Virtual Research Administration Conference - Concurrent Sessions

Working in Research Administration can take a toll on our wellbeing. The stresses of dealing with difficult personalities, endless deadlines, and constant changes to federal and internal guidelines and policies are sometimes daunting. While we are not licensed mental health practitioners, your co-presenters are Research Administrators who understand the pressure points and the need for self-care. Join us for a fun, highly interactive session where you can vent your own frustrations to a sympathetic ear, learn from challenges that others are having, and discuss coping strategies. This session is meant to engage the audience in healthy discussion about issues that may be causing them stress/hardship as they try to be effective research administrators, 

Content level: Basic

Learning Objectives: 

1. Practice constructive communication and determine proactive responses to balancing workload and prioritizing self-care.
2. Learn how to manage stress with project management tips and tricks that can be applied to both grant management and personal needs. 

Track: Professional Development 

Speaker(s): Michael Marino, Associate Director, Northeastern University, Vanessa Rook, Post-Award Research Administrator, Research Administration Support Services | RASS, Harvard Medical School | Office of Research Administration (ORA)

The purpose of this session is to share strategies on managing multi-component programmatic and/or cooperative grants for successful submission.  Due to moving parts including multiple principal investigators (MPIs), multiple cores, multiple projects, and multiple subawards – all with their own budgets and required documentation, how can a research administrator keep track of all of these while working with institutional sponsored programs office to ensure a timely and organized submission?  

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1. Develop a timeline for organizational management of their P or U grant submission.
2. Organize and condense NIH NOFO, Application Instructions, and other resources into one master document for reference.
3. Learn the requirements for Awaiting Receipt of Applications (ARAs) for Large Budget Grant Applications and NIH Minimum Effort for PD/PI and Core/Project Leaders
4. Implement tools to manage a large team of investigators, collaborating institutions, and

Track: Pre-Award

Speaker(s): Cathy Le, Director of Research Administration, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Southern California, Rick Roberts, Executive Director, Grants Management Office, Morehouse School of Medicine

Most research administrators work with their legal and technology transfer offices to some extent, but understanding how these offices can be leveraged to support research admin goals and when/how to interact with these offices can be challenging!  Whether you’re new to research administration or looking for ways to improve your relations with these partner offices, you’re welcome to join this presentation.  Ashley Thomas, Director of the Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer at the University of Denver, will share knowledge gleaned from her work in and with offices of general counsel, tech transfer, and sponsored programs.  The session begins with a review of the nature and purpose of legal and tech transfer offices before focusing on some of the key sponsored research-related clauses of concern to these offices, and ways that you can partner more efficiently (and perhaps happily!) with these offices at your own institution.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Learn some of the “red flags” and key provisions of interest to legal and tech transfer offices so that you can partner with them more effectively.
2. Develop a greater understanding of ways and times to reach out to your institution’s legal and tech transfer offices.

Track: Contracts and Law

Speaker(s): Ashley Thomas, Manager of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer, University of Denver

We'll review the various federal regimes that cover the federal export control regulations, learn how these regulations have an impact upon research activities, and discuss various strategies to help in compliance with the regulations.

This session is designed for Research Administrators who are just beginning or have recently begun to work with export control regulations and their compliance in the academic research environment. The export regulations are overseen by several different federal agencies to prevent the diversion of potentially sensitive information or items that can be used for military purposes to other countries. We’ll cover export control regimes of the US Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury, and Energy as well as the Office of Foreign Asset Controls and their use of Sanctions and Embargoes.

These regulations can intersect with a variety of functions across campus, including international shipping, travel, and visiting international researchers. We will talk about the variety of ways exports can take place during research activities, including physical exports, transmission of technology & information, as well as deemed exports within the US. We’ll discuss ways to identify when research activities fall outside of the federal regulations, what exclusions may be applicable, and when the regulations will apply. We will review examples of contract language that can indicate export-controlled research and discuss strategies to negotiate their removal. If that’s not possible, there are a variety of compliance strategies to ensure your campus research activities are operating properly within the regulatory environment. We’ll cover institutional as well as individual liabilities under the regulations with some examples of how cases of non-compliance have been addressed in research environments.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Develop a familiarity with the federal export control regulations.
2. Understand which research activities can be affected.

