Education

Annual Chapter Meeting

Education

Join the conversation with your peers, recognized experts and industry leaders for valuable, relevant, invigorating professional development, education and networking.

Friday, August 12 | 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM

S1: Another Brick in the Wall

We might need some education and thought control to learn research administration fundamentals. Interact with others to solve clues, assemble building blocks, and uncover a hidden message.

Content Level: Basic

Speaker(s):
Brianna Galli, Research Administrator Intermediate, The University of Michigan

S2: Preparing NIH F31 and F32 Proposal Applications

Have a graduate student or a postdoctoral fellow contact you about NIH F31 or F32 application? Need a booster to replenish your knowledge on NIH Fellowships? Say no more! This presentation will equip you with necessary forms, guides, and steps to provide the highest level of research administration support. We will start with reviewing funding opportunity announcements, budgets, dive into a checklist and review the NIH guide for NIH specific instructions. Come join for a fun refresher course!

Content Level: Intermediate

Speaker(s):
Ekaterina Bethke, Research Administrator Intermediate, The University of Michigan

Friday, August 12 | 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM


S3: Managing Staff Workload and Work Life Balances for Success: 9 Years and Running, No Casualties

Prior to 2020, employees stayed in bad work situations because they didn’t have any other options because you’re the only university/RA jobs in town. It’s not hard to understand why employees want to leave a job, but what makes them stay in post-pandemic world where you can now work for almost any institution across the nation from their own home. In over 9-years of continually managing staff members at Oakland University, the University of Kentucky, and now at Michigan State University, the only staff member who’s ever left under my watch was a planned retirement 6-months overdue from before I even arrived.

This session explores understanding the workload and work life balances and how to manage each individual to your vision of success while exceeding their own measure of success. With the fundamental basic understanding of how people work psychologically, you can understand what the path is to bring out the best in each person, how to assign work based on their strengths, build them up into leaders, and to understand how to find/retain the best staff members possible. The final section of the session will explore recognizing when it’s beyond saving and to know how to guide staff members into their next new job, out the door and somewhere else before you need to go through the lengthy and painstaking process of HR actions.

Content Level: Basic

Speaker(s):
Alex Delavan, Director Division of Engineering Research, Michigan State University

S4: Does the Shoe Fit

Clinical Research can be lucrative, but sometimes we are blinded by the money and not focused on the true rationale. I will discuss how to read through all of the sponsor's paperwork to determine if it's both fiscally sound as well as maintaining the integrity for your patient-subjects.


Content Level: Basic

Speaker(s):
Jason Claes, Oncology Research Manager, TriHealth, Inc.

Friday, August 12 | 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM


S5: Navigating Through the Collaborative Journey in the World of Proposals

Research Administration (RA) presents many challenges for all parties involved and the relationships that guide us on the path to successful proposal submission are crucial. As the field of RA is evolving and every proposal is unique, communication between the department and central offices are essential. Led by both a department and central office administrator, we invite you to join us as we focus on tips and tricks that we’ve found to be beneficial in navigating through the proposal world.


Content Level: Basic

Speaker(s):
Sarah Grubb, Sponsored Programs Administrator III, Michigan State University
Courtney Peatross, Research Administrator III, Michigan State University

S6: A "Go-To" Guide for Managing Sub-Award Relationships with Community-based Organizations

Competitive and impactful federal grant submissions need to include collaborations with community-based organizations—but many of these organizations have limited experience managing federal funding and navigating the complexities of working with research universities. This presentation will share overall approaches, successes,and challenges of the presenter's collaborations with community-based organizations through the pre- and post-award life cycle of external grant funding. Participants will learn strategies, best practices, and tips for successfully working with community organizations—from engaging them in the grant submission to managing them in federal awards. Participants will leave with a framework for ensuring successful inclusion of community partner organizations in their own grant portfolios.


Content Level: Intermediate

Speaker(s):
Nicolas Prieur, Research Administration Senior Manager, The Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan

Friday, August 12 | 2:45 PM - 3:30 PM


S7: From MRI Scans to Cell Regeneration: Managing a Recharge Facility

This session will include a case study and will discuss the basics of a recharge account, including setting up the account, tracking expenses and usage, understanding the accounting, and external user implications.


Content Level: Intermediate

Speaker(s):
Ruth Halsey, Administrative Manager, Human Genetics, The University of Michigan

S8: Successfully Communicating with Program Officers

Do program officers want to talk to your PI’s? Yes they do. How then should a PI contact a program officer? When is the best time to contact them? What should they say? Learn how to help your faculty make positive contacts with funding agencies and program officers.


Content Level: Basic

Speaker(s):
Denise Wheatley, Associate Director, Research and Sponsored Programs
Rachel Zapf, Research Program Officer, Western Michigan University

Friday, August 12 | 3:45 PM - 4:30 PM


S9: Remote Work Arrangements & Training

This session will review the rapid transition to remote work necessitated by COVID-19 restrictions, positive and negative effects of remote work, and the future of Research Administration as a remote-friendly profession. We will cover topics including training and on-boarding new staff, team dynamics, staff satisfaction, productivity, and stakeholder service. This session will provide open discussion for participants to share their institution’s policies on remote work.


Content Level: Basic

Speaker(s):
Jourden VanArsdall, Research Administrator II, Michigan State University
Theresa Couch, Research Administration Manager, Michigan State University

S10: Research Security & International Engagements

Federal agencies continue to prioritize research security. This topic impacts the work that we do related to other/current & pending support, conflicts of interest/commitment, etc. Though the conversation between agencies and research institutions has evolved, the entirety of what research institutions must do is not crystal clear. This session will review the background of research security issues, explore institutional responses and approaches, and examine tools/resources available to RAs.


Content Level: Intermediate

Speaker(s):
David Mulder, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs, The University of Michigan