Financial and Post-Award Administration
Provides administrative research staff with an understanding of best post-award and financial management practices that include the regulatory framework for the direct and indirect costing of sponsored program activities, financial management decision-making and fiscal compliance of sponsored funds. Topics include: research cost accounting; auditing; OMB requirements; matching funds/cost sharing; financial conflict of interest; facilities and administration costs; purchasing; equipment and property management; salaries, compensation, honoraria; and travel allocability and allowability; working with sponsoring agencies and sub-recipient monitoring.
Management and Operations
Focuses on overarching structure and policies that create a holistic, operational system supporting the practice of research administration. Topics include delivery of operational services and research and financial compliance programs; facilities management; research infrastructure such as capital programs and building and managing of science and technology parks; human resources and international personnel management; and supporting collaborations with international organizations.
Pre-Award
Focuses on the entire spectrum of external funding including the planning, development and submission of awards. Included topics are strategic planning and development for individual and collaborative grant proposals, developing individual and institutional grant capacity, funding opportunities, providing training programs in proposal and budget development, strategies for developing effective grant proposals, interacting with funding agencies, putting the proposal package together and submitting it to funding agencies, award review and acceptance, and post-award communication, internally and with funding agencies.
Professional Development
Educational offerings relate to the skills and behaviors that provide direction, motivation and influence in research administration. Topics include continuing education commitment; building on personal growth and development; leadership; quality of life development; self-assessment; supervisor/staff relations; industrial/workplace psychology; and the emerging role of research administrators within the culture of research.
Research Ethics and Compliance
Covers issues of research integrity that deal with policies, regulations, (federal, state, institutional) and best practices regarding the ethical conduct of research. These topics may cover human and/or animal subject research, research with rDNA and other biohazards, research with hESC and hSPC, safe laboratory practices; data management (acquisition, sharing, ownership, rigor and transparency); mentor/trainee responsibilities and development; authorship and responsible publication practices; collaborative research ethics; research misconduct; scientists and social responsibility; export controls; conflicts of interest, commitment and conscience; standards/requirements for the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and research ethics training and education programs.