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Biosafety Training

UNT provides a comprehensive biosafety training that fulfills the training requirement for work with infectious materials in laboratories, materials of human origin that fall under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, and NIH Guidelines training and other relevant training via the CITI Program online platform. Use the training determination table for more information. The Biosafety training is applicable to all labs (both teaching and research labs - if the lab works with biological materials).

CITI Training (for Research and Teaching Laboratory)

All UNT faculty, staff and students, staff working in a BSL1 or BSL2 laboratory must complete the biosafety training via CITI Program. The various training modules available are:

  • Initial Biosafety Training (if participating in a BSL1 and BSL2 lab)
  • Emergency and Incident Responses to Biohazard Spills and Releases (if participating in a BSL1 and BSL2 lab)
  • Personal Protective Equipment (if participating in a BSL1 and BSL2 lab)
  • NIH Recombinant DNA Guidelines (only those working with recombinant research materials)
  • Shipping and Transport of Regulated Biological Materials (if your lab plans to ship biological samples)
  • OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens (if working with Human and Non-human Primate research materials)
  • Animal Biosafety (if working with animals or animal derived material)
  • Nanotechnology (if working with nanotechnology research materials)
  • Investigators and participants must also complete courses that pertain to the protocols they will be participating in. Use the Training determination table to decide which training will be relevant to your protocol/research.

IBC Committee Members are required to take the CITI

  • Institutional Biosafety Committee Member Training,
  • NIH Recombinant DNA Guidelines and the Select Agent.
  • Biosecurity and Bioterrorism modules (if applicable)
To register:
  • Go to CITI Login
  • Click “Register”
  • Complete registration steps as directed, using The University of North Texas (Denton, TX) as your “Participating Institution”. Please use your current UNT email address to ensure your training will populate within the GRAMS system.
  • Note that the RCR Basic course option does not need to be selected during registration unless required by your project funding agency.
  • Once you have finalized registration, the courses you selected should appear on your main menu.
    • Download a copy of your certificate upon successful completion of all required modules and share it with your PI.

NIH Guidelines Training

Required for PIs performing recombinant DNA or synthetic nucleic acid work.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA) developed the NIH "Guidelines for Research  Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules" (NIH Guidelines) as a comprehensive set of regulations governing the use of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules. The NIH Guidelines training is provided to assist researchers in understanding and following UNT and NIH Guideline requirements.

Lab-specific Training

Lab-specific training is ongoing training provided by the principal investigator (PI) / Faculty on the specific materials and procedures that are being utilized in the laboratory. The PI must provide the lab-specific training prior to allowing individuals to work with biohazardous materials and whenever policies or procedures change.  PIs should utilize the Lab-Specific Biosafety Training Form to document training.