Faculty Development Institute: Spring 2007 Tracks: Track O: Life Cycle of a Sponsored Project: Research Administration

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Track O: Life Cycle of a Sponsored Project: Research Administration

Spring Track General Requirements
This year, FDI is again offering alternative tracks that will meet during the spring semester. By attending the sessions that comprise a spring track, faculty can opt out of participating during the summer months and still meet the participation requirements to receive a computer.

Track Requirements
(click on title to jump to a description and time listing)

Total of Seven 2-hour Spring Short Courses

Required Session #1 -

Campus Instructional Resources/Computer Security

Required Session #2 –

Finding Funding: Using Online Databases to Locate Sponsors

Required Session #3 –

Budgeting for Grants & Research Projects

Required Session #4 –

Foundations of Responsible Research Conduct

Required Session #5 –

Managing Personnel Costs on Sponsored Projects

Required Session #6 –

Post Award Compliance Issues

Required Session #7 –
choose one (or more) of the following six courses:

Export Controls (Got ITAR?)
IRB: Human Research Compliance Issues
Writing Successful Grants (Part One)
Writing Successful Grants (Part Two)
Building the NSF Grant
Building the NIH Grant

Spring Track O Description
This spring track is designed for faculty who have research administration responsibilities or who wish to pursue funding for research at Virginia Tech. The purpose of the track is to provide faculty currently involved in research or faculty interested in pursuing research with a series of short courses that will take them through the life cycle of a sponsored project. Core topics within this track include finding funding, budgeting, responsible research conduct, administering personnel costs, and post award compliance. Additional topics associated with this track include grant writing, export controls, animal research compliance issues, and human research compliance issues. Most of the sessions within this track will be led by staff from the Office of Sponsored Programs. Participants in this track will have many opportunities to meet and develop rapport with those at our university who provide support for faculty in pursuit of sponsored projects.

Spring Track O Requirements Overview
Those participating in this spring track will be asked to attend a total of seven short courses during the spring semester. There are three requirement areas:

Faculty participating in this track will be required to attend one of FDI's Campus Resources session. There are five different times to choose from.
Five sessions comprise the heart of this session.
For the last (one) session, participants can choose an elective to attend from a list of topics related to research administration.

The table to the right summarizes these requirements. The table below details the requirements, with course descriptions, time and dates of the courses, and links to enroll into the course. If you plan to attend a spring alternative track, you must be able to attend required sessions from those listed below. As always, it is possible to sign up for more than the required minimum courses.

