Research Administration Certification Program

Course Description
The Research Administration Certification Program (RACP) is an online training program sponsored by the Division of Research (DOR) for University of Houston (UH) faculty and staff. It is designed to disseminate comprehensive instruction/information pertinent to research administration at UH.

For the participant of RACP, certification will allow him/her to better assist the faculty with departmental research administration. Federal government requirements affecting faculty sponsored projects require knowledgeable research staff to effectively assist UH researchers. The overall goal is excellence in research administration that contributes to the University's Tier One status.

Certification Policy and Requirements
MAPP 08.01.01 (see copy of Policy in Resources folder): Each UH college, department, and unit business administrator must ensure compliance with the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) Guidelines and obtain certification through RACP. OCG will notify principal investigators, department chairs, deans, division heads, and the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of any instances of non-compliance with OCG Guidelines, as appropriate.

Effective FY2013, DOR requires UH staff managing sponsored projects to complete or renew their UH RACP certification every five years in order to maintain the ability to certify research expenditures in their departments.

Course Objectives
The participant will:

• Identify the UH mission with special emphasis on the research mission and experience the academic environment as it relates to research administration.
• Examine the key components of the entire process of sponsored project administration, including pre-award, post-award, and compliance roles.
• Identify the compliance requirements for conducting research involving human and animal subjects, biohazards, conflict of interest, responsible conduct of research, and research misconduct.
• Apply the fundamentals of Export Control, Effort Reporting, and E-Verification.
• Identify the components and information required to develop a competitive proposal as well as how staff can assist their faculty with development and submission of proposals.
• Identify the steps for successful proposal processing and submission.
• Examine the key components and processes of award negotiation and acceptance.
• Apply research administration concepts for effective grant management.
• Apply the fundamentals of the UH closeout policy, cost overruns, and financial reporting for sponsored projects.

Course Structure
An introductory face-to-face meeting of the RACP class will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, in the Rockwell Pavilion of the M.D. Anderson Library. During this event participants will meet the instructors, greet fellow class members, and learn how to access Blackboard, the online course management system through which the RACP course will be delivered. This meeting is mandatory.
Lessons, course materials, and resources will be available only through Blackboard. Through Blackboard, RACP will incorporate diagrams, videos, and other online resources, which allow for the delivery of subject material in a dynamic manner. Course materials will be accessible for self-designated learning and study time, as well as to store, print, and revisit.

Participants will join in interactive online activities, such as discussion boards, during the duration of the module (see schedule below). In addition, there will be an open discussion board throughout the 9-month course.

COURSE SCHEDULE
10/09/2012 Introductory Face-to-Face Meeting (Rockwell Room, M.D. Anderson Library, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.)

The following schedule shows the dates during which each module will be available:
10/10/2012 – 10/28/2012 Module 1: The academic research environment
10/29/2012 – 11/25/2012 Module 2: Sponsored projects overview
11/26/2012 – 12/21/2012 Module 3: Compliance (IRB, IACUC, COI)
12/22/2012 – 01/06/2013 WINTER BREAK
01/07/2013 – 02/03/2013 Module 4: Compliance (export control, effort reporting/other)
02/04/2013 – 03/03/2013 Module 5: Proposal development and processing
03/04/2013 – 03/31/2013 Module 6: Negotiation and acceptance of awards
04/01/2013 – 04/28/2013 Module 7: Award management 1
04/29/2013 – 05/26/2013 Module 8: Award management 2
05/27/2013 – 06/23/2013 Module 9: Closeout and financial reporting
Cut off time for each module is 11:59 P.M. CST on the last day listed above.

Assessment
Grading will be based on the following module requirements:

1. Pre-Tests: At the beginning of each module, a short test of 5 questions will aim to evaluate knowledge of the subject prior to experiencing the module. Full credit will be given upon completion regardless of the number of correct answers.
2. Homework Assignments: Each module will have assignments stemming from case study readings, conducting online research, and/or a hands-on application problem and solution.
3. Module Evaluation Tests: An exam will be administered for the content of each module.
4. Participation: Participation is essential to success in this class. All participants are expected to attend the introductory face-to-face meeting (10/9/2012) and to contribute to discussion boards. OCG staff will facilitate the discussions. The interactions between participants and OCG staff are aimed at enhancing learning beyond the content presented in the modules.

Grading
Final grades will be drawn from the total number of points the participant earns throughout the course for each of the four assessment criteria. The following table lists the requirements (the same for all modules) and their point values.

In order to achieve certification, the student must have 75% or more of the maximum points (i.e. 675 points or more). No exceptions will be made.

Commitment to Integrity - Netiquette
All students in this course (and other UH employees) are expected to maintain a high degree of professionalism, commitment to active learning and participation in this class, and integrity in their behavior in and out of the classroom. Please access the netiquette rules that will be followed in this class from the course Resources list in Blackboard.

Course Activities

1. INTRODUCTORY FACE-TO-FACE MEETING: There will be a mandatory introductory face-to-face meeting of the class. During this meeting, participants will get to know each other and learn how to access the course management system, Blackboard. Each participant will use his/her Blackboard account to login to the course from his/her computer.
2. READING: Required reading materials will be posted on the web and on Blackboard for each module. Reading the OMB Circulars is strongly recommended. Reading materials will be used as a reinforcement or complement to in-class materials. Additional readings will be assigned in each module, where relevant.
3. MODULES can be viewed, stopped, and replayed as many times as needed during the periods of availability.
4. VIDEO CLIPS are incorporated into online material that participants will be instructed to watch.
5. PRE-TEST QUIZ: A pre-test quiz will be given for each module.
6. EMAIL/COLLABORATION: Participants are encouraged to communicate and collaborate with their classmates.
7. MODULE EVALUATION TESTS: There will be an exam at the end of each module.

Each participant's grades will be posted in his/her Blackboard account.