Track: Compliance and Ethics

Speaker(s): Lisa Goble, Assistant Director, Office of Export Controls, Duke University, Daniel Vick, Director, Export Controls, Duke University

As institutions try and manage expenses an item that is always discussed is cost share. While it can be helpful to supplement an award, many institutions end up having to take lower F&A rates, increased burden on financial tracking and overall issues at the post award stage. To help mitigate this, research administrators can advocate for reduced or even removed cost share at the proposal stage. This session aims to help understand the risks that run with committing cost share, how to better track it, and tips on how to encourage PIs from committing it.

Content level: Intermediate 

Learning objectives:

1. Participants will: Learn what issues may arise from cost share commitments.
2. Understand the potential administrative burden at post award stage managing cost share.
3. Learn how to better track cost share commitments.
4. Hear tips and tricks on working with faculty on managing cost share commitments.

Track: Financial and Cost Accounting

Speaker(s): Kathryn Simpson, MPH, CRA, Lead Business Analyst, Grants & Sponsored Programs (GSP), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

A description of the origin, execution, and evolution of the concept of building a physical campus, located in an urban setting and at some distance from the main campus, where university and industry researchers could collaborate in shared and otherwise co-located spaces - including around a set of community-defined innovation "hubs".

Content Level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. To encourage creative thinking among attendees about the design and funding of research spaces that bridge academia and industry.
2. To explore the place of community engagement in designing and executing on focused areas for research activity.

Track: Professional Development

Speaker(s): Robert Adhieh, Vice President for Professional Schools & Programs, Texas A&M University

**Required session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-IV)**

Research administrators play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of funding applications. This session is designed to equip research administrators with the tools and strategies necessary to navigate the pre-award process with confidence and efficiency. Topics include identifying and interpreting funding opportunities, supporting principal investigators (PIs) in proposal development, ensuring compliance with sponsor guidelines, and fostering collaboration between stakeholders. Attendees will gain practical insights into best practices, tips for streamlining workflows, and solutions for addressing common pre-award challenges. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to research administration, this session will empower you to contribute effectively to your institution's research success.

Content level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the Pre-Award Process: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the steps involved in the pre-award phase, including research, proposal writing, and submission procedures.
2. Evaluate and Improve Processes: Understand how to assess the success of pre-award activities and continuously improve strategies for future proposals.

Track: Pre-Award 

Speaker(s): Makeda Porter-Carr, Associate Director, The University of Memphis 

This session will provide an in-depth look at the legal and regulatory landscape shaping research in 2025. The presentation will analyze recent Administration actions and court decisions impacting federal research funding and administration, including rulings on intellectual property, data privacy, and compliance with grant terms. It will also examine evolving policies from agencies like the NIH and USAID, focusing on issues such as terminations of funding, foreign influence, research security, and AI governance. We will explore how these legal developments affect research institutions and individual researchers, focusing on practical implications and risk mitigation strategies.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Identify and summarize key legal trends and court decisions impacting federal research funding and administration.
2. Understand the implications of evolving policies from agencies like NIH and USAID on research practices.
3. Apply best practices to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations in research settings.
4. Develop strategies to mitigate legal risks associated with research activities, including issues related to funding termination, data privacy, intellectual property, and research security.

Speaker(s): J. Michael Slocum, President, Slocum & Boddie, PC 

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-III)**

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-VI)**

RCR education for certain types of NIH awards and for all of NSF awards has been a long standing requirement. PIs and/or institutions were and are responsible to ensure that such a program is in place and completion is monitored. Institutions, however, have a great deal of autonomy and flexibility in designing and implementing such programs which can range from completely on-line to formal classroom experience for credit and everything in between. This session will involve a discussion of the foundation of the RCR requirement, what is exactly required by whom for whom, and range of options at an institution’s disposal for meeting the RCR requirements.

Content level: Intermediate 

Learning objectives: 

1. Understand the foundations of RCR: federal mandates and history
2. Understand the variety of RCR programs and discuss the approach best suited for their institutions based on culture, resources, and other relevant factors.

Track: Compliance and Ethics

Speaker(s): John Baumann, AVC Research Compliance and Integrity, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, University of California San Diego

Sheleza Mohamed, American Heart Association will be presenting on Fundamentals and Approach to Subrecipient Monitoring. Bringing their wealth of knowledge and significant years of experience, the presenters will walk attendees through an overview of subrecipient regulations and lifecycle as a precursor, followed by a deeper dive that explains the determination process, and risk assessment & monitoring plan. Sheleza will conclude with tips and best practices when reviewing your own internal infrastructure.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1. Subrecipient Overview on Regulations & Lifecycle
2. Assess the characteristics that drive Determination
3. Review Risk Assessment & Monitoring Plan

Track: Financial and Cost Accounting

Speaker(s): Sheleza Mohamed, National Director, Government Grants Administration American Heart Association

Networking is essential for building professional relationships, expanding your knowledge, and sharing your expertise. Whether online or in person, the key is to engage early—before you need those connections. Strong networks can help when job searching, tackling challenges, or supporting others in their professional growth.  

