Professional Development Opportunities in Research Administration: Local, Regional and National

1. Professional Development Opportunities in Research Administration: Local, Regional and National John Hanold Lisa Hipple September 5, 2012 1

2. Additional Resources: www.research.psu.edu/osp 2

3. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • Administrative Committee on Research (ACOR) is the principal vehicle for distributing information and training opportunities to research administrators at Penn State. • The ACOR Executive Committee is a small group that discusses policy issues and helps set the agenda for ACOR meetings and events. 3

4. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • Full ACOR meetings are held three times per year. All research administrators at Penn State are encouraged to attend in person or to participate online. (See here for the full meeting schedule.) 4

5. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • ACOR holds an Annual Retreat each year, which is an excellent opportunity for research administrators to learn more about areas of special interest to them. • (You are currently attending one of these.) 5

6. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • ACOR also supports Research Administration Working Groups (RAWGs), which allow for smaller group discussions among research administration peers. 6

7. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • The ACOR Fellows Program provides a small number of individuals each fall with an opportunity to visit various administrative offices throughout Penn State in order to exchange best practices and identify potential process improvements. Please contact acor@psu.edu for more information. 7

8. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • The ACOR listserve is used to distribute information regarding: • Rate changes • Updates to PSU policies and practices • Updates to federal and sponsor-specific regulations • Professional development opportunities • Contact JoAnn Parsons to sign up for the ACOR listserve. 8

9. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • The ACOR Certification and Education Series (ACES) is a one-year course offering an in depth overview of proposal preparation, budget building, contract negotiation, compliance, and financial management. 9

10. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • The Office of the Corporate Controller provides a number of training tools for Penn State's financial officers and post-award research administrators. • The Controller’s office also hosts Financial Research Administration Working Group (FRAWG) meetings to focus on post-award compliance issues. 10

11. Internal Professional Development Opportunities • The Office for Research Protections offers training opportunities for staff and faculty working with animal subjects, human participants, and hazardous materials. 11

12. External Professional Development Opportunities • Research Administrators can demonstrate their breadth of knowledge and experience by taking the Certified Research Administrator (CRA) exam. This credential can be maintained by participating in ongoing professional development activities. 12

13. External Professional Development Opportunities • National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) is one of the leading professional development organizations for research administrators in the U.S. 13

14. External Professional Development Opportunities • NCURA's educational programs include • an Annual Meeting, • a Financial Research Administration Conference, • a Pre-Award Research Administration Conference, • and various other educational offerings, including traveling workshops and online resources. 14

15. External Professional Development Opportunities • Penn State also participates in NCURA's Region II, which hosts conferences in the Mid-Atlantic Region. 15

16. External Professional Development Opportunities • The Society of Research Administrators (SRA) offers conferences and other training opportunities for research administrators at universities, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations. In addition to SRA's Annual Meeting, Penn State research administrators have participated in SRA Allegheny Regional Meetings. 16

17. Additional Resources • The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)  provides training opportunities and guidance documents for technology transfer professionals. 17

18. Additional Resources • The Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) is an association of research universities based in Washington, D.C., interfacing with federal agencies on behalf of the research community and engaging in detailed analysis of policy and regulatory developments. Much of their analysis and recommendations can be found on the COGR website. 18

19. Additional Resources • The Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) consists of a large number of research universities and federal agencies. The mission of FDP is to foster a dialogue about how to streamline interactions between universities and the federal government. 19

20. Additional Resources • The University Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP) brings together representatives from universities and industries to discuss ways of improving and increasing interactions. For example, UIDP has been working to develop standard templates for industry-university research agreements. 20

21. Additional Resources: www.research.psu.edu/osp 21

22. What else can we do for you? • Are there other resources we should add to the website? • What additional training would you like to see made available? • Is there a need for a follow-up to the ACES program? • How much demand would there be? • What content is most needed? 22