Administrator Research Certification (ARC)

The Administrator Research Certification (ARC) is a program created to provide professional development to individuals new or interested in a career in sponsored research administration (maximum of 2 - 3 years of experience, or new to Princeton). ARC will ensure that even more seasoned administrators will find the investment in these sessions worthwhile. While priority will be given to applicants with early career knowledge, the program will be open to all interested parties.

Program Participation Requirements:

Access to Prime Information Warehouse reports
Princeton ERA (Princeton's internal proposal routing system)
Microsoft Teams (will be added to an ARC chat upon program acceptance)
Attend at least 90% of a single class to receive credit
Camera must be on for a majority of a class
Complete post-class surveys (with the exception of three (3))
Complete all CORE classes + a minimum of three (3) electives

Core Course Descriptions

Orientation - Key Concepts to Research Administration (1 hour)

This mandatory first session will introduce participants to each other, as well as to the program teachers and subject matter experts.

Overview of class schedule
Expectations
Software requirements
Module overview
Q & A

Introduction to Research Administration (1 hour)

Research at Princeton
Departments
Contacts
Roles & Responsibilities
University Divisions
Pre- and Post-Award Tasks
Resources & Rate Sheet
Indirect Cost Rates
Fringe Rates

Pre-Award Administration (2 hours)

Initiating Conversations with your Principal Investigator
Organizing & Planning
Sponsors & their Priorities
Call for Proposals
Gathering Information
Documents & Certifications
Collaborators/Subawards
Special Considerations by Sponsor Type

Budgeting (2 hours)

What is a Sponsored Budget
Preparing for budget development
Understanding sponsor guidelines for budgets
Entering a budget(s) into Princeton ERA
- Multiple PI proposals
- Fabrications
- Subawards
- Participant Support Costs
Cost Principles
Allowable costs vs Unallowable costs
Federal vs. Non-Federal Budgets
Indirect Cost vs Direct Costs
Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) vs Total Direct Costs (TDC)
On-Campus vs Off-Campus
Cost-Sharing
Minimum Principal Investigator Effort
Rate Sheet
Budget Justifications

Personnel (1.5 hours)

Faculty - various ranks, teaching & research time
Postdoctoral Researchers - types & considerations
Graduate Students
Other Types of Personnel
Other Significant Contributor (NIH)
Administrative Support
Soft vs. Hard money positions
Senior/Key Personnel & what it means
Personnel tab in ERA - 3.a. & 3.b.

Post-Award Financial Administration [Part 1 & Part 2] (Sponsored Research Administration) (1.25 hours each)

Working with Sponsored Research Accounting
SRA Analyst
Key Roles & Responsibilities
Invoicing & Billing - Federally Approved Accounting System
SF425 & Other Sponsor Requested Reports
Stakeholders
Financial Reports
Cost Allowability
Tracking Costs
Journals & Cost-Transfer Justifications

LAB

Running & Reading Reports
Scheduling Reports
Creating a journal
Completing a cost-transfer justification
Viewing invoices

Post-Award Non-Financial Administration (2 hours)

Notice of Award
Understanding budgeting costs
Federal vs. non-federal sponsor requirements
Post-award request routing
- ORPA Post-Award Request (OPAR)
  - NCE's - considerations
  - Re-budget - Budget Distribution Spreadsheet
  - Transfers (in and out of Princeton)
  - Advanced Spending
  - Unbudgeted Equipment Purchases
  - Change of PI
  - Reduction in Effort
Expanded Authority - Matrix

LAB

Budget Distribution Spreadsheet
Initiate Requests in Sponsor Portals
Reading Sponsor Guidelines for Requests
Checking award balances / end dates
Subscribing to report

Research Integrity & Compliance (1.5 hours)

Lead by our team in Research Integrity & Compliance, this session will provide a comprehensive overview of managing human subjects, animals and bio-hazardous materials on research projects.

Who they are and what they do:
- IACUC - animal research
- IRB - human subjects
- IBC - biohazard materials
CITI Training requirements

Export Control - Research Security (1 hour)

Existing Intro to Export Control sessions are offered throughout the year - participants will sign-up and attend one of these existing sessions.

What is Export Control?
- Types of Exports
- International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
- Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
- Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulations (OFAC)
Fundamental Research
Technology Control Plan
When may I run into issues?
- International Travel
- Carrying Equipment
- Consequences
Who do I contact and when?

Subawards (1.5 hours)

What is a subaward/subcontract
Pre-Award Process
Post-Award Process
Subaward Monitoring
Subaward Invoices
Subaward Closeout

Effort Commitment (1.5 hours)

This session will cover important concepts around managing Principal Investigator effort commitments across sponsored projects.

Defining effort & total professional effort
Committed effort
Multiple ways to commit effort
Minimum effort requirements
How to best track committed effort
Documenting effort on Current & Pending (Other) Support documents

Elective Courses

Contracts & Agreements
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation
Non-Federal Sponsors
Other Federal Sponsors
Non-Federal Sponsors
Excel for Grants Managers
NEW: Sponsored Project Reports & Projections

Questions regarding the program can be sent to Courtney Kohut, Assistant Director, at: [email protected].

ARC Documents

Fall 2025 - ARC Application
(Application window closes August 1, 2025)

2025 - 2026 Class Schedule - Coming Soon

Upcoming Classes

New Schedule for Fall 2025 Coming Soon

Program Details

The Administrator Research Certification program consists of 13 core classes and three (3) required electives out of eight (8) different options.

The full program launched in October 2023 and has evolved into a full professional development initiative.

Each cohort kicks-off with an Orientation, providing an opportunity to introduce each participant to the curriculum, each other and expectations.

Classes are tailored to performing the fundamentals of research administration while navigating Princeton systems, considering both sponsor and University policies and procedures. Each class is designed to assist in building a solid research administration foundation that can easily expand, allowing elevated research administrative support within their roles at Princeton and beyond.

Certification Requirements & Time Commitment

Each class will be approximately 60 - 120 minutes with both virtual and in-person options. Some classes will require pre-class assignments and/or homework.

Participants will have the ability to complete the certification program in as little as 12 months, and may take up to 24 months (no sessions during the summer) based on schedule flexibility and job workload. The total in-class time commitment will be approximately 17 hours for the core classes and three (3) hours for the three (3) electives courses.

In order to receive full class credits, a participant must attend at least 90% of a single class and for virtual sessions the camera must be on for a majority of the session. If a camera is off for the duration of the class, no credit can be given.

After each class, participants will receive a copy of the class slides, along with a survey and any applicable homework assignment. Credit for the class cannot be given when the related survey and/or homework are not completed.

Space will be limited to each class so please ensure classes are cancelled in advance if unable to attend. Two late cancellations/no-shows will result in being asked to join the next cohort.

Full requirements for class credit are included on the application form.

Collaborating Offices & Groups

The Administrator Research Certification program is a collaborative effort across a variety of offices and groups at Princeton. The following will teach segments or provide content in the program:

Office of the Dean of the Faculty (ODOF)
Graduate School (DGS)
Human Resources (HR)
Office of Audit and Compliance (OAC)
Research & Project Administration (ORPA)
Research Integrity & Assurance (RIA)
Sponsored Research Accounting (SRA)
Campus Grants Managers
….and more!

Steering Committee

Steering committee meetings are held every few months in support of the curriculum and advancement of the ARC program.