1. Overview of Sponsored Awards Management

• Instructors:  Jim Dromazos, Robin Riglin, Jason Guilbeault, and Sheila Vrana 
• Appreciate the important role research administrators play at Penn State
• Understand the lifecycle of sponsored research
• Gain awareness of the roles different offices play in supporting research administration
• Gain familiarity with some of the basic vocabulary and resources
• Introduction to RA at Hershey and ARL

2. Proposal Preparation

• Instructors: Christy Shaw, Danielle Salerno, and Derondah Booth
• Create proposals using processing basics per University and Sponsor guidelines
• Locate and interpret agency guidelines
• Identify University requirements for proposal submission
• Discussion of the changes to proposal preparation that have occurred with the move to electronic submissions

3. Budgeting I

• Instructors: Diane Rudy, Jenna Neff, Jennifer Lear, and Mark Williams 
• Describe the importance of an accurate budget in a grant or contract proposal
• Apply basic proposal and award budget/cost criteria from the Uniform Guidance
•  Define and understand basic budget terms
• Understand and apply budget principles and calculations
• Configure and calculate a budget in the context of a hypothetical proposal

4. Budgeting II

• Instructors: Diane Rudy, Jenna Neff, Jennifer Lear, and Mark Williams 
• Utilize basic budget building concepts, while integrating advanced budgeting skills
• Identify and understand components of multitask budgets, subcontracts and cost sharing
• Reconfigure a basic budget to include advanced budget concepts and recalculate budget categories
• Distinguish between different types of sponsors and their various requirements and restrictions

5. eRA Systems

• Instructors: Jessica Hoyt, and Niki Page
• Overview of Electronic Research Administrative systems (external and internal to PSU)
• Introduction to NSF Fastlane (class participation on Government submission site)
• Introduction to grants.gov
• Overview of PSU SIMSbudgets, Cayuse, and myResearch Portal
• Gain awareness of the important role eRA has had in reshaping the research community at PSU and nationally

6. Conflict of Interest & Intellectual Property

• Instructors: Brad Swope, Melissa Long, and Jessica Hoffman
• Explain why a submission to the appropriate compliance committee is important
• Advise researchers on the required submission process
• Inform researchers about issues that can affect the status of their research budget
• Define the various types of conflicts of interest and detail the mandated disclosure process, management plans, and annual reporting requirements
• Intellectual Property: Determine who owns IP developed at Penn State
• Identify IP language in research agreements that would be problematic to Penn State
• Explain to researchers how the OTM can help them manage research inventions and materials
• Advise faculty about what is protected by copyright and how to copyright their own work

7. Research Protections

• Instructors: Jenn Stewart, and Katherine Bode-Lang
• Explain what is covered by Penn State’s research misconduct policy and outline the steps in the process
• Define the terminology associated with research
• Identify and describe good data management practices
• Human subject research (IRB)
• Animal subject research (IACUC)
• Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
• Unmanned Aircraft (UA) – Drones Operations

8. Research Security (Export and Data)

• Instructors: Christian K Wakamiya, Melissa Brannen, Mike Tocimak, and Tara Wood (Observer)
• Learn how to handle:
  • Publication Restrictions
  • Export Control Regulations
  • Foreign National Restrictions
  • Proprietary Information
• Learn how to identify the risks
• Learn how to collect relevant information

9. Soft Skills of Research Administration

• Instructors: Debra Thurley, Jenifer Hoffman, and John Hanold 
• Working with difficult colleagues
• Critical conversations with PI’s, Supervisors
• Professional development opportunities for career advancement in Research Administration

10. Federal Contracting and Negotiation

• Instructors: Jill Brasher, Tom Brydebell, and Justin Whitmer
• Understanding the differences between federal grants and federal contracts
• Learning how to administer federal grants and contracts

11. Non-Federal Contracting and Negotiation

• Instructors: Adam McDowell, and Sarah Kronenwetter
• Working with the Commonwealth and the Master Agreement
• Working with private industry and foundations
• Confidential Disclosure Agreements and Material Transfer Agreements

12. Understanding the Uniform Guidance

• Instructors:  Erlee Meyers, Garth Gregor, and Jane Prestash
• Differentiate between direct costs and indirect (Facilities and Administrative) costs
• Identify and minimize potential costs questioned and related audit risks with respect to sponsored programs
• Administer Uniform Guidance
• Describe relationship between Uniform Guidance and University policies and procedures

13. Personnel and Labor Rules

• Instructors: Steve Koths, Tana McGhee Wegner, Kim Schaeffer, and Tiffany Cunningham
• Understand the different types of personnel assignments used by the University
• Understand the principles and demonstrate the application of pay and effort in accordance with University policy and federal regulations
• Apply fringe benefit rates to different personnel classes
• Identify resources and tools available for making effective personnel and effort decisions

14. Procurement, Travel, and Equipment Policies

• Instructors: Earl Moore, Lisa Steinbugl, and Scott Cingle
• Select and implement appropriate procurement methods for making purchases
•  Differences between purchased services, consulting, and subcontracting
•  Help ensure compliance with the University travel policy
•  Follow policies and procedures regarding equipment

15. Advanced Project Management

• Instructor: Justin Whitmer, Nicole Sharkey, Karen Little, and Jennifer Taylor-Hillebrand
• Management of subawards and subcontracts
• Transferring PIs in and out of the University
• Post-award management of cost-sharing

16. Account Management I

• Instructors: Matt Beissel, and Nicole Wolfe
• Fundamental principles of research accounting
•  What role does Research Accounting serve
•  How do grants administration and research accounting interact; who is responsible for what tasks?
•  Setting up accounts in Simba
• Checklist for setting up award accounts
•  Setting up accounts for pre-award costs

17. Account Management II

• Instructors: Crystal Kachik, Kelsey Bennet, Matt Beissel, and Nicole Wolfe
• Transactions
• Cost share
• Invoicing
• Financial Reporting
• Manage restricted accounts in Simba
•  Resources for tracking PI spending
•  Finalize the financial aspects of the project
•  Closeout the account in Simba