In this session, we’ll explore how to leverage your professional brand to grow both your in-person and online network. You'll learn how to use LinkedIn effectively, identify and engage with key initiatives, and strategically plant seeds for future opportunities.

Content level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

Track: Professional Development 

Speaker(s): Saira Valley, Principal Consultant, Valley Consulting Group, LLC, Minessa Konecky, CEO, Research Administration Expert, Minessa.Ink

Research and faculty development centers on activities that build and promote an organization’s research strengths to enhance productivity and external funding. Institutional research development includes broad organizational strategies intended to build institutional capacity for research while faculty development targets an individual's research growth. Faculty development is generally about promoting the professional growth of the individual and his/her research program.

Content level: Basic/Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1. Describe the Role of Research and Faculty Development in Research Administration
2. Navigate the Research Funding Landscape
3. Discuss Methods to Improve Proposal Development and Management
4. Identify Key Resources for Faculty Research Support

Track: Pre-Award

Speaker(s): Toyin Babarinde, Executive Director, Research Development, The Office of Strategic Research Development, Amanda Persons, Director, Mentoring Programs, Office of Faculty Affairs

**Required session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-III)**

Content level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify specific terms that present risks to institutions and sponsors. 
2. How to negotiate problematic terms out of the contract.

Track: Contracts & Law

Speaker(s): Timothy Gehret, Associate Director of Contracts, Georgia State University, Michael Marino, Associate Director, NU-RES Administration, Northeastern University

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-V)**

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Understand the minimum requirements for a compliance program.
2. Understand both conflict of interest and fraud, waste and abuse.

Track: Compliance & Ethics

Speaker(s): Saiqa Anne Qureshi, Adjunct Faculty, Master's Research Administration, Johns Hopkins

Research administrators in a central office often have very different roles than those who are based in the department.  While many of the financial post-award functions are not the responsibility of the central RA, there are still many actions regarding the financial aspects of the award that a central office RA provides.  This session will discuss the separation of departmental and central office RAs and what non-financial post-award activities central RAs perform.   

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives:

1. Gain a better understand the non-financial post-award responsibilities of a central office RA.
2. Increase knowledge of RA roles and possible post-award non-financial best practices.

Track: Financial and Cost Accounting

Speaker(s): Sean Scott, Contract Manager, University of Maryland, College Park, Distinguished Faculty

Conflict is inherent in human interaction, but how we approach it can significantly impact the quality of our relationships and our ability to reach shared objectives. This presentation will provide participants with the key strategies and insights necessary to address conflicts constructively.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1. Recognizing the Stages of Conflict, Understanding Personality Types and Their Role in Conflict.
2. Developing leadership strategies for managing conflict.

Track: Professional Development

Speaker(s): Gloria Greene, AVP Contracts and Grants, Research Compliance, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Distinguished Faculty, Laurel C. Long, Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Alabama in Huntsville

**Required session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-I)**

Leveraging and Optimizing Innovation in the Pre-Award Process focuses on incorporating cutting-edge technologies, creative strategies, and streamlined workflows to improve the efficiency, quality, and competitiveness of research proposals. By utilizing automation tools, data-driven insights, and collaborative platforms, institutions can enhance proposal development, foster cross-departmental collaboration, and reduce administrative overhead. Innovative budgeting solutions, emerging technologies like AI, and tailored, sponsor-specific approaches ensure that proposals meet both the research team's needs and sponsor priorities. This approach not only speeds up the process but also enhances the likelihood of success, fostering a culture of continuous improvement through feedback and adaptation.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives:

1. Understand the role of technology in streamlining the pre-award process, including tools for automation, proposal management, and collaboration.
2. Learn to foster interdisciplinary collaboration between research, finance, and compliance departments to create comprehensive and well-aligned proposals.

Track: Pre-Award

Speaker(s): Makeda Porter-Carr, Associate Director, The University of Memphis 

Learn how to confidently navigate key pre-award systems—Grants.gov, ASSIST, Research.gov, and SciENcv—with high-level tips, updates, and strategies to avoid common pitfalls and streamline proposal preparation from both the department and SPO perspectives.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives: 

1. Understand key features and updates in Grants.gov, ASSIST, Research.gov, and SciENcv.
2. Apply strategies to avoid common pitfalls and streamline proposal prep.

