Concurrent Sessions

Friday, July 12, 2019 - 9:00 am to 10:00 am

S1A: Subrecipient Monitoring: Pre- & Post-Award Requirements Plus Panel Discussion

This session will cover the roles and responsibilities of organizations that pass-through federal funds to sub-recipients and outline best practices. All sub-recipients, regardless of award size must be monitored under Subpart D of the Uniform Guidance. A pass-thru entity should assess the risk of a sub-recipient’s noncompliance with federal statues, regulations and the terms and conditions of the subaward at the outset of the relationship and at least annually afterward. This session will discuss both pass-thru responsibilities and risk assessments of a pass-thru entity.

Content Level: Beginner

Learning Objectives:

  • Understanding the pass-thru entity responsibilities
  • Risk assessments of a pass-thru entity

Speaker(s): Steve Parker, CPRA, Certified Contract Specialist, The University of Alabama in Huntsville; Brandon Strickland, JD, Director of Sponsored Projects and Contract Officer, university of South Alabama

S1B: Recently Released OIG Audit Reports: A Synopsis

This session will present a summary of recently released audit findings from NSF, HHS and other major federal agencies. The session will primarily focus on educational institution findings, but it is also important to know about some of the other major findings that have fiscal, criminal and civil implications. We will talk about what led to these findings and how to prevent and manage the associated risk.

Content Level: Advanced

Learning Objectives:

  • To be able to mitigate and apply lessons learned from recent audit findings to an individual’s home organization
  • To remain current on risk issues that are at the forefront of our profession

Speaker(s): Gloria Greene, MA, CRA, Director, Office of Sponsored Programs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville

Friday, July 12, 2019 - 10:15 am to 11:15 am

S2A: Funding Information: How to Find It and Get it to Those Who Need It

This session will visit sources of information about funding opportunities, methods of obtaining information and the use of multiple, varied methods of delivering it to the specific faculty/staff who need it. Topics will include: sourcing information via sponsor websites and funding databases, analyzing solicitations to determine their usefulness, taking advantage of automated information delivery, determining what faculty/staff need and ensuring that the practices used are effective.

In addition to proficiency with database keyword searches and knowledge of agency/institutional sources for notifications of funding opportunities, it falls to investigators and support staff to identify strategic targets of opportunity. Part two of this session will discuss how to identify and maximize opportunities by being well-versed in agency and administrative priorities and by leveraging expertise and capacities to meet those specific priorities.

Content Level: Beginner

Learning Objectives:

  • Gain exposure to specific sources of funding information and different methods of gathering it
  • Learn multiple methods of distributing information and targeting specific information to the group sand individuals who can benefit from it
  • Consider ways of learning what information their clients need and evaluating which means of distributing information are most effective
  • Learn how to help position your Pis to be competitive for various opportunities by digging deeper into the “why” aspect
  • Increase understanding of how federal (and other) agencies determine funding priorities, who are the beneficiaries and why it matters and how to assist investigators in translating their research goals into the existing structures for funding

 Content Level: Beginner

Speaker(s): Syd Conner, Information Specialist, The University of Southern Mississippi; Stephanie Hyche, Associate Director, Sponsored Programs, Mississippi State University

S2B: “But we’ve never had this problem with other Universities”: A Round Table Discussion and Comparison of Common Contract Issues & Negotiation Strategies

Content Level: Advanced

Speaker(s): Darren May, JD, Assistant Director Office of Sponsored Programs, Auburn University; Brandon Strickland, JD, Director of Sponsored Projects and Contract Officer, University of South Alabama; Gloria Greene, MA, CRA, Director Office of Sponsored Programs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville; Marcia Landen, Associate Vice President for Research, The University of Southern Mississippi

Friday, July 12, 2019 - 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

S3A: Bridging the Gap: Departmental Research Administrators

This session will cover how to utilize Departmental Research Administrators to assist in streamlining pre- and post-award processes for grants and contracts for both Central Research Administrators and Principal Investigators. Using Departmental Research Administrators can help reduce the administrative burden for the central office and allow more time for higher level monitoring while knowing the departmental level tasks are being managed at the local level.

Content Level: Beginner

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify research administration related needs of the PI from the PI perspective
  • Identify potential areas for improvement of research administration across the central, departmental and PI levels to streamline processes

Speaker(s): Amanda Seymour, Director, SOSE Finance Administration, The University of Southern Mississippi; Leila Hamdan, PhD, Associate Professor Division of Coastal Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi

S3B: Best Practices for Effective Leadership (Panel Discussion)

The most effective leaders are professional students. They are endlessly seeking understanding of causes and effects, and how operations can be optimized and help shape their organization and maximize the best their staff has to offer. Leadership can be learned and practiced just like any other business skill set. The panel discussion focuses on best practices for management and leadership, by looking at what works and does not work well for them as leaders within their respective organizations. We will discuss topics such as:

  • Leadership style
  • How management style impacts teamwork
  • Do you have a team or players on the team?
  • Differences between Management and Leadership

Content Level: Advanced

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand “management” in an organizational context and their relevant functions
  • Understand “leadership” and its role in an organizational context

Speaker(s): Gloria Greene, MA, CRA, Director Office of Sponsored Programs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville; Gina Hedberg, Executive Director, Office of Sponsored Projects Administration, The University of South Alabama; Marcia Landen, Associate Vice President for Research, The University of Southern Mississippi

Friday, July 12, 2019 - 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm

S4A: Case Study: Auburn University COMPASS, A Campus-Wide Research Administration Certificate Program

Content Level: Beginner

Speaker(s): Amy Thomas, JD, Specialist III, Contracts and Grants, Auburn University; Georgetta Dennis, CRA, CPRA, CFRA, Accountant III, Auburn University

S4B: IRB: Ethical Principles and Federal Regulations

The purpose of this session is to explain the three core ethical principles underlying Institutional Review Board (IRB) review of human subjects research and the discuss how these principles are reflected in the federal regulatory requirements known as the “Common Rule.” A substantial revision to the Common Rule went into effect on January 21, and this session will help participants understand those revisions and their relevance for research administrators.

Content Level: Advanced

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand core three ethical principles underlying IRB review
  • Understand the significance of revisions to the federal common rule for research administrators

Speaker(s): Samuel Bruton, Ph.D., Director, Office of Research Integrity, University of Southern Mississippi; Jennifer Downey, MA, CIP, Special Assistant to the Vice President for Research, University of Southern Mississippi

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