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Children's Hospital Colorado Researcher Onboarding Process

Definition of a non-employee researcher at Children’s Colorado

Non-employee researchers (NE) who come to Children's Colorado must meet one of the following criteria:

  • PhDs must serve as a principle investigator (PI) or co-investigator (Co-I) without a National Provider Identification number.
  • Affiliate employees must be working on an approved Human Subjects research study at Children's Colorado. This includes PhDs not serving as PI or Co-I.
  • Interns must get paid per Children's Colorado’s definition.
  • Students must get credit from their educational institution and are not paid per Children's Colorado’s definition.
  • Remote researchers will only need system access for a research study. This includes Children’s Research Management System (CRMS) access and will not be on campus. Therefore, remote researchers will not require a badge or parking.

Please note: Credentialed individuals serving as PI or Co-I do not qualify to be onboarded through this process. Please contact the Medical Staff Office at 720-777-6652. Volunteers and observers are not eligible to be onboarded for research.

What to expect from the onboarding process

To initiate the non-employee researcher onboarding process at Children’s Colorado, the non-employee researcher’s supervisor (a paid Children’s Colorado manager) will complete a Non-Employee Researcher Onboarding Form located on the Children’s Colorado intranet. When the form is submitted, the researcher will receive an email with instructions to complete the onboarding requirements.

Please allow at least two weeks from the date when the last required document was received for the non-employee researcher to be onboarded. The affiliate’s organization is responsible for the cost of all requirements.

Affiliate, student, and intern researchers are required to attend an Occupational Health screening at Children’s Hospital Colorado and are only allowed to be on campus for the duration of their appointment. All onboarding requirements must be completed prior to working on campus.

What are the onboarding requirements?

Remote researchers

  • Research agreement: Remote Research Associate Agreement Form to be completed and signed by the non-employee researcher and the paid Children’s Colorado manager.
  • Complete the online Security User Agreement (SUA).
    • Enter the password “balloonboy” and click Login.
    • Enter your First Name and Last Name and click Find
    • If you have a previous Security User Agreement on file, your name will appear. Confirm the ID shown is your previous ID to complete.
    • If your name is not found, select the Create a new Security User Agreement link, which is located below the Find button.
    • Please take a photo or screenshot of the screen once your SUA has been completed or you were able to find your previous SUA.
  • Orientation Handbook: Complete page 40 of the Orientation and Training Handbook Acknowledgement Form.
  • Email all completed documentation - Remote research associate agreement form, SUA, and orientation handbook form, in one email  to onboardingresearch@childrenscolorado.org for review/processing.

Affiliate researchers, student researchers and intern researchers

This cohort must complete both Occupational Health Screening and Human Resource Clearance. Steps listed below:

Occupational Health Screening

Please follow the instructions below to access the RedCap survey to initiate the screening process. The RedCap survey will provide information to set up your Epic MyChart account which will give you access to appointment scheduling, questionnaires and consents. During your appointment, Occupational Health will review immunization status to meet onboarding requirements.

Occupational Health Services will notify Children’s Human Resources department once you have been cleared.

  1. Click the link below to access your secure and private RedCap survey to provide information required to create a Children’s Hospital Colorado Epic MyChart account.
    RedCap survey
  2. After submitting your RedCap survey, Occupational Health will create an Epic MyChart account and send an activation code to you via email or phone text message. This process may take 2-3 days to complete.
  3. Follow the instructions on the email to activate your MyChart account, create a username and password and complete your Health Assessment Surveys.
  4. Please schedule an appointment with Occupational Health through your MyChart account or call Occupational Health services at 720-777-6577 and identify yourself as a non-employee researcher to schedule your Health Assessment. After your appointment is scheduled, complete the Health Assessment questionnaires and consents in MyChart via eCheck-in (available 7 days before your appointment) prior to your appointment date.
  5. Scan and send all personal vaccine records to vaccine@childrenscolorado.org.
  6. Failure to fill out your health questionnaires and consents in MyChart prior to completing or during your appointment OR failure to complete a pre-employment health screening before your expected start date will delay your start date. If you are out of state, please advise Occupational Health when you call to schedule an appointment, we can complete an appointment by phone in extenuating circumstances.

Human Resource Clearance

Background check

Complete at the time of hire/enrollment with current employer/school or within the last 7 years.

  • Background check must be compliant in the following areas:
    • Social security number validation
    • Nationwide Criminal Repository
    • National Sex Offender Registry (50 states)

University of Colorado employees: Please contact your Human Resources Department and request they email OnboardingResearch@childrenscolorado.org to confirm your background check has been passed.

If you need to complete a background check, please email OnboardingResearch@childrenscolorado.org. We will forward you an email invitation directly from Universal Background Screening. Background checks cost approximately $70 for non-clinical positions and $100 for clinical positions.

Drug screen

A 10-panel drug screen must be successfully completed at the time of hire/enrollment with current employer/school or within the last 7 years.

You can visit any Concentra Clinic to complete this authorization.

Please provide them with the Non-Employee Authorization for Drug Screen Form upon screening.

Orientation Handbook

Complete page 40 of the Orientation and Training Handbook Acknowledgement form.

Complete the online Security User Agreement (SUA).

  • Enter the password “balloonboy” and click Login.
  • Enter your first name and last name and click Find.
  • If you have a previous Security User Agreement on file, your name will appear. Confirm the ID shown is your previous ID to complete.
  • If your name is not found, select the Create a new Security User Agreement link, which is located below the Find button.
  • Please take a photo or screenshot of the screen once your SUA has been completed or the screen that shows your previous SUA.

Submit all Human Resources required documents

Once you have completed all of the above listed items, please send all required documents in one email to OnboardingResearch@childrenscolorado.org. The email should contain the following:

  • Background check
  • Drug screen
  • A signed copy of page 40 from the Orientation Handbook
  • A screenshot of proof of your completed SUA

Final onboarding step: gaining access to the network and signing your memorandum of understanding

Once we have received all required documents and your immunizations have been processed as complete through Occupational Health Services, you will receive an email with instructions on your next steps. These steps will include:

  • Setting a password
  • Gaining access to the Children’s Colorado network
  • Signing the memorandum of understanding (MOU)
  • The MOU is valid for one year and must be renewed on a yearly basis thereafter for non-employee researchers to remain active at Children’s Colorado.

Additional training

Each non-employee researcher is required to show proof of their Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training to their Children’s Colorado department supervisor. This training is good for three years. If your certificates are beyond this approval period, you will be required to do a refresher course.

The following trainings are required. If you have completed them, but your trainings are expired, you will need to do a refresher course:

  • Biomedical Responsible Conduct of Research (CITI training)
  • Human Subjects’ Protections (CITI training), if you are participating in human subject research
  • CITI Health Information Privacy and Security (HIPS) for Clinical Investigators
  • Please note the CITI/HIPS trainings are not required for the onboarding process. However, they must be completed prior to starting in your department and sent to your Children’s Colorado manager.

For more information

For any questions, please email OnboardingResearch@childrenscolorado.org or call 720-777-8598.