Track: Pre-Award

Speaker(s): Wendy Turner, Assistant Director, Engineering Research Administration Services (ERAS), College of Engineering, THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, Kirsten Sherman-Haynes, Grant and Contract Analyst, Principal, THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

With increasingly rigorous regulations imposed on research institutions and investigators, ensuring integrity and compliance of research conduct has become even more challenging for key players. Scientific findings about cognitively-based compassion training may shed light on new ways research administration may achieve compliance. The speaker will discuss perspectives on the relationship between regulations and compassion, share case studies and anecdotes of practice through compassion training and the application of compassion in professional settings. Through dynamic interactions, the audience could expect to experience a taste of addressing research compliance challenges through cognitively-based compassion trained skills.  Application of these skills have shown promise in overcoming obstacles of communication and management issues, ensuring delivery of quality assurance service, empowering investigators, furthering the desired research outcome, and collectively cultivating a culture of compliance.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1. Identify characteristics of human reactions to “compliance” and the challenges to monitor and maintain compliance.
2. Recognize characteristics and list methods demonstrating that compassion could be practiced and applied to cultivate a culture of compliance in research settings.

Track: Compliance & Ethics

Speaker(s): Niem-Tzu Rebecca Chen, Human Research Protection Senior Analyst & ClinicalTrials.gov Administrator, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

**Required session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-I)**

With the current retention problems and high turnover rates in research administration contributing to higher than ever workloads, veteran RAs can often find themselves falling behind on their reconciliations or RAs will join a team and take over portfolios that have been long neglected and need in-depth clean-up. Post-award crisis management and clean-up is very different from routine reconciling and requires a different approach than standard account maintenance. In this session we will discuss why we are in crisis, specific tools, processes and methods to clean up grants in crisis, and ways to minimize future crises. The goal of the session is to empower RAs to understand that crisis, while a natural part of our industry, can be managed with the right approach!

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1. Attendees will learn tips and tricks for reviewing portfolios that have been unmanaged for a prolonged period of time.
2. We will cover techniques to develop tools that can analyze data and determine what needs to be corrected in the context of the bigger picture. 

Track: Financial and Cost Accounting

Prerequisites: Post-Award experience 

Speaker(s): Saira Valley, Principal Consultant, Valley Consulting Group, LLC, Minessa Konecky, CEO, Research Administration Expert, Minessa.Ink

**Elective session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-E)**

Why is it that even when supposedly fully staffed, our workloads are still so overwhelming? Simply put, because fully staffed is not the same thing as adequately staffed. If there are no vacancies and our employees are still overwhelmed, the problem is rooted in a miscalculation of the number of positions needed to handle the workload in the current environment. Traditional methods of measuring the staffing needs of a department often neglect significant realities around the cognitive nature of the work we do, the amount of non-transactional activities we engage in, and most importantly the high variability of knowledge and experience within the workforce. A more robust and sustainable model of staffing is possible when we start thinking and talking about our profession and the workforce in a more comprehensive, reality-based way. This session presents a bold new way of assessing the needs of research administration offices that will result in more balanced workloads, greater employee retention, and more compliant operations.

Content level: Advanced

Learning objectives:

1. Understand the flaws of traditional practices in estimating workloads and staffing needs.
2. Develop a more comprehensive assessment of the human resources required for a successful unit. 

Track: Professional Development

Speaker(s): Lacey Rhea, Associate Director, Academic Finance & Administration, Duke University, Kathryn Simpson, MPH, CRA, Lead Business Analyst, Grants & Sponsored Programs (GSP), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

**Required session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-II)**

You have been asked to budget for participation  in a clinical trial – what expenses would you include and at what rate? Does it matter if it is federally funded vs. industry, and can you apply the same rate? When should you apply FTE vs. an overall coordinator rate, will the sponsor allow study startup, how do you consider all these costs with current NIH funding levels vs. other CRO limitations.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives:

1. Identifying different types of costs associated with clinical trials.
2. Discussion on various costs associated with clinical trials that are allowable on industry vs. federally funded clinical trials.

Track: Pre-Award

Speaker(s): Linda Dement, Grant and Finance Program Manager, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason

The past few years have ushered in substantial regulatory changes to research security requirements.  As research institutions prepare to comply with previous mandates, how will the new Trump Administration change the calculus?  This session will take a practical approach to understanding new research security requirements, both by (1) looking to the nuts and bolts of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) implementation of National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (requiring more detailed reporting on host of activities and touching on foreign travel and support, among other areas), and (2) digging into enforcement trends by discussing and learning from recent actions involving research security violations and cybersecurity breaches.  The session also will explore expected enforcement and regulatory priorities of the new administration during this complex time for research institutions. 

