RESEARCHER FEST WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
1. Pre-Award Research Administration
8:30am–4:45pm (includes lunch)
This workshop will provide a one-day immersion into the basic issues and functions of a pre-award office. Topics include relationships with PIs, identifying and disseminating funding opportunities; facilitating collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts; assisting with proposal development, review, approval and submission of proposals; reviewing, interpreting, negotiating and celebrating new awards; and a basic terminology/acronym overview. Particular emphasis will be placed on the importance of preparing and/or approving a "good budget" from the perspective of the PI, the peer reviewers, and regulatory officials. The faculty is committed to equipping attendees with knowledge, reliable reference resources, and an understanding of how to build a professional network to preserve your sanity. Interactive teaching methods will be interspersed throughout the day to solidify important concepts.
Learning Objectives:
· Participants will learn about the universal roles, responsibilities, and professional values of pre-award research administration.
· Participants will be able to prepare a standard budget with costs appropriate to a project, and be able to distinguish allowable and unallowable costs, as well as
direct and indirect (facilities and administrative) costs.
· Participants will know how to access tools available to assist with funding opportunity dissemination, proposal preparation, and electronic submission.
Beth Seaton, Director of Research Administration, McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science, Northwestern University
Diane Barrett, Senior Research Administration Consultant, rSmart Systems
Susan Morris, Senior Research Administrator, Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science, Northwestern University
This workshop will provide a one-day immersion into the basic issues and functions of a pre-award office. Topics include relationships with PIs, identifying and disseminating funding opportunities; facilitating collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts; assisting with proposal development, review, approval and submission of proposals; reviewing, interpreting, negotiating and celebrating new awards; and a basic terminology/acronym overview. Particular emphasis will be placed on the importance of preparing and/or approving a "good budget" from the perspective of the PI, the peer reviewers, and regulatory officials. The faculty is committed to equipping attendees with knowledge, reliable reference resources, and an understanding of how to build a professional network to preserve your sanity. Interactive teaching methods will be interspersed throughout the day to solidify important concepts.
Learning Objectives:
· Participants will learn about the universal roles, responsibilities, and professional values of pre-award research administration.
· Participants will be able to prepare a standard budget with costs appropriate to a project, and be able to distinguish allowable and unallowable costs, as well as
direct and indirect (facilities and administrative) costs.
· Participants will know how to access tools available to assist with funding opportunity dissemination, proposal preparation, and electronic submission.
Beth Seaton, Director of Research Administration, McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science, Northwestern University
Diane Barrett, Senior Research Administration Consultant, rSmart Systems
Susan Morris, Senior Research Administrator, Department of Biomedical Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science, Northwestern University
2. Post-Award Basics Through Case Studies
8:30am–12:00pm (includes lunch)
New to Sponsored Projects Administration? Don’t know where to start looking for answers? This workshop is for you! Individuals involved in sponsored projects administration face many challenges: becoming knowledgeable about federal regulations and individual agency requirements, providing assistance to faculty, gathering information, administration of awards, and many other tasks. Using real-life scenarios, the purpose of this post-award workshop is to introduce the various aspects involved in sponsored projects administration, including award management, direct costs and F&A costs, cost transfers, financial reporting, close-outs, audits, and the always-popular topic of effort reporting.
Learning Objectives:
· Learn basic concepts of post-award administration.
· Understand the policies and procedures for managing sponsored projects.
· Identify source material and useful references for managing sponsored projects.
· Learn to identify areas of compliance risk.
Bonniejean Zitske, Managing Officer, Non-Federal Post-Award, Research and Sponsored Programs, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jim Maus, Senior Research Administrator, Infectious Diseases/Internal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis
David Lynch, Executive Director, Office for Sponsored Research, Northwestern University
New to Sponsored Projects Administration? Don’t know where to start looking for answers? This workshop is for you! Individuals involved in sponsored projects administration face many challenges: becoming knowledgeable about federal regulations and individual agency requirements, providing assistance to faculty, gathering information, administration of awards, and many other tasks. Using real-life scenarios, the purpose of this post-award workshop is to introduce the various aspects involved in sponsored projects administration, including award management, direct costs and F&A costs, cost transfers, financial reporting, close-outs, audits, and the always-popular topic of effort reporting.
