Environment, Health and Safety

Navigate this Section

Researcher On-Boarding Guidance

The purpose of this guidance page is to assist lab groups with on-boarding their researchers.

To perform on-boarding for a lab member:

1. Determine the status of the lab member: Student, Volunteer, or Paid Student/Employee
   • Students conducting research for credits. This applies to students that are enrolled in a course that requires them to conduct lab work or field studies. As long as the student is enrolled in the course, go to step 2.
     • When the student is not enrolled in a course (such as during breaks and holidays, proceed to “student volunteering in the lab”)
   • Students volunteering in the lab, unpaid. Unpaid volunteers must register as a volunteer with either SDSU or the SDSU Research Foundation.
     • SDSU Volunteer Registration 
     • SDSU Research Foundation Volunteer Forms
   • Paid employees: go to step 2
2. Add lab member to BioRAFT
   • The PI or a Group Compliance Liaison must add the lab member to their lab member list in BioRAFT. See the guidance document on the SDSU BioRAFT page
   • Appropriate job activities must be assigned to the lab member so that appropriate training is assigned to them.
3. For IBC, IACUC, and IRB studies, add lab member to the appropriate protocol in iRIS
   • If the lab member will participate in any research activities involving vertebrate animals (IACUC), biological materials (IBC), or human subject studies (IRB), they must be added to the appropriate protocol in iRIS.
   • Protocols submitted through committees must complete training on CITI in order for the protocols to be approved.
     • IBC Training Requirements 
     • IACUC Training Requirements 
     • IRB Training Requirements
   • **NOTE: New lab members must complete all assigned training from both BioRAFT and CITI.**
   • Check training completion in BioRAFT: Check your lab’s training summary on the compliance dashboard
   • Check training completion in iRIS: Check your protocol summary page > personnel management
4. Provide and document lab-specific safety training for the new lab member
   • Our New Lab Member Walk Through Safety Training is an example of lab-specific safety.
   • Documentation must include name of training, topics discussed, name and signature of trainee, and date training was completed.
5. Provide and document process specific training (SOPs) for new lab member
   • Lab specific SOPs should be available in BioRAFT under the lab's Documents section. Hazard and Chemical specific SOP Templates can are on our EHS Chemical Safety Page.
6. Provide and document equipment-specific training for the new lab member
   • Initial x-ray training
   • 3-D Printers
7. Schedule Vivarium Orientation for animal researchers
   • Contact Larkin Slater at [email protected]. Provide the PI’s name when requesting an orientation.
8. Field Studies
   • Train the new lab member on the Field Research Safety Plan associated with all field studies they will be participating in. Have them sign the signature page on the back
   • Have the new lab member sign a Release of Liability Form to participate in field activities. Submit the form to your department.