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1. Develop a greater understanding of the current legal landscape surrounding research security reporting and implementation and what the new regulations mean for compliance programs at their research institutions.
2. Understand the new Trump administration’s expected enforcement and regulatory priorities in the research security and cybersecurity fields.

Track: Contracts & Law

Speaker(s): Mindy Pava, Partner, Feldesman Leifer LLP

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-III)**

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-IV)**

Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-VI)

**Required session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-V)**

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives: 

1. Utilize a decisional framework to effectively convey your COI system requirements to institutional officials and vendors.
2. Leverage peer insights to sidestep change management pitfalls and gain a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and challenges peers have encountered with their systems.

Track: Compliance & Ethics

Speaker(s): Christian LaMantia, President, Research Compliance Counselor, Hope Caldwell, Associate Director of COI, Princeton University, JC Scharf-Deering, Director of COI Office, Case Western Reserve University, Debra Schaller-Demers, Senior Director, Research Integrity and Compliance, New York University, Distinguished Faculty Emeritus

Effort certification policies can vary significantly between institutions, with some operating on a 9-month academic year and others on a 12-month basis. It's crucial to understand your sponsor regulations, as well as your institution's specific policies, as schools and divisions may have different approaches. These policies often navigate away from a rigid 100% effort allocation, accounting for teaching duties and administrative tasks. In this session, we'll delve into the importance and complexities of researcher effort, why it's important (especially for federal awards), and how the research administrator can comply with the continually evolving world of effort requirements.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1,  Participants will understand different institutional approaches to 9 Month and 12 Month appointments and appreciate why we need to certify effort and where the rules come from, including examples of how institutions certify effort and the implications of 100% effort.

2. Takeaway best practices and recommendations for dealing with allocation and certification of effort.

Speaker(s): Jeff Derr, Principal Consultant, Attain Partners

From a research administration managerial position, hiring and training seem to be never-ending. Just like the first few pages of a good book need to hook you to keep you interested, the onboarding and training phase is crucial for your employee's success and retention. We have onboarded and trained over 20 employees with our process of initial ramp-up and building block training style, and we're happy to share our lessons learned with others who may want to replicate the method on their own. Key pieces to our method: meet-and-greets and coffee chats for engagement, using different training tools (pre-recorded videos, shadow sessions) to reduce Zoom fatigue, and building training around the basic concepts first with real production work as soon as possible. 

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

1. Create an onboarding plan.
2. Think about training in the lens of building blocks.

Track: Professional Development

Speaker(s): MaryBeth Spaulding, Associate Director of Pre-Award, Office of Sponsored Programs, University of Virginia, Samantha Bryant, Award Setup Manager, University of Virginia

**Required session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-II)**

Many proposals are viewed as complex. The typical complexities are in the funding mechanism, the sponsoring agencies, multiple components to the budget and award management, terms and conditions, collaborations, and the proposal mechanism itself. In this session, we will dive into several specific complex areas and walk through each scenario. This presentation will have a focus on pre-award with some flare towards post-award.

Content level: Advanced

Learning objectives:

1. What types of proposals are considered complex?  Let's take a deep dive into key scenarios that can take a proposal to the complex level.
2. We'll then take a deeper dive into specific scenarios and walk through how to plan, develop, and coordinate all of the moving pieces.
3. We will share best practices and strategies for staying organized, managing time and deliverables, and keeping your PI on task!

Track: Pre-Award

Prerequisites: At least 2 years of pre-award experience, experience in the research administration profession, and having read various NOFOs from sponsors.

Speaker(s): Betty Morgan, Assistant Director of Post-Award Administration, NCSU, Carly Pigg, Research Financial Analyst, LSU Health School of Medicine, LA CaTS Administrator, LSU Health Sciences Center

Successful contract negotiation isn’t just about holding firm on red lines—it’s about strategic, artful communication that turns obstacles into opportunities. This presentation will explore key techniques for clearly articulating your position, navigating pushback with confidence, and securing buy-in for suggested changes. Learn how to frame negotiations as collaborative problem-solving, use persuasive tactics to align interests, and craft agreements that drive value while protecting key priorities. Whether you're facing tough counteroffers or navigating delicate discussions, this session will equip you with the skills to negotiate with clarity, influence, and success.

