Education & Training

1. Education & Training • Who is required to haveannual training ? All staff engaged in research who have a VA appointment- either VA-paid or WOC. • Who is required to have aWOC appointment? Individuals who work in the research building, use the CTRC, or see research participants or their identifiable data. When submitting a protocol please list your staff and place an asterisk next to the names of those who are not VA-paid or not WOC appointees.

2. Apply early for WOC appointments- it can take from 4-6 weeks to get an appointment letter. Individuals should NOT be in the building or working with VA data until they get their appointment letter. (They can come to do their on-line trainings.) • Offsite staff (e.g. statisticians or mentors) who see only non-identifiable data do not require WOC appointments. • Note: encoded data are “identifiable” if the individual has access to the code!

3. Where can you find all the required training? • The VA Research WEB site can be accessed from non VA computers at: http://www1.va.gov/visns/visn02/research/buf/index.cfm This is the main home page for WNY. Scroll down to “education and training”. Listed in the Green box are the “Training Resources”: • Instructions for Human Research Protection Training-lists required modules • Human Research Protection Training Announcements-links to ORD resources and training opportunities • Research Training Site for Animal Research- will be removed and replaced with VMU guidelines

5. The following courses must be completed and documentation must be provided to the research office with the submission of a protocol and then annually. Most courses can be completed using a VA or Non-VA computer. The first three programs may be completed from VA Learning Online (VALO). VA Cyber Security Awareness, VA Privacy Training, VA Research Data Security & Privacy, Access to VALO from Internet at: Non-VA Computer link **Access to VALO from Intranet (VA Computer) type this address in Internet Explorer: vaww.sites.lrn.va.gov/vacatalog/valoredirect.asp

6. 4. VA Ethics Training can only be viewed on a VA Computer through VAKN Content Distribution Network (CDN) at: vaww.vakncdn.lrn.va.gov/Default.asp.Search for the Video in the content library with key work “Ethics”Official title is “Ethics Most Wanted”Print “my viewing history” and then send to the research office. Employees without VA computer access will need to come to the research office and watch the video. ( We can lend out over night or for the day if a section wants to use) **VA WNY Employees can use – “On-Demand”- if you are VA paid so you are in the TEMPO system. ( Sign- IN- using last 6 ss#, it confirms that you are the employee, go to STAFF videos, and click “ETHICS GROUP”, not “Ethics most wanted” –resident version). Watch the video and in a week or so check your TEMPO report, print –highlight/star the Course and send to research inter-office mail #151) 5. Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Course in The Protection of Human Research Subjects and/or for Animal Training (CITI) uses one link for access:Human Subjects Protection and Animal handling training (VA or Non VA Computer) *

7. VA Learning Online (VALO) • Access VALO

10. Mandatory /Required Training Catalog contains the courses you need to take.

11. REQUIRED COURSES: VA Cyber Security Awareness FY2007, VA Research Data Security and Privacy & VHA Privacy Policy Training –FY07

12. Click the course title- a description appears- bottom right click “ENROLL NOW”

13. Click– “Confirm enrollment” into the course

14. Enrollment was successful- smile comes up- click-” Go to the Course Selection” When you open the current modules- you will click on the title of your courses you wish to proceed with.

15. Click title and start course, view your previous modules completed

16. Follow the instructions as you scroll down the page

17. Left side keeps you informed as to how many modules are needed-course status. The instructions say: Once you have completed the course, a link will appear on this page providing access to your certificate of completion.

18. Login Instructions Step 1: Determining Employment Status.Please carefully determine which category you belong to because it affects how you must access the course. All employees taking this course will fall into one of the following two categories: VA employees: Are in the VA "Paid Database" which means a paycheck comes directly from the VA or U.S. Treasury-OR-New employees or Non-VA employees: A new employee is one that has been hired less than two weeks ago. If you are under contract with VA as "work for hire", "without compensation" (WOC) or Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement (IPA), or if you are a volunteer, resident, intern, or student you are not a VA employee. Anyone who is not paid directly from the VA or U.S. Treasury is a Non-VA employee. Please Note: It is important that you log-in with the correct employment status so the record of your completing the course is recorded in a retrievable database for the VA Office of Research & Development records. Step 2: Determine if you need to use the pilot LMS to access the course. Buffalo /Batavia DO NOT NEED to use this LMS access. Skip to the "VALO Login" portion of the directions.

