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.
Core Course Descriptions
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Introduction to Research Administration
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- Research at Princeton
- Departments: ORPA | SRA | F & T | RIA | CEFR
- Contacts
- Roles
- Divisions I, II, III & IV
- Pre- and Post-award Tasks
- Systems
- Resources & Rate Sheet
- Indirect Cost Rates
- Fringe Rates
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Pre-Award Fundamentals + Lab
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- Proposal Preparation
- Notifying your Grant & Contract Administrator
- Sponsors & Portals - Logging in & Accounts
- Reading an RFP/FOA/Solicitation/NOFO
- Initiating an ERA Proposal Record - short title
- Principal Investigator Qualification Chart
- Gathering Information
- PI Assurances & Certifications
- Current & Pending (Other) Support | Biographical Sketch
- Collaborators/Subawards - domestic & foreign
LAB I:
- Creating an ERA FP Record
- Adding Sponsor Information
- Is this a system-to-system
- Adding personnel
- Uploading initial information
- Naming records & attachments
- Initiating a proposal in sponsor proposals (as applicable)
- Routing certs & compliance questions
- COI Disclosures / CITI Training
- Reading an RFP/NOFO
- Sending a checklist to PI
- Commitment Letters
- Requesting budget details / start date / PI effort information
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Budgeting + Lab
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- Gathering budget information
- Entering a budget(s) into ERA
- Multiple PI's
- Fabrications
- Subawards
- Participant Support Costs
- F & A Rates
- MTDC vs TDC
- Cost-share
- Effort
- Budget Justification building
LAB
- Adding a budget
- Creating multiple budgets & why
- Adding personnel
- Effort & Salary
- Various Facilities & Administrative Cost considerations
- Using available tools
- Escalation
- Summer Salary
- Post-docs
- Sponsor budget templates
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Personnel
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- 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.
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Post-Award Financial Administration [Part 1 & Part 2] (Sponsored Research Administration) + Lab
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- 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
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Post-Award Administration + Lab
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- 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
- ORPA Post-Award Request (OPAR)
- 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
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Research Integrity & Compliance
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- Departments - Who they are and what they do:
- RIA
- IACUC
- IRB
- IBC
- COI Disclosures
- CITI Training
- Departments - Who they are and what they do:
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Export Control - Research Security
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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?
- What is Export Control?
Elective Courses
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Effort Commitment
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Subawards
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ERA Agreements
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National Institutes of Health
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National Science Foundation
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Non-Federal Sponsors
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Disclosure Integrity
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Questions regarding the program can be sent to Courtney Kohut, Training Manager, at: [email protected].
ARC Documents
Spring 2024 - ARC Application
(Closes February 28, 2025)
Upcoming Classes
September 2024
12: Orientation: 9 - 10 a.m.
20: Intro to Research Administration: 9 - 10 a.m.
24: ELECTIVE: National Science Foundation: 2 - 3 p.m.
26: Research Integrity & Assurance: 10 - 11 a.m.
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 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 - 90 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.
Participation Requirements
- Submit an application and obtain supervisor approval (as well as Department Manager/Center Manager approval) as outlined on the application.
- Must attend all core + 3 elective classes within 24 months
- Must have the ability to have their camera on for at least 90% of the class
- Must attend the majority of the class - less than 75% attendance will require the class to be repeated.
- Complete any applicable pre- and post-class work.
- Complete all surveys - an exemption will be given at the end of the program to three surveys.
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.