Content level: Intermediate 

Learning objectives:

1. State positions constructively.
2. Manage expectations.

Track: Contracts & Law

Speaker(s): Timothy Gehret, Associate Director of Contracts, Georgia State University

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-V)**

Compliance considerations and reviews can impact both a timely submission of an application as well as a timely award set up. The session will look at different types of compliance issues - conflict of interest, conflict of commitment, human/animal subjects and others - and strategies for successful navigation at the time of proposal and award.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives:

1. Learn about the compliance approval requirements throughout the lifecycle of a grant
2.  Explore how to educate researchers and work with funding agencies to ensure that compliance reviews are obtained on-time and do not introduce self-imposed administrative burden

Track: Compliance and Ethics

Speaker(s):

Stacy Pritt, Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief Research Compliance Officer, The Texas A&M University System, Adjunct Professor, The Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology

Debra Schaller-Demers, Senior Director, Research Integrity and Compliance, New York University, Distinguished Faculty Emeritus

Research administrators operate in fast-paced, high-pressure roles that demand extensive knowledge of funding agencies, compliance standards, and evolving regulations. Their daily responsibilities require frequent interaction with multiple stakeholders, which can expose them to workplace challenges such as regressive bullying. Signs of this behavior may include isolation, verbal abuse, excessive criticism, work sabotage, and gossip, all of which can have a profound impact on an individual's well-being and job performance.

Workplace bullying and microaggressions often stem from misunderstandings or biases toward individuals perceived as different, creating distress and uncertainty for those affected. Addressing these issues requires proactive strategies, particularly when managing difficult interactions with colleagues or supervisors. 

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives:

1. This session will provide research administrators with tools to recognize regressive behaviors, workplace bullying, and microaggressions while equipping them with practical approaches to address these challenges.
2. Additionally, managers will gain valuable insights into fostering a healthier work environment by implementing safeguards against negative behaviors and promoting a culture of respect and inclusivity.

Speaker(s): 

Karen Mitchell, Director of Special Projects, Temple University, Nikki Dadurian, Proposal Preparation Specialist, William Marsh Rice University, Rashonda, Harris, Adjunct Faculty Member, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Hospital / Medical Center), Johns Hopkins University, Marcos Garza, Director Finance, Medical Finance, University of Miami

**Elective session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-E)**

A globally competitive national research enterprise requires a support and service infrastructure that includes individuals with specialized skills and knowledge to keep pace with accelerating discovery and innovation. However, this research enterprise faces considerable challenges in building and sustaining workforce, training, and access to support resources.  GRANTED is an NSF initiative that addresses these challenges by empowering the community to design and test new capacity and capability building models. In this session, NSF program directors will share what GRANTED has accomplished and provide advice for preparing competitive proposals. Attendees at this session will learn the GRANTED program’s goals and what types of projects it has funded. We will share examples of successful projects representing a range of award sizes, institution types, and research enterprise sectors to both inspire and help the audience understand the opportunity areas for new GRANTED awards.

Content Level: Basic 

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the GRANTED initiative including the mission, goals, themes, and key sectors of interest.
2. Develop competitive proposals for the GRANTED initiative that have the potential to transform the national research enterprise.

Track: Pre-Award

Speaker(s): Stuart Borrett, Program Director, GRANTED, Office of Integrative Activities, National Science Foundation, Sarah O'Brien, Program Director, GRANTED, Program Director, Research Development, University of Illinois Chicago

This session offers an overview of major federal policy developments affecting federally funded research under the current administration (2025). It will cover cross-cutting issues – from safeguarding research security and addressing foreign influence, to the controversy over DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) mandates, expanding public access to science, elevating climate and health research priorities, and trends in federal compliance enforcement.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Identify key federal initiatives and mandates introduced in recent years (e.g. research security requirements, DEIA in research, open science mandates, climate/health priorities) and explain how the new Administration is upending the management of federally funded research projects.
2. Understand emerging compliance obligations and enforcement trends in research administration, enabling participants to prepare their institutions for heightened oversight in areas like foreign collaborations, data sharing, and ethical conduct. 

Track: Contracts and Law

Speaker(s): J. Michael Slocum, President, Slocum & Boddie, PC, Sandy Justice, Director, Research Development Institute, University of South Florida

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-II)**

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-III)**

Close-out can be challenging in the best of circumstances but is made monumentally more complex for projects with multiple partners, cost-sharing, irregular project periods, unusual terms and conditions, short turn-around times for reporting, and complex billing terms. This session will discuss best practices to help you prepare for close-out and help you to confidently tackle factors that can make close-out more complex. 

