
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
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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
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- Research at Princeton
- Departments
- Contacts
- Roles & Responsibilities
- University Divisions
- Pre- and Post-Award Tasks
- Resources & Rate Sheet
- Indirect Cost Rates
- Fringe Rates
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- 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
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- 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
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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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- 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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- 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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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
- Who they are and what they do:
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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?
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- What is a subaward/subcontract
- Pre-Award Process
- Post-Award Process
- Subaward Monitoring
- Subaward Invoices
- Subaward Closeout
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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
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.
