Concurrent Sessions

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 9:00 am to 10:15 am

S1: Pre-Award Basics: What You Need to Know

Pre-Award Administration is the initial phase of research administration in supporting faculty with the development and submission of proposals. This session will provide the basic knowledge of the overall pre-award process to prepare and review competitive proposals for submission.

Content Level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

  1. To understand the essential duties of pre-award research administration
  2. Discuss the importance of timely and effective communication with PIs

Speaker(s): Althea Lewis, MBA, Pre-Award Grant Specialist, College of Health and Human Services, University of North Carolina Wilmington

S2: Preparing Faculty to Talk with Program Officers

The difference between successful proposals and a resubmission often hinges upon information that can be gleaned in a phone call or visit with an agency sponsor. Yet it is often difficult to get PIs to make these calls. This session helps administrators prepare for assisting PIs with early sponsor contact, to include preliminary research on the program, potential questions to ask, and what to avoid.

Content level: Basic

Learning objectives:

  1. Critically evaluate programs and identify appropriate questions for sponsors.
  2. Prepare PIs for successful conference calls or visits with sponsors.

Speaker(s): Charna Howson, MA, Director, Sponsored Programs, Appalachian State University

S3: Staying Organized Through the Chaos: How Do Top Leaders Do It?

We all should be leaders as Research Professionals. As a leader, have you ever wondered how top leaders stay organized and calm through the chaos? How do we keep it all together when there are heavy deadlines? How do we stay organized when there are competing priorities? How do we stay mindful and aware to get to the finish line? How do we maintain healthy partnerships through the chaos? How do we build and maintain our research administration competencies while maintaining such a high workload? So glad you asked! This session will give you the tools to have it all!

Content Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identifying what is unimportant chaos and what is controlled chaos
  2. Staying mindful and present through the chaos
  3. Developing a system for organization and staying with the system
  4. Dealing with competing priorities effectively
  5. Building and maintaining healthy partnerships
  6. Building competencies
  7. Turning chaos into a positive

Speaker(s): Betty Morgan, CRA, Research Administration Manager, Office of Sponsored Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill & Lorrie Robbins, CRA, Research Administration Manager, Office of Sponsored Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

S4: AAR 101 - What is Allowable, Allocable and Reasonable

This session provides an introduction or a refresher to the allowable costs, allocable costs and reasonable costs (and aspects) of a sponsored project.

Content Level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

  1. Attendees will be able to define, match, illustrate and summarize the purposes and importance of what is allowable, allocable and reasonable on a federal grant award
  2. Attendees will be able to overcome challenges related to AAR throughout the award life cycle

Speaker(s): Rachel Monteverdi, Higher Education and Leadership Consultant & Sandy Patty, MSM, CRA, Sr. Grants and Contracts Administrator, Department of Medicine, Duke University

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 10:30 am to 11:45 am

S5: Post-Award Basics

This post-award basics session will discuss functions such as account/fund establishment, cost principles,  re-budgeting, and sub recipient monitoring. Topics related to cost sharing, procurement standards, and the closeout process will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand guiding administrative/fiscal principles and regulations related to sponsored awards
  2. Describe typical functions of post-award and be aware of basic processes and requirements

Content Level: Basic

Speaker(s): K.Victoria Ming, R.H.Ed., MS, Research Compliance Officer, Office Sponsored Research and Programs, Campbell University & William Walters, Director of Contracts and Grants, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

S6: Houston, This (NIH) Grant's in Trouble

Can you identify the telltale signs of a gr ant with problems? What do you do when you see them? Reprising a popular past session, National Institute of Health staff are back with new case studies in this interactive session that both illustrates warning signs with research grants in trouble and suggests solutions to correct (or at least mitigate) problems as early as possible. The presenter will describe 8-10 case studies. By using an interactive style of presentation, rather than the presenter just “giving” opinions, the knowledge and experience of the audiences will be used to further flesh out and react to the situations as the presenter guides the audience to possible solutions.