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives: 

1. Learn best practices to prepare your project for close-out
2. Learn best practices on how to overcome complexities that can complicate close-out

Track: Financial and Cost Accounting

Speaker(s): Ruth Halsey, Associate Department Manager, University of Michigan

This session will dive into the Uniform Guidance cost principles as it relates to audits. We’ll discuss the internal controls and business processes around allowable costs and what you can do before your auditors walk in the door to make for an easier, or less painful, audit. Lastly, we’ll review real federal audit case studies to strengthen your understanding of how to apply cost principles in an operational setting.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives: 

1. To understand business processes and internal controls that can aide in appropriate costs being charged to sponsored awards (and identifying unallowable costs that may have been charged)
2. To understand the steps you should take to get ready for an audit

Track: Financial and Cost Accounting

Speaker(s): 

Jason Guilbeault, AVP Research, Post Award Contractual Compliance, The Pennsylvania State University

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives: 

1. Think strategically about how to plan for upcoming change.
2. Identify a new communication/outreach method for implementing change.

Track: Professional Development

Speaker(s): MaryBeth Spaulding, Associate Director of Pre-Award, Office of Sponsored Programs, University of Virginia

**Required session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-II)**

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Evaluating your foundation.
2. Developing and deepening your knowledge.
3. Getting out of the rookie state to a SME-RA.
4. Becoming a resource for others.

Track: Professional Development

Speaker(s): Betty Morgan, Assistant Director of Post-Award Administration, NCSU, Lorrie Robbins, Senior Grants & Contracts Manager, Duke University

Intellectual property often becomes a barrier to partnership between universities and industry.  However, a different perspective is that it is a tool that can bring us together in spaces where industry and university need each other to work together.  This session will use an open conversation between leaders of UK Innovate, the innovation and entrepreneurship organization of the University of Kentucky, to tell stories and share best practices that intend to change the perspective of IP – from a contractual provision that creates challenges, to an economic development tool that spurs partnerships.  We will discuss industry alliances, patent licensing, non-patent IP licensing, certification marks, community engagement projects and other mechanisms that create opportunities to be innovative in driving partnerships that can and do lead to industry sponsored research or other sponsored projects that involve industry.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives: 

How to utilize intellectual property as a research partnering incentive and tool, not a contracting barrier

Speaker(s): Ian McClure, Vice President for Innovation, UK HealthCare, Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Impact, UK Research, University of Kentucky, Allison Spurrier, Executive Administrative Assistant, AVPR, UK Innovate, University of Kentucky, Landon Borders, Senior Associate Director, Innovation Economic Development and Industry Partnerships, Executive Director, Innovation Connect, University of Kentucky, Serenity Wright, Senior Associate Director, Social Innovation, University of Kentucky, Eric Hartman, Senior Associate Director, Ecosystem, University of Kentucky, Matt Upton, Director, Technology Commercialization, University of Kentucky,

Required session for Research Law Certificate  (RL-I)

**Elective session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-E)**

It is scientifically and ethically imperative for researchers to understand it is a key commitment to our research participants to report the results of the clinical trials, so that we can advance knowledge, make informed medical decisions about health care, and build trust collectively. This session will discuss the most recent federal mandates, requirements, and enforcement of clinical trials disclosure, as well as updates and best practice identified in the research community. The presenter will share the approach that Rutgers’ Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) has taken to establish a robust program, identify key issues and facilitate investigators to maintain compliance with clinical trials registration and results reporting at their institution. 

Content level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe why clinical trials disclosure matters; list resources to assist investigators in maintaining compliance.
2. Identify how to establish a system in your organization to facilitate and monitor clinical trials registration and results reporting.

Track: Compliance and Ethics

Speaker(s): Niem-Tzu Rebecca Chen, Human Research Protection Senior Analyst & ClinicalTrials.gov Administrator, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Congratulations, the proposal was selected for funding and the notice of award has been received!  This session will be about what happens next.    Among the questions to be explored are: What are the procedures for setting up an award?  Who is responsible for carrying out those processes?  When can I start spending on my award?  How do I set up my subcontracts?  What are some project management tools I can use to manage my award?  All these and more will be discussed in this interactive session. 

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Participants will be able to list at least three processes essential for award set up
2. Participants will be able to reflect on contextual factors at their own institution by using an award set up checklist

Track: Financial and Cost Accounting

Speaker(s):  Jose Alcaine, Director of Research Services/Affiliate Faculty, Virginia Commonwealth University, Angela Behrend, Sr. Grants Administrator, UVA Office of Sponsored Programs

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Understand the importance of fostering team cohesion in a remote work environment.
2. Learn about UTA’s team building practices and hear from other institutions’ similar activities.

