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NCURA Region II Spring Meeting

Buffalo, NY, April 21-24, 2013

Angela Sgroi Director, Academic Grants and Sponsored Research The College of New Jersey asgroi@tcnj.edu Ruth Tallman Director, Office of Research Administration and Advancement University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science rtallman@umces.edu

NCURA Region II Spring Meeting

Buffalo, NY, April 21-24, 2013

SESSION OBJECTIVES

Recognizing that Structuring/Restructuring a PUI RA Office is an overwhelming task, we hope this short session will give you tools and ideas to help you to:

• identify the range and scope of functions that can be

undertaken as part of a RA Office;

• evaluate your institution’s culture;
• establish a mission and goals for YOUR RA Office

that reflect YOUR institutional goals

SESSION OBJECTIVES,

continued

• identify RA Office challenges unique to most PUIs;
• Pre-Award Services: facilitating the proposal process
• Post-Award Services: providing proactive service to PI’s
• Compliance: assessing the risks
• establish priorities with the help of a risk assessment

analysis

SESSION OBJECTIVES,

continued

• identify a few broad key areas of RA office function that can be

targeted to help overcome some of the most common and/or most pernicious challenges PUIs face;

• Assess your resources and think about assets within your

institution

• share ideas for best practices in meeting those challenges.

WHO ARE WE?

• Who are we as an institution and how does that shape what we

do as a RA office? How does it define the kinds of research and sponsored programs we tend to have at this institution and how a RA office needs to interact with its people?

• Who are our faculty members? Who are our students? What is

important for their work and their learning that an RA office can contribute to?

• Who are the administrative, faculty, and staff people across the

campus whose work includes some RA functions and/or who can use RA support?

WHAT IS RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION?

• What is the mission of your office?
• A former mentor said “The first goal of an Office of

Sponsored Programs is to provide consistency, control and protection to the institution.” * *Herbert “Chuck” Chermside, resadm-l, 8/12/2004

WHAT IS RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION? continued

• What special challenges do RA offices at PUIs face?
• What will I make RA at my college/university?
• What shape will it take--pre-award, post award, research

compliance (all or only some), public funders, private funders, joint w/ development?

WHAT IS RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION?

continued

• What does NCURA say it is? (See NCURA Scope and

Standard for Peer Reviewed Sponsored Projects Organizations handout)

WHAT IS RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION? continued

Chuck Chermside sums it up best for us: “So, underlying all you do, are the principles of protecting the institution and of service to the researchers….But be sure the way you do it is perceived by most...as service/assistance rather than bureaucracy/roadblocks. Good Luck!! Chuck”* *Herbert “Chuck” Chermside, resadm-l, 8/12/2004

WHEN WILL I EVER GET ALL OF THIS PUT TOGETHER?

• Prioritize – risk assessment tools
• Identify general key areas that must be addressed first

(e.g.. Compliance)

• How much of the activities can be accomplished at the PI

level or by other units on campus?

• How much can be assumed by your office?

Common Broad Areas for PUIs to Address

• Compliance
• Research compliance (IRB, IACUC, FCOI, RCR, HIPAA,

etc.)

• Fiscal compliance (OMB Circulars, other endless

federal/state regulations)

Common Broad Areas for PUIs to Address, continued

• Development of a grantsmanship culture
• Continually encouraging and supporting increased

grantsmanship;

• assisting in development and/or enhancement of a research

culture

Common Broad Areas for PUIs to Address, continued

• Other?

HOW ? POW! POW! THIS IS THE QUESTION OF QUESTIONS!

HOW ? continued

• Establish an advisory committee
• Survey
• Define current roles and responsibilities
• Who is performing specific tasks now?
• Develop a matrix of roles and responsibilities
• Meet regularly with all the players
• Revisit Roles and Responsibilities periodically

HOW ? continued

Policy Development

• One step at a time based on priorities
• Don’t do it in a vacuum – form a working group, solicit

advice from advisory committee

• Each policy comes with clear procedures
• Implement guidelines when a policy can be avoided

HOW ? continued

Website and Tools

• Keep it simple and easy to update
• Provide lots of templates and forms
• Make sure tools are used consistently
• Institutional information - find and grab
• Who to Contact Information
• Links to Agencies

HOW ? continued

Building Trust and Cooperation

• Meet frequently with all the players
• Discuss one aspect of compliance at each meeting
• Listen to war stories, brainstorm solutions
• Effective Communication
• Take the time to phone or stop by
• Training, Training, Training

HOW ? continued

• Are you small in a big town? Consider collaborating

with other institutions such as to use their IRB or IACUC

• r to share the cost of a license for service for funding
• pportunities.
• Use technology whenever you can!

Resources

• Network like crazy. Ask everyone you know how they do certain
• things. We can start that discussion right in this session with some

ideas we present and by asking participants to share their best ideas and best practices.

• RESADM-L@hrinet.org
• Beg, steal, and borrow like crazy from your RA colleagues. See what

works for you.

• Try to attend NCURA meetings and conferences for best practices,

hands on advice, etc.

GIVE YOURSELF A HUG!