Class Descriptions
1. Overview of Sponsored Awards Management
- Appreciate the important role research administrators play at Penn State
- Understand the lifecycle of sponsored research
- Gain awareness of the roles different offices play in supporting research administration
- Gain familiarity with some of the basic vocabulary and resources
- Introduction to RA at Hershey and ARL
2. Proposal Preparation
- Create proposals using processing basics per University and Sponsor guidelines
- Locate and interpret agency guidelines
- Identify University requirements for proposal submission
- Discussion of the changes to proposal preparation that have occurred with the move to electronic submissions
3. Budgeting I
- Describe the importance of an accurate budget in a grant or contract proposal
- Apply basic proposal and award budget/cost criteria from the Uniform Guidance
- Define and understand basic budget terms
- Understand and apply budget principles and calculations
- Configure and calculate a budget in the context of a hypothetical proposal
4. Budgeting II
- Utilize basic budget building concepts, while integrating advanced budgeting skills
- Identify and understand components of multitask budgets, subcontracts and cost sharing
- Reconfigure a basic budget to include advanced budget concepts and recalculate budget categories
- Distinguish between different types of sponsors and their various requirements and restrictions
5. eRA Systems
- Overview of Electronic Research Administrative systems (external and internal to PSU)
- Introduction to NSF Fastlane (class participation on Government submission site)
- Introduction to grants.gov
- Overview of PSU SIMSbudgets, Cayuse, and myResearch Portal
- Gain awareness of the important role eRA has had in reshaping the research community at PSU and nationally
6. Conflict of Interest & Intellectual Property
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Explain why a submission to the appropriate compliance committee is important
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Advise researchers on the required submission process
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Inform researchers about issues that can affect the status of their research budget
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Define the various types of conflicts of interest and detail the mandated disclosure process, management plans, and annual reporting requirements
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Intellectual Property: Determine who owns IP developed at Penn State
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Identify IP language in research agreements that would be problematic to Penn State
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Explain to researchers how the OTM can help them manage research inventions and materials
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Advise faculty about what is protected by copyright and how to copyright their own work
7. Research Protections
- Explain what is covered by Penn State's research misconduct policy and outline the steps in the process
- Define the terminology associated with research
- Identify and describe good data management practices
- Human subject research (IRB)
- Animal subject research (IACUC)
- Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
- Unmanned Aircraft (UA) - Drones Operations
8. Research Security (Export and Data)
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Learn how to handle:
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Publication Restrictions
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Export Control Regulations
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Foreign National Restrictions
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Proprietary Information
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Learn how to identify the risks
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Learn how to collect relevant information
9. Soft Skills of Research Administration
- Working with difficult colleagues
- Critical conversations with PI's, Supervisors
- Professional development opportunities for career advancement in Research Administration
10. Contracting and Negotiation I
- Understanding the differences between federal grants and federal contracts
- Learning how to administer federal grants and contracts
11. Contracting and Negotiation II
- Working with the Commonwealth and the Master Agreement
- Working with private industry and foundations
- Confidential Disclosure Agreements and Material Transfer Agreements
12. Understanding the Uniform Guidance
- Differentiate between direct costs and indirect (Facilities and Administrative) costs
- Identify and minimize potential costs questioned and related audit risks with respect to sponsored programs
- Administer Uniform Guidance
- Describe relationship between Uniform Guidance and University policies and procedures
13. Personnel and Labor Rules
- Understand the different types of personnel assignments used by the University
- Understand the principles and demonstrate the application of pay and effort in accordance with University policy and federal regulations
- Apply fringe benefit rates to different personnel classes
- Identify resources and tools available for making effective personnel and effort decisions
14. Procurement, Travel, and Equipment Policies
- Select and implement appropriate procurement methods for making purchases
- Differences between purchased services, consulting, and subcontracting
- Help ensure compliance with the University travel policy
- Follow policies and procedures regarding equipment
15. Account Management
- Fundamental principles of research accounting
- What role does Research Accounting serve
- How do grants administration and research accounting interact; who is responsible for what tasks?
- Setting up accounts in Simba
- Checklist for setting up award accounts
- Setting up accounts for pre-award costs
- Manage restricted accounts in Simba
- Resources for tracking PI spending
- The kinds of reports that CAN be generated
- Finalize the financial aspects of the project
- Closeout the account in Simba
16. Advanced Project Management
- Management of subawards and subcontracts
- Transferring PIs in and out of the University
- Post-award management of cost-sharing