A couple of weeks ago I asked a question about formal training programs in
grants administration for PIs and other involved in preaward, postaward, and
compliance areas. Note that we're not talking about proposal writing; it's
the fiscal and legal components I wanted to know about.

The responses I got were pretty interesting. Research administrators from
about ten institutions responded with information about their training
programs (summary follows), and about another dozen responded with comments
that they're thinking of doing something more formal. It seems that training
is becoming a necessity at our institutions. My thanks go to everyone who
responded.

Continuing this discussion about what works, what doesn't, and what our
institutions, PIs, and sponsors need from training programs would be very
valuable. Post away.

Responding institutions that have training programs:

Purdue: annual, half-day sessions for new faculty. Not mandatory. IACUC/Lab
Animal program does a mandatory, annual training session for new staff and
grad students involved with vertebrate animals.

Harvard (medical school): developed a mandatory training program for
administrators that ran from 10/98 through 3/99. Created an extensive
manual, tested and certified participants. Currently considering ways to
keep employees updated and how to train new employees without such a formal
process.

Thomas Jefferson University: has a required training program for grant
managers, which will be incorporated into their new researcher orientation.
Conducts monthly brown bag lunches on topics PIs have identified. Graduate
school teaches a course called "research administration."

Penn State: Has an extensive research workshop series. Programs are not
mandatory, but some colleges/supervisors make them mandatory for their own
staff. Also has an "administrative committee on research" that includes all
the research coordinators campuswide; current information, policies, etc.
are discussed routinely. Check their website at
http://www.rtto.psu.edu/toolbox/workshop.htm

University of Washington: has mandatory faculty training. Faculty must
attend within two months of receiving their first grant and every three
years after that. It's a two-hour course taught by preaward, postaward, and
internal audit staff.

Cal Poly: new faculty have an orientation meeting after award of their first
grant or contract. Thinking about providing more extensive training in
common trouble spots (subcontracting, indirect costs, PI responsibilities)

Arizona State University: Three programs--one for faculty and two for
administrative staff, none are required. See website
http://researchnet.asu.edu/resources/training_workshops.html

Children's Hospital, Cincinnati: Half-day budgeting basics workshop for
administrators, focusing on NIH. Has not been mandatory, but all
administrators have attended. Working on something similar for faculty. They
also occasional hold information sessions on topics of interest, such as the
NIH modular grant changes.

Marcia M. Landen
Director, Sponsored Program Development
Sponsored Research Services
Bryan Hall Room 1
107 S. Indiana Avenue
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
812-855-0516 (voice)
812-855-9943 (fax)
xxxxxx@indiana.edu

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