Learning Objectives:
· Learn basic concepts of post-award administration.
· Understand the policies and procedures for managing sponsored projects.
· Identify source material and useful references for managing sponsored projects.
· Learn to identify areas of compliance risk.
Bonniejean Zitske, Managing Officer, Non-Federal Post-Award, Research and Sponsored Programs, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jim Maus, Senior Research Administrator, Infectious Diseases/Internal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis
David Lynch, Executive Director, Office for Sponsored Research, Northwestern University
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4. Audits - Ready, Set, Go ... What Did We Learn From the Last Audit Cycle and How Do We Prepare for the Next one?
8:30am–12:00pm (includes lunch)
What does the word “audit” imply? In higher education, we generally define it as the OMB-A-133 Audit or the Single Audit; however, we are subject to an array of areas that require and/or are subject to audits. There are various types of audits such as Financial Audits; Programmatic Audits; Compliance Audits; Desk Audits; Internal Control Audits; Program-Specific Audits; Investigative Audits (OIG), and, of course, OMB A-133 Compliance Audit. There are also various areas that are subject to audits such as Proposals; Expenditures; Activities; Reports; Data; and Effort and Cost Sharing. What are these audits and who conducts them and why? How do we prepare for these audits and what lessons can be learned from them? This workshop will address different types of audits, what conditions may determine whether a specific type of audit is required and what the protocols are, and how audit findings are addressed and remedied.
Jamie Szabo, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, University of Missouri
Jennifer Duncan, Director, Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, University of Missouri
What does the word “audit” imply? In higher education, we generally define it as the OMB-A-133 Audit or the Single Audit; however, we are subject to an array of areas that require and/or are subject to audits. There are various types of audits such as Financial Audits; Programmatic Audits; Compliance Audits; Desk Audits; Internal Control Audits; Program-Specific Audits; Investigative Audits (OIG), and, of course, OMB A-133 Compliance Audit. There are also various areas that are subject to audits such as Proposals; Expenditures; Activities; Reports; Data; and Effort and Cost Sharing. What are these audits and who conducts them and why? How do we prepare for these audits and what lessons can be learned from them? This workshop will address different types of audits, what conditions may determine whether a specific type of audit is required and what the protocols are, and how audit findings are addressed and remedied.
Jamie Szabo, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, University of Missouri
Jennifer Duncan, Director, Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, University of Missouri
5. Acting Bigger: How a Small Grants Office Can be as Effectve as a Large One1:15pm-4:45pm (lunch not included)
This interactive workshop will help established directors and staff of small grants offices (1-3 persons) develop the perspective, skills, techniques, and ways of working that can help them be as effective as large grants offices with many staff. Facilitators will employ organizational theory to explain the context of small offices, help participants identify and rank the priorities for their offices, navigate multiple and conflicting lines of responsibility, build internal and external linkages, do their jobs effectively, and still have a life. Bill Campbell, Director (Emeritus) of Grants & Research, University of Wisconsin-River Falls John Falconer, Director, Office of Sponsored Programs, University of Nebraska at Kearney Denise Ehlen, Director, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater |
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6. Department Research Administration: The Circus Comes to Town
1:15pm–4:45pm (lunch not included)
In a way, faculty are like circus performers--they are constantly juggling multiple balls at a time and spinning plates on a stick just to keep their labs operating--and department research administrators are in the business of helping faculty keep their plates in the air. Unfortunately, sometimes those plates start to wobble and become our issue of the day, and the amazing thing is that these wobbles can happen anytime during a funded project. Sometimes trying to remember the right way to help the show go on, let alone remember how you did it last time, is next to impossible.
