RAU Training Curriculum

The RAU Curriculum consists of practices and principles of research administration and includes mandatory courses required for all research administrative professionals at the University of Miami. Registration for the courses is through ULearn. view the RA Curriculum outline click here.

The purpose of the research administration training is to develop and maintain a skilled cadre of research administration professionals within the University of Miami and to promote a culture of facilitation, compliance, and integrity. The training program is for all staff members whose work supports sponsored projects.  The training program will include beginner, intermediate, and advanced training courses and will integrate the fundamentals of research administration, as well as best practices when engaging with RA at the University of Miami (UM).  

Deadline to complete the RAU Curriculum

New hires will be required to complete the mandatory training courses within 1 year of hire to be compliant. Non-compliance will lead to the loss of system access to IBIS Research, Workday Grants, and others. Compliance will be monitored via ULearn. Upon assignment, staff will have one year to complete the training modules before system access is revoked. 

Current Staff

Current research administrators must have completed the curriculum by August 31, 2023. If you did not meet this deadline, your access to IBIS and Workday role was suspended and will be returned until the courses are complete.

RAU was developed to ensure administrators have the tools required to support our faculty’s research efforts while ensuring compliance with regulations and policies. We look forward to seeing you at a future training course!

• Introduction to ORA live webinar (2 hours) or online version (1 hour)

  Provides fundamental overview of Research Administration, sponsored policies, process and services. 

  After this session, you will be able to...
  

  • Describe Research Administration Resources
  • Apply Policies
  • List the Research Lifecycle steps and phases
  • Discuss Key Components of a Proposal & Proposal Submission
  • Apply Budgetary Considerations

• Research Administration at UM live webinar (3 hours) or online version (1 hour 30 min)

  Provides a fundamental overview of research administration at the University of Miami from proposal submission through award close and includes basic terminology, regulatory compliance, award negotiation, setup, reporting obligations, audits, and overall award management.

  After this session, you will be able to...

  • Choose the appropriate Facilities & Administrative Cost rates (F&A)
  • Recognize the 3 types of Awards
  • Identify Contract/Agreement types & locate resources
  • Describe the Post-Award process–Managing The Award–Reporting–Closeout

• Understanding Uniform guidance (2 hours)

  Provides an in-depth look at the Uniform Guidance for the sponsored grants and agreements.  

  After this session, you will be able to…

  • Apply Sponsor Expectations and Order of Precedence
  • Recall where to find the Uniform Guidance
  • Recognize Uniform Guidance & Research Administrative Infrastructure
  • Apply Uniform Guidance and Costs and Cost Principles
  • Recall Uniform Guidance and Subawards
  • Apply Uniform Guidance and Audits

• Allowable Costs, Allocations and Budgeting (2 hours)

  Introduces costs, allocation, and budgeting for those new to the profession and serves as a review for those who may need it.

  After this session, you will be able to...

  • Explain the concepts of Allowable, Allocable, and Reasonable
  • Know the difference between Direct Costs and F&A Costs (Indirect Costs)
  • Discuss budget costs

• All About Effort (2 hours)

  Covers the fundamentals of what effort is and why it is important to track on sponsored projects.

  After this session you will be able to identify the following:

  • What Effort is
  • Why Certification is required
  • Who Must Certify
  • When to Certify
  • What to Report

• Understanding Other Support, Disclosures & Foreign Influences (2 hours)

  Covers the importance and responsibility of disclosures to sponsors and the University of Miami regarding support and engagement with domestic or foreign entities.

  After this session, you will be able to...

  • Describe what comprises Other Support
  • Understand foreign influence and the impact of foreign component
  • Discuss the importance of disclosing and transparency

• Understanding Cost Transfers (1 hour)

  Provides training for the processing of both labor and non-labor cost transfers; Course objectives are to increase awareness and understanding of Federal regulations related to cost transfers, to provide UM’s policies and procedures, and the process to prepare, document, approve, and submit a cost transfer. 

  After this session you will be able to...

  • Document a cost transfer
  • Describe what is required to justify a cost transfer
  • Prepare a cost transfer

• IBISResearch Create & Submit a Proposal Hands-on Class (3 hours)

  This hands-on workshop focusing on Proposals, is intended for administrators and researchers to learn how to navigate the system, create a funding proposal, SF424 federal application, and budgets (including cost share and subaward budgets) in IBISResearch.  Participants will route a proposal for department approval and submit to ORA for final review and submission to the sponsor. 

  The learning objectives of this session are:

  • Describe IBISResearