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2. EROC Training

The Ethical Research Oversight Course or EROC is an interactive online course UNC offers through PRIM&R. EROC explores the fundamental concepts, ethical principles, and federal regulations that IRB members need to protect human subjects. Each of the eight units contains a combination of text, audio narration, and interactive elements such as quizzes, case studies, and simulated IRB meetings.

The course is self-paced and takes about five and a half hours to complete in full.

You’re not required to complete EROC to begin your work on the IRB. It’s a great resource, though, if you’re new or you need a refresher. Plus, you can earn up to 5 and half hours of continuing education credits, which count toward CIP certification.

This page is a quick start guide. You can download the PDF here.

Visit PRIM&R’s EROC overview page for more comprehensive information.

Accessing EROC for the First Time

When you join the IRB, OHRE’s education team will add you to our institutional PRIM&R license. Email irb_training@unc.edu if you didn’t receive this email.

  1. You’ll receive an email with the subject line “Join the UNC Chapel Hill team on PRIM&R.”
  2. Open the email, scroll down to the very bottom
  3. Click “Accept invitation.” A new window will pop up.
  4. Log into your PRIM&R using the SAME EMAIL ADDRESS where you received the invitation.
    • If you don’t have a PRIM&R account, click “create account” at the bottom right
    • Fill out the necessary information
    • Click “save.”
  5. You should now be on the PRIM&R training page, EROC will be listed under the “UNC Chapel Hill” tab.
  6. Click “Course: Ethical Research Oversight, EROC: Institutional Subscription.”
  7. EROC will open in a new window.

Navigating the Course

You should now be at the EROC main page.

  1. Read the course overview.
  2. Scroll down to access the course content.
    • You must complete units in order, and subsequent units are locked until you complete the previous one.
  3. Click the “Acknowledgment” section at the top.
  4. Read the course overview and acknowledge your completion by clicking “yes” then “next” then “submit answers.”
  5. Now you can move on by clicking “Go to Next Item.”
  6. “Click Launch Content” to begin your first unit.
    • PRIM&R uses popups to deliver content.
    • Click “Launch Course” to allow the pop up. If a new window still doesn’t open, you may need to change your browser settings to allow popups or use a different browser.
    • PRIM&R recommends using Chrome or Firefox.
  7. Use the left toolbar to navigate the course and access the narrator’s transcript. At the bottom of the screen, you can turn the captions on and off, adjust the volume, and navigate to the next or previous chapter.
  8. At the end of each unit, you’ll need to acknowledge that you’ve completed it by Clicking “I have completed this unit” then submit.
    • Quick note here: if you don’t click the submit button, the unit won’t be marked as complete in the table of contents.
  9. Click “exit unit” in the top right to close this pop up window and continue to the next, newly unlocked unit.
    1. If the next unit is still locked, refresh your browser to update the course.

Final Assessment and Evaluation

Once you’ve completed every unit, you’ll need to pass a final, multiple-choice assessment with a score of 80% or higher AND complete the course evaluation survey to download your certificate of completion.

Take the final assessment as many times as you need to achieve a passing score. You can always revisit your completed units to review content.

Now you know everything you need to access EROC training, navigate the interface, and submit your final assessment and evaluation. Completing the course is up to you!

Need Help?

If you have questions about EROC or any other training at OHRE, please email irb_training@unc.edu and we’ll be happy to help.