Content Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe situations for a grant that would likely cause problems for the investigators, the institution and the research administrator

  2. Identify responses to correct and/or best handle problem situations

Speaker(s): Rebecca Claycamp, Chief Grants Management Officer, Division of Extramural Activities, Grants Management Branch National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health 

S7: Resourcefulness: Characteristics, Thoughts and Attitudes - What I Can Do to Be More

Resourcefulness = Attitude + Persistence + Creativity

Everyone is capable of exhibiting great creativity and persistence when something is important. But how do we harness the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties? To be successful, you must embody a wide range of characteristics, not only in your personal life but also your professional life. To be resourceful at work you have to adopt a different mind-set - not only a can-do but a will-do attitude, an ability to think way outside the box. This session will discuss the six characteristics of resourceful people, ways to fine tune these characteristics, and tools to help hone your professional resourcefulness to bring about success.

Content Level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

  1. Discuss the six characteristics that naturally help people become more resourceful
  2. Discuss ways to hone resourcefulness and leverage what is at your disposal

Speaker(s): Zarrin T. Brooks, CRA, Grants & Contracts Manager, Duke University

S8: Clinical Research Feasibility Assessment Tools

This session is part of the SRAI Pre-award & CTRA101 Certificates requirements.

Many factors determine the financial and logistical feasibility of clinical research studies. This session provides an overview of standard operating procedure and tools necessary to make this determination, developed from study examples and case studies. Tips on reviewing initial documents such as the proposed contract, sponsor budget, protocol and schedule of events and informed consent in the development and accurate internal cost assessments, budget development and cost benefit analysis will be demonstrated. Vetting and ranking of study trials will be discussed.

Content Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

  1. Review the factors impacting financial feasibility of a clinical research.
  2. Manage the development of internal cost assessments and cost benefit analysis.

Speaker(s): Renee Vaughan, MDiv, MA, CRA, Clinical Research Unit, Financial Practice Manager, Duke University School of Medicine

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 1:45 pm to 3:00 pm

S9: The ABC's of Research Compliance

Utilizing both didactic and narrative formats, the facilitator(s) will introduce research compliance basics to the audience. The session will include a brief overview of the compliance areas as well as practical illustrations of the whys and how-tos of putting compliance into practice.

Content Level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

  1. Learn the areas of research compliance
  2. How to get researchers invested in compliance

Speaker(s): Stephanie Evans, MRE, Research Compliance Officer- IRB Administrator, Office of Research Compliance and Ethics/Division of Research and Economic Development, North Carolina A&T State University

S10: NIH Update

Many factors determine financial and logistical feasibility of clinical research studies. This session provides an overview of standard operating procedure and tools necessary to make this determination, developed from study examples and case studies. Tips on reviewing initial documents such as the proposed contract, sponsor budget, protocol and schedule of events and informed consent in the development and accurate internal cost assessments and cost benefit analysis will be demonstrated. Vetting and ranking of study trials will be discussed.

Content Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

  1. Review the factors impacting financial feasibility of a clinical research.
  2. Manage the development of internal cost assessments and cost benefit analysis.

Speaker(s): Rebecca Claycamp, Chief Grants Management Officer, Division of Extramural Activities, National Institute of Mental Health/National Institutes of Health

S11: An Indirect Cost (IDC) Rate is Born: How Did That Happen

Did you miss the Oscars this year? No worries, join us for ‘An Indirect Cost Rate is Born’. This session will star cost pools, bases and space all in the development of the final act – the indirect (IDC)/facilities and administrative (F&A) rate! We will spend time in this specialized costing world for both short and long form institutions. Please don’t miss this Oscar-winning performance as we enhance your knowledge with this process and entertain your questions – all preparing you to engage back home with your partners in research.

