Research Administration Overview and Research in a Regulatory Environment (eCourse + Workshop)
Topic Category: Foundational
Who this workshop is intended for: New RAs (either new to the job or new to the university), and other staff that are interested in possibly becoming an RA.
Part 1: Prerequisite eCourses:
1. Research Administration Overview (eCourse)
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize the roles and responsibilities of key players in Research Administration
- Identify and locate the campus offices and their policies, procedures, and forms regarding pre and post award grants management
- Recall the various campus systems and their uses regarding award administration
- Identify the steps of the lifecycle of an award; starting with how the proposal submission process is initiated, and ending at grant closeout
2. Research in a Regulatory Environment (eCourse)
Learning Objectives:
- Understand why the University enforces federal regulations in research funding and name direct consequences of non-compliance
- Define the Federal and University guidelines involved in Contracts & Grants management
- Define the criteria for an allowable expense on Federal and non-Federal awards
- Explain Delegation of Authority - Recognize that there are various types of funding mechanisms and agreements
Part 2: Research Administration Overview and Research in a Regulatory Environment (Workshop)
Synopsis: A 3-hour introductory workshop that supplements the (2) Prerequisite eCourses (referenced above) by reviewing topics from the eCourse, and further expands on the topics covered in the eCourses through discussions and exercises.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize the roles and responsibilities of key players in Research Administration
- Identify the various campus offices and their responsibilities regarding pre- and post-award management
- Identify the steps of an award lifecycle
- Recall the various campus systems and their uses regarding award administration
- Understand there are regulations in research and name direct consequences of non-compliance
- Define the Federal and University guidelines involved in Contracts & Grants management
- Determine if an expense is allowable on Federal and non-Federal awards
- Explain delegation of authority as it relates to the University
Additional Resources:
Sponsored Projects Office "New to Contracts and Grants?"
- Contract and Grants Accounting "Roles & Responsibilities"
- Sponsored Projects Office "Policies"
- Sponsored Projects Office "Procedures"
- Sponsored Projects Offices "Compliance and Administration"
- Business Contracts and Brand Projection "Contracting at Berkeley"
Customer Service for the RA (Workshop)
Topic Category: Foundational
Who this workshop is intended for: New RAs (either new to the job or new to the university), experienced RAs, and other staff that are interested in possibly becoming an RA.
Synopsis: Research administrators strive to provide excellent customer service by helping their PI navigate the bureaucratic and administrative landscape to smooth the fiscal and administrative aspects of their research. This 3-hour soft skills workshop covers essential customer service and workplace communication techniques, with a special emphasis on understanding different types of Business Chemistry (personality/behavior style within the business context) and utilizing the 4 step consultative dialogue strategy when working with PIs.
Learning Objectives:
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Identify the primary and secondary customers of a Research Administrator
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Recognize what it means to provide stellar customer service
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Understand the 4 types of Business Chemistry
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Utilize Consultative Dialogue Strategies when working with our customers
Budget Development Basics (eCourse + workshop)
Who this workshop is intended for: New RAs or RAs with minimal pre-award experience, and other staff that are interested in possibly becoming an RA.
Part 1: Prerequisite - Budget Development Basics eCourse
Synopsis: This eCourse will cover the fundamental concepts, best practices, and terminologies you will see when developing budget as part of research administration at UC Berkeley. *This class is a prerequisite to the "Budget Development" workshop.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze a sponsor’s Solicitation/Request for Proposals
- Apply the relevant federal, state and university policies to a proposal budget
- Locate the resources for compiling budgets
- Covered the various budget categories
- Understand indirect cost rates and policies - Budget Justifications
Part 2: Budget Development (workshop)
Synopsis: This 3-hour Excel-based workshop supplements the prerequisite eCourse Budget Development Basics (referenced above), and guides participants through how to create a proposal budget and narrative justification that is compliant with sponsor restrictions and consistent with University HR policies. Participants will learn to build budgets from scratch, as well as by using the BRS templates.
Learning Objective: Create a proposal budget from scratch, as well as by using the BRS templates.
Additional Resources:
- Sponsored Projects Office "Proposal Budget Basics"
- Sponsored Projects Office "Facilities and Administrative Rates"
Fund Accounting (eCourse)
Topic Category: Foundational
Who this workshop is intended for: New RAs or RAs with little post-award experience, and other staff that are interested in possibly becoming an RA.
Synopsis: A 1-hour introductory online accounting workshop that covers general fund accounting concepts, the types of campus funds that RAs manage, the UC chartstring structure, and an introduction to expense transfers.
Learning Objectives:
- Name the basic objectives of fund accounting
- Define basic research accounting terms
- Recognize and label the basic fund groups, including sponsored and non-sponsored funds
- Locate the chart of accounts and identify appropriate accounts for specific transactions
- Record appropriate credit and debit entries in various fund accounting transactions
Additional Resources:
