Steve --
One thing that you can do, if the training is reasonably broad, is to add
to any internal certification the opportunity to sit for the CRA
exam.  This is a bonus thing that will certify their expertise to a
national standard.

In my experience, institutional training with some kind of certificate can
be narrow or broad.  Depends what your internal expectations and subject
coverage is.  However, several institutions have suggested that, after
getting the internal training, the group -- with or without a mentor --
expand training and study together until they feel they have covered RACC's
Body of Knowledge.  Then they should take the RACC review, and sit for the
exam a few months later.

If you want to know more, contact me directly.

Chuck

At 11:26 AM 11/12/2004, you wrote:
>Dear Colleagues:
>
>We are currently revising and updating our programs for training of
>research administrators across our university system.  As a part of that
>revision, we are anticipating offering an institutional certificate in
>research administration based on satisfactory completion of the
>training.
>
>The issue is that most certificate programs imply that those who reach
>the certification level will be "rewarded" for their efforts.
>
>If you have a RA training program which leads to an
>institutionally-awarded certificate, do you have a "reward" mechanism(s)
>and how is it administered?  Who covers the costs of such rewards?
>
>Thanks for your input,
>
>Steve Etheredge
>
>
>R. Steven Etheredge
>Director, Pre-Award Services
>Sponsored Awards Management
>University of South Carolina
>(803) 777-4457
>(803) 777-4136 fax
>xxxxxx@gwm.sc.edu
>
>
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Herbert "Chuck" Chermside, CRA
Executive Director, RACC
1915 Robindale Rd.
Richmond, VA 23235-3931
804-320-5502
xxxxxx@verizon.net

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