Content Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

After attending this session, participants will:

  • Understand the relationship between Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) and the Indirect Cost (IDC) Rate,
  • More confidently define and identify sponsored award costs as either direct, indirect or unallowable,
  • Be aware of the costing components in the development of an indirect cost rate – including the IDC/facilities and administrative pools, bases and space,
  • Understand the math behind the indirect cost rate,
  • Understand and speak to the importance of the recovery of indirect costs to your organizational partner

Speaker(s): Sharon Brooks, CFRA, CRA, Deputy Director Office of Sponsored Programs, Duke University & Wendy Meister, Senior Director, Huron Consulting Group

S12: Using Grants.gov Workspace

Don’t have an electronic research administration (ERA) system that provides “system-to-system capabilities? Still need to submit federal proposals to multiple federal agencies? Presenters will walk participants through an interactive discussion of the Grants.gov Workspace submission system and a discussion of “special characters,” project and attachment titles, personnel, etc. This session is directed to the intermediate level administrator who may need/elect to submit proposals to any federal agency using Grants.gov Workspace. Presenters will guide attendees through basic information needed to avoid submission errors and successfully submit proposals while providing tips and pointers to enhance the end user’s experience.

Content level: Intermediate

Learning objectives:

  1. Provide an understanding of how Grants.gov Workspace can be used on your campus, assigning the correct roles to ensure successful proposal submissions.
  2. Discuss identification of funding opportunity announcements and how to complete application packages to prevent errors from happening at proposal submission time.
  3. Develop a better understanding of use of "special characters," project/attachment files

Speaker(s): Charna Howson, MA, Director, Sponsored Programs, Appalachian State University

Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 3:15 pm to 4:30 pm

S13: Uniform Guidance: The "Nuts and Bolts"

This session is part of the SRAI NIH Fundamentals, Financial Management & IRAM Certificates requirements.

This session offers a lively discussion of the Uniform Guidance, the over-arching regulation governing federal grant administration.

Content Level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

  1. Attendees will learn about the origins and structure of the Uniform Guidance document
  2. Attendees will have an overview of the content of the regulation

Speaker(s): Amy Roberts, Associate Controller - Special Funds, Appalachian State University

S14: NSH Update

This session will cover new developments at the National Science Foundation (NSF) - programs, policies, people and budgets. NSF staff will provide a comprehensive review of what is new and developing at NSF. Participants will learn about current and future NSF budgets, agency priorities and involvement in electronic initiatives, including advances with proposal submission modernization and Research.gov. Participants will learn about the upcoming changes to NSF policies and procedures including the implementation of NSF's new sexual harassment term and condition.

Content Level: Basic

Speaker(s): Jeremy A. Leffler, Outreach Specialist, Policy Officer, National Science Foundation

S15: So Your Researcher Has IP - What Is That? And Should You Be Worried?

What is IP? What can you do to help a researcher protect their potentially valuable invention? When and why does a funding agency care about new IP? (And does that differ if you have a contract vs a grant?) Come join Laura Collins, the patent agent at N.C. A&T State University, to discuss the basics of IP protection, the risks & rewards of grant proposals from an IP perspective and the requirements of Bayh Dole regulations.

Content Level: Basic

Learning Objectives:

  1. Attendees will be better prepared to help researchers understand when they should talk to their tech transfer office, even at the proposal stage of their research
  2. Attendees will learn when new IP might require a report of an invention to a funding agency and other particulars of Bayh Dole requirements

Speaker(s): Laura Collins, Ph.D., Director of Intellectual Property Development, North Carolina A&T State University

S16: Centralized versus Decentralized Enterprises - Making the Call

This session will discuss the process for determining if your institutions should be a centralized or decentralized research administration enterprise.

Content Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand what a centralized and decentralized research administration enterprise is
  2. Have a process for determining which is best for your enterprise

Speaker(s): Tim Linker, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Administration, North Carolina A&T State University & Sherrie Settle, Director of Sponsored Programs, North Carolina State University

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