Select “Research Security Training (Combined Course) A condensed and combined single-module course based on the NSF’s Research Security Training”

Please reach out to Mike Sanderson via composp@uccs.edu if you have questions.