19. Step 3: Login to VALO.Most people will access the course through the VALO system. Access to VALO depends upon whether you are a VA employee or a contractor/other non-VA employee. VA employee access: VA ComputerIf you have already logged into VALO since January 31, 2007 just log into VALO and select the course. If you are new to VALO you will need to register using a Username and Password with a specific format. Go to this page to see the username instructions (only accessible from within the VA) and to proceed to logging into VALO: http://vaww.sites.lrn.va.gov/vacatalog/valoredirect.asp. Non-VA ComputerIf you are accessing VALO from a non-VA computer use this link: http://www.vcampus.com/vcekpvalo/? Help-----If you need assistance or have forgotten your password contact VALO support by e-mail: eeswbthelp@va.gov or call 1-866-496-0463. Password Tip: When entering your password while registering on VALO the first time, only enter the first 20 characters of your username in the Password box. Make sure your full username is entered following the correct format in the username box. Use link at the bottom of that page to get to the VALO login page and enter your username and password to log into VALO. Non-VA employee access: go to this page and self enroll:https://www.vcampus.com/vcekpvalo/servlet/ekp?TX=SELFREGISTRATION

20. Step 4: Find the course in VALO.This process is the same for both VA and Non-VA employees. Once in VALO, do the following: Click the "Catalog" link in the Knowledge Tool Box on the right of the home page. Click on the "Mandatory Training Catalog" to see a list of the VA provided courses on the left. Click on the “TITLE YOU NEED" link. Click the "Enrollment" button until you get to the Current Learning Modules page. You will see the course listed on that page. Click " TITLE YOU NEED" link, launching the course. Step 5: Print the Course Certificate of Completion.Immediately after the course is completed, you can print a certificate of completion. However, if you ever need another copy or would like to see all the courses you have completed, you can access the records 24 hours after completing the course on the VALO "Records/Transcripts" page. Your training records can be accessed by following these steps: Click on the "My Courses" tab on the upper left of the main page. Click on the "Records/Transcript" link. Under "Learning Program/Module", click on the completed course link your interested in revisiting.

21. Help and Support:For assistance contact EES support at this e-mail address: eeswbthelp@va.gov or call 1-866- 496-0463. Please keep in mind that the average turn around time for support is 24 – 48 hours. You only need to call once to be on the call back cue, and calling more than once will slow the system.

22. CITI Training Directions How to get from here to trained in 12 convoluted steps

23. The link to Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Course is: www.citiprogram.org/default.asp • From this site you may access training in The Protection of Human Research Subjects and Laboratory Animal Welfare courses.

24. Click on “Register Here” for the CITI Courses if you are a new user.

25. From the Veterans Affairs drop-down menu, select Buffalo-528

26. Create your user name and password and click “Submit “.

27. Provide the registration information requested and proceed to the course. • Once you register, there are 5 questions you need to answer. After answering the 5 questions click “continue”.

30. After answering the 5 questions click “continue”.

31. You will be asked if you need affiliation with another institution. • Answer “No”.

32. A list of the courses you have registered for will be generated. • If you need to add additional courses click “Update Groups”. • If not, click “Go Back to Learner’s Main Menu.

33. Click on “Grade Book” to begin your course. You may also update your affiliation, password or courses from this page.

34. You have completed the following coursework for SUNY - University at Buffalo. If you would like to take additional modules in one of the curricula, click on a green link below. To print a completion report you earned or to find out information about receiving CME/CEU credits, click on the appropriate link in the list of Learner Utilities for this institution.