Track: Professional Development

Speaker(s): Wendy Pacheco-Rodriguez, Grants and Contracts Specialist IV, The University of Texas at Arlington, Lacie Harris, Grants and Contracts Specialist II, The University of Texas at Arlington 

**Elective session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-E)**

Basic budgeting is an important skill to have as a Research Administrator as the majority of the budgets we create and implement follow basic guidance and can be pretty easy to follow. What about the budgets that are more advanced? What skills do we need as Research Administrators to conquer the budgets for proposals such as P and U awards? In this session learners will be provided with the following.

Content level: Advanced

Learning objectives: 

1. Learners will be provided with more complicated budget issues that may arise during the development of proposals
2. Learners will be provided with ways to customize their budget process to address the differences in different types of sponsor

Track: Pre-Award

Speaker(s): Carly Pigg, Research Financial Analyst, LSU Health School of Medicine, LA CaTS Administrator, LSU Health Sciences Center

Boston Medical Center (BMC) is the largest safety net hospital in New England and home of the Center for Clinical Research Advancement (CCRA). The BMC CCRA comprises teams responsible for traditional clinical research administration (legal review, budgeting, post-award financial oversight), study team staffing to support high priority trials and under-resourced investigators, and a recently-launched state-of-the-art research facility that houses innovative, high-risk trials in an emergency-ready hospital unit.  This webinar will cover how the 3 units collaborate to maximize efficiency in all elements of study activation, manage liability, and provide the best possible care for BMC’s patients.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives: 

1. Learn how the CCRA at BMC is breaking down traditionally siloed roles and re-defining what a centralized clinical trial model can provide to their research community.
2. Learn how the CCRA’s robust intake process drives efficiency throughout contract and budget negotiations

Speaker(s): Ryan Schroeder, Director of Business Operations, Boston Medical Center, Asa Lopatin, Director of Contracts, Office of Research & Sponsored Programs, Boston Medical Center

**Elective session for Practice of Research Administration and Management Certificate (PRAM-E)**

While federal definitions of research misconduct focus on fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism (FFP), many institutions encounter a broader set of questionable research practices that fall into ethical and procedural gray areas. These include issues such as data manipulation that doesn’t meet the threshold of falsification, inappropriate authorship decisions, unreported conflicts of interest, and noncompliance with approved protocols. This session explores how institutions can recognize, assess, and respond to these behaviors, including determining when they rise to the level of reportable misconduct. Attendees will gain practical strategies for managing investigations, understanding reporting obligations to agencies like ORI and NSF OIG, evaluating funding implications, and deciding when and how to return grant funds. Real-world case studies will be used to illustrate nuanced challenges and institutional risk.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives:

1. Identify behaviors outside of FFP that may constitute research misconduct and understand how to assess their severity and institutional implications.
2. Determine when and to whom misconduct should be reported, including understanding agency-specific thresholds and institutional requirements for documentation and confidentiality.
3. Assess when grant funds may need to be returned due to research misconduct, who should be involved in those decisions, and what institutional risks are at stake.

Speaker(s): Amy Cook, Associate Vice President for Research Operations, Texas Tech University, Dr. Cassidy Street, Director, Human Research Protection Program, Texas Tech University

**Required session for Research Law Certificate (RL-IV)**

This presentation will provide an in-depth look at Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs, essential for maintaining the infrastructure and administrative support necessary for conducting research. We will define F&A costs and explain their importance in research funding.

Additionally, we will provide a high-level overview of the calculation of F&A costs, the data required, and the components involved. By the end of the presentation, participants will have a thorough understanding of F&A costs and their role in supporting research institutions.

We will also cover the historical development of F&A costs, highlighting key milestones and changes in guidelines and regulations established by federal agencies. Participants will learn about the process of negotiating F&A rates with a cognizant federal agency and the current federal climate.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives: 

1. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs, including their definition, significance, and the historical development of guidelines and regulations that govern their recovery.
2. This session will explore how F&A costs support the infrastructure and administrative needs of research institutions, the process of negotiating F&A rates with federal agencies, and the impact of these costs on the sustainability of high-quality research.

Track: Financial and Cost Accounting

Speaker(s): Kari Kelly, Education & Research Director, Huron Consulting Group, Michelle Schardein, Manager, Education & Research Consulting, Huron Consulting Group