Department of
Neurosurgery (April 2026)

DEV - Research

Medical students can work with the Neurosurgical Faculty on research projects. Learn what you need to do to get Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) certified below. Learn more about CITI training and other associated research groups and facilities.

Onboarding

  1. Secure a faculty sponsor/project, establish performance expectations and plan for accomplishing goals.
  2. Complete online CITI Training (If you have taken the training at a previous institution and now you are doing research at West Virginia University, you will need to affiliate with WVU via CITI in order for us to have a record of your training.) There are questions at the end of almost every COI and Biomedical Research Investigator modules that have to be answered. A score of at least 80% total correct is needed to pass. You may retake the test if you need to improve your score.
    1. Go to CITI
    2. Create a user name and password (make sure you affiliate yourself with WVU so they will receive your training info)
    3. Choose, "Add a course"
    4. Look under Question 3, Human Subject Research. Choose "Biomedical Research Investigator", complete the modules. GCP is also recommended.
    5. The conflict of interest is at the bottom. You will need to log into the WVU KC portal.
  3. Become a Member of the WVCTSI (West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute)
  4. Create an iLab Account
    • Sign in using your WVU credentials. This should re-direct you to the standard WVU login page. Once logged in, select “CTSI Community” as your lab. If you are affiliated with another lab at WVU, please do not select your personal lab.
  5. Sign the WVCTSI Data Use and Confidentiality Agreement
    1. After signing into iLab, from the home page, choose “Core Facilities” from the drop down menu on the left side.
    2. From the list of cores, select the "WVCTSI Clinical Research Design, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics Core". Certain cores are not publicly available; if this is the case, please submit an access request and a WVCTSI member will approve your access as soon as possible.
    3. In the upper right hand corner of the core home page, click on the “Request Services” tab.
    4. Choose "request service" next to Data Use and Confidentiality User Agreement.
    5. Complete the request form in full; then click “submit.” After completion of this agreement, you will be permitted to access data. Additionally, a TriNetX account will be created for you, and details on completing your TriNetX account setup will be emailed to you.
  6. WVCTSI REDCap services:
    1. After signing into iLab, from the home page, choose “List all cores” on the left side.
    2. From the list of cores, select "WVCTSI Clinical Research, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics Core".
    3. In the upper right hand corner of the core home page, click on the “Request Services” tab.
    4. Choose "request service" next to REDCap Services.
    5. Complete the request form in full by asking for access to REDCap so that you may be added to research sites by the principal investigators in Neurosurgery, list the name(s) of the faculty mentor you will be working with if known; then click “submit.” Please do not enter any payment information.
    6. You will receive an email asking you to accept the terms of the access, please do so.
    7. Once you receive notification that your REDCap access is granted you need to sign in to claim your account.

Once complete, contact your faculty mentor or staff mentor to notify that you have completed all the training and are ready to begin!