This half-day workshop will use case situations (some hypothetical and some not!) to delve into key areas of a typical DRA: supporting faculty, handling the life cycle of a grant, financial issues (allowable costs, monthly reconciliation, and cost sharing), and human resource challenges, as well as introduce concepts of record retention, effort reporting, and institutional impacts along the way. The session will be highly interactive and is intended to review/build on fundamental knowledge of federal rules and regulations, provide tools for handling common issues, and identify strategies for supporting your faculty in today’s regulatory and financial climate. Welcome to the circus!
Heather Offhaus, Director of Grants Review & Analysis, School of Medicine, University of Michigan
Craig Reynolds, Chief Department Administrator, Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan
In a way, faculty are like circus performers--they are constantly juggling multiple balls at a time and spinning plates on a stick just to keep their labs operating--and department research administrators are in the business of helping faculty keep their plates in the air. Unfortunately, sometimes those plates start to wobble and become our issue of the day, and the amazing thing is that these wobbles can happen anytime during a funded project. Sometimes trying to remember the right way to help the show go on, let alone remember how you did it last time, is next to impossible.
This half-day workshop will use case situations (some hypothetical and some not!) to delve into key areas of a typical DRA: supporting faculty, handling the life cycle of a grant, financial issues (allowable costs, monthly reconciliation, and cost sharing), and human resource challenges, as well as introduce concepts of record retention, effort reporting, and institutional impacts along the way. The session will be highly interactive and is intended to review/build on fundamental knowledge of federal rules and regulations, provide tools for handling common issues, and identify strategies for supporting your faculty in today’s regulatory and financial climate. Welcome to the circus!
Heather Offhaus, Director of Grants Review & Analysis, School of Medicine, University of Michigan
Craig Reynolds, Chief Department Administrator, Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan
1:15pm–4:45pm (lunch not included)
Most everyone involved in preparing a proposal knows the importance of following instructions; however, what separates good proposals from great proposals is the way that the individual parts come together to tell the persuasive story of a project that deserves funding. This half-day workshop will cover strategies for getting started, the key elements of a proposal, and tips and tricks for creating a cohesive proposal. Whether you are new to grant writing and need ideas on how to secure internal buy-in for a project idea, or a seasoned veteran who is looking for ways to decipher increasingly complicated evaluation plan requirements, this workshop will provide best practices from abstract-to-appendices. Participants will learn strategies for: · Moving from idea conception to draft creation · Applying basic elements of persuasion to proposal writing · Creating a budget and budget narrative that complement the narrative · Making common forms and appendix requests part of the story · Putting all of the pieces together in a way that targets the sponsor’s priorities Julia Rodriguez, Grants and Contracts Administrator, University of Missouri-Columbia Kelly Ball-Stahl, Grant Writer, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College |
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8. Effective Presentations FREE! FREE! FREE!
1:15pm–4:45pm (lunch not included)
As an administrative professional and an NCURA member, you may be often called upon to explain issues surrounding sponsored research and the administration of grants and contracts. The purpose of this workshop is to give some insights into effective presentation styles, techniques and technology. The session will also explore the complexities of team presentations, particularly those that involve colleagues from other institutions.
Learning Objective:
· Participants will develop a fundamental understanding of adult learning styles.
Jeffrey Ritchie, Director of Sponsored Programs, Lewis University
As an administrative professional and an NCURA member, you may be often called upon to explain issues surrounding sponsored research and the administration of grants and contracts. The purpose of this workshop is to give some insights into effective presentation styles, techniques and technology. The session will also explore the complexities of team presentations, particularly those that involve colleagues from other institutions.
Learning Objective:
· Participants will develop a fundamental understanding of adult learning styles.
Jeffrey Ritchie, Director of Sponsored Programs, Lewis University