Spring Track Course Listing

Required Session #1 -Campus Instructional Resources / Computer Security (Select one Short Course from the following list)
1	Monday, January 29 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Wednesday, January 31 - 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Tuesday, February 6 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Thursday, February 15 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Tuesday, March 27 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm All sessions meet in 1100 Torgersen Hall (Torgersen Hall Lobby). All sessions are both suitable for both Windows and Mac platforms.	This short course will provide participants with a complete overview of the services and agencies that are in place at Virginia Tech to support instructional and (in many cases) research activities. New initiatives will be highlighed and the library will demonstrate their new services. Virginia Tech's security group will also present and provide strategies, suggestions, and access to software that will assist participants as they take steps to ensure the safety of the information on their computers.
Required Session #2 - Finding Funding: Using Online Databases to Locate Sponsors (Select one Short Course from the following list)
2	Tuesday, 02/06/07 10:00 - 12:00 AM 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh) Thursday, 02/22/07 3:00 - 5:00 PM 3080 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	Are you currently searching for external funding for a research project you have in mind? A number of prestigious and significant grant opportunities can be found on the Web, if you know the right places to look. In this short course, participants will learn how to find and use online databases to locate sponsors for research projects. Hands-on activities will be an integral part of this session.
Required Session #3 - Budgeting for Grants & Research Projects (Select one Short Course from the following list)
3	Wednesday, 02/28/07 09:00 - 11:00 AM 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	Successful grantsmanship is a result of sound scientific principles with an acceptable budget, and this short course will provide an overview of both. The Office of Sponsored Programs' (OSP) staff will review budgeting requirements unique to the world of sponsored projects and will offer tips on how to create a successful budget. Participants will be introduced to an automated budget template. This short course is ideal for new faculty/staff or anyone looking for a refresher. Please Note: This short course is required for the VT Research Administrator Certification Program.
Required Session #4 - Foundations of Responsible Research Conduct (Select one Short Course from the following list)
4	Wednesday, 03/21/07 3:00 - 5:00 PM 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	Research integrity is the underlying component of the trustworthiness of research as a whole and essential in preserving public support for research. Therefore, it is critical that VT is diligent in its management and oversight of research conduct to ensure responsible and ethical expenditure of public funds for research. This short course will focus on 6 core areas of research conduct to include: Data Management & Integrity-explores the implications of privacy, data integrity, data storage and retrieval Conflict of Interest-explores what constitutes conflict of interest and regulations and guidelines outlining disclosure Human & Animal Subjects-explores legal issues and policies involving the use of humans or animals in research Publication-explores copyright laws, contributions to literature, redundant publication, plagiarism, citations, and corrections/retractions. Research Misconduct- explores the fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. Whistleblowers-explores protections afforded under law to those who expose research misconduct Please Note: This short course is required for the VT Research Administrator Certification Program.
Required Session #5 - Managing Personnel Costs on Sponsored Projects (Select one Short Course from the following list)
5	Thursday, 03/01/07 09:00 - 11:00 AM 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	Once a faculty member receives an award he/she is often eager to get started on the project. The majority of sponsored expenditures are dedicated to personnel costs and there are often many types of personnel working on a project. Placing and administering the various "soft-funded" personnel requires additional diligence on behalf of the principal investigator. This short course will provide faculty an overview of how personnel costs are handled at the proposal stage and how it translates at award stage. In addition, this course will provide information on placing the various types of personnel on sponsored projects and some of the issues that often arise. Once personnel have been placed on a sponsored project the principal investigator will be responsible for ensuring that Personnel Activity Reports (PARs) are completed to certify that funds are properly expended for salaries and wages of faculty, staff, and students who work on these projects. The certifications are required by federal regulations contained in the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-21 Cost Principles for Educational Institutions. This course will discuss effort reporting requirements as per OMB A-21 and Virginia Tech policy.
Required Session #6 - Post Award Compliance Issues (Select one Short Course from the following list)
6	2:00 - 4:00 PM Wednesday, 04/04/07 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	This short course provides an overview of the many regulations and compliance concerns pertaining to post award administration to include cost sharing, unallowable charges, effort reporting issues, cost transfers, and more. Please Note: This short course is required for the VT Research Administrator Certification Program.
Required Session #7 - Other Courses (Select one (or more) Short Courses from the following list of six workshops)
7
	Export Controls (Got ITAR?) Friday, 03/02/07 09:00 - 11:00 AM 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	What are export controls? What happens if VT and the Principal Investigator violate export control laws? How can export controls affect my research? What projects are subject to export controls? If my project is subject to export controls how do I comply? What is ITAR and EARs? These are just some of the questions answered during this workshop facilitated by David Brady, Industrial Research Contracts Officer for the Office of Sponsored Programs. In the last few years the Federal Government has become increasingly concerned with information and/or technology that could harm the U.S. economy or be used enhance the military capabilities of international adversaries. As a result, export controls have become a hot compliance topic among universities due to the increased scrutiny and the severe criminal and civil penalties to the Principal Investigator and universities.
	IRB: Human Research Compliance Issues Friday, 03/16/07 09:00 - 11:00 AM 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	VT is guided by the ethical principles of research set forth in the Belmont Report (1979) of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects. VT policies and procedures involving human subject research have been formed to comply with the Code of Federal Regulation and state and local laws to protect individuals from harm, provide equitable selection of subjects, and maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of research participation. This short course will provide participants information on the history of human subjects research and an overview of current laws, regulations, and policies that are applicable to research today. Please Note: This short course is required for the VT Research Administrator Certification Program.
	Writing Successful Grants (Part One) Tuesday, 01/30/07 10:00 - 12:00 AM 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh) Thursday, 02/15/07 3:00 - 5:00 PM 3080 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	Are you planning to apply for a grant in the near future? This session will provide you with the keys to successful grant writing. Special emphasis will be placed on how to avoid the common mistakes that can lead to early rejection by substituting more effective writing strategies.
	Writing Successful Grants (Part Two) Tuesday, 02/13/07 10:00 - 12:00 AM 3060 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh) Thursday, 03/01/07 3:00 - 5:00 PM 3080 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	This highly interactive session will give you an opportunity to apply your grant writing and funding search skills. Excerpts from successful grants will be read and critiqued in small group discussion. Participants will also be asked to submit one page grant abstracts prior to the session for response by the group. This is your chance to have your grant idea "reviewed" by your peers!
	Building the NSF Grant Proposal Friday, 03/23/07 3:00 - 5:00 PM 2150 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	Does your research agenda depend heavily on support from the National Science Foundation? This short course will focus on the essentials of crafting an effective NSF grant proposal. Best practices and essential hints based on first-hand experiences with the NSF will be provided. Special emphasis will be placed on how to avoid the common mistakes that can lead to early rejection of an NSF grant application.
	Building the NIH Grant Proposal Friday, 03/30/07 3:00 - 5:00 PM 2150 Torgersen Hall (Windows/Macintosh)	Does your research agenda depend heavily on support from the National Institutes of Health? This short course will focus on the essentials of NIH's demanding proposal format, with tips on how to write effectively for each key component. Best practices and essential hints based on first-hand experiences with the NIH will be provided. Special emphasis will be placed on how to avoid the common mistakes that can lead to early rejection of an NIH grant application.

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