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MRI Safety Training

Training information

Before being permitted to work in the fMRI environment, the DBIC requires research personnel to complete a safety training course conducted by Terry Sackett, as well as complete an online safety training module. The purpose of our safety training protocol is to provide research personnel with rigorous information on how to safely conduct themselves in the scanning environment. At the end of the training session, research personnel will be allowed to be in the control room with a certified scan operator. The DBIC requires that two researchers (at least one certified scan operator and a safety-trained assistant) are in the control room at all times.

Trainees will be expected to know and follow all best practice safety procedures, including: how to thoroughly and properly adminster the pre-scan experimenter checklist,  subject and metal screen participants, operate the metal detector, operate the airlock door to the MRI suite, and importantly, be competent in their knowledge of emergency practices and procedures and familiar with DBIC's incident reporting policy. Finally, we will provide users with best practices for cleaning and disinfecting to maintain a healthy shared research environment.

Training materials

To sign up for a safety training class:

  • Research personnel must complete the Dartmouth Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects education requirement. The DBIC requires research personnel to complete the CITI Online Tutorial found here. Please complete the Group 2 Social/Behavioral Basic Course.
  • Once CITI training has been completed, please email your certificate of completion to Courtney Rogers (courtney.rogers@dartmouth.edu), and sign up for a safety training course. You'll also need to provide the name of the faculty/lab with which you'll be working.

Please review the DBIC calendar before requesting to sign up for a safety training course. We have training sessions scheduled approximately twice per month, and may be able to accommodate trainings outside these times on a limited basis.

MRI safety training classes will be limited to 4 participants per class.

For access to the DBIC calendar, please email courtney.rogers@dartmouth.edu

Training schedules

Academic year 2025 - 2026

Winter

Date Time Sign-up deadline Available slots
Friday, January 9 1 - 2:30 p.m. Monday, January 5 4
Tuesday,  January 20 9:30 - 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 13 4
Monday, February 9 2:30 - 4 p.m. Monday, February 2 4
Thursday, February 26 8:30 - 10 a.m. Thursday, February 19 4
Wednesday, March 11 12 - 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 4 4
Friday, March 27 9 - 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 20 4

Spring

Date Time Sign-up deadline Available slots
Tuesday, March 31 1:30 - 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 4
Wednesday, April 8 8 - 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 1 4
Monday, April 20 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Monday, April 13 4
Thursday, May 7 12 - 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30 4
Tuesday, May 19 2:30 - 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 12 4
Friday, June 5 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Friday, May 29 4

Academic year 2026-2027

Summer 2026

Date Time Sign-up deadline Available slots
Monday, June 29 2:30-4 p.m. Monday, June 22 4
Tuesday, July 14 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 7 4
Wednesday, July 29 8-9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 22 4
Thursday, August 6 1-2:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30 4
Friday, August 21 12:30-2 p.m. Friday, August 14 4
Monday, August 31 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Monday, August 24 4

Fall 2026

Date Time Sign-up deadline Available slots
Tuesday, September 8 1:30-3 p.m. Tuesday, September 1 4
Wednesday, September 16 8-9:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 9 4
Thursday, September 24 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, September 17 4
Friday, October 2 2:30-4 p.m. Friday, September 25 4
Monday, October 12 12:30-2 p.m. Monday, October 5 4
Tuesday, October 27 8:30-10 a.m. Tuesday, October 20 4
Wednesday, November 11 1:30-3 p.m. Wednesday, November 4 4
Thursday, December 10 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, December 3 4

Winter 2027

Date Time Sign-up deadline Available slots
Friday, January 8 2:30-4 p.m. Monday, January 4 4
Monday, January 18 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m Monday, January 11 4
Tuesday, February 2 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 26 4
Wednesday, February 17 8-9:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 10 4
Thursday, March 4 12-1:30 p.m. Thursday, February 25 4

Spring 2027

Date Time Sign-up deadline Available slots
Friday, April 2 9-10:30 a.m. Monday, March 29 4
Monday, April 12 2:30-4 p.m. Monday, April 5 4
Tuesday, April 27 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, April 20 4
Wednesday, May 12 1:30-3 p.m. Wednesday, May 5 4
Thursday, May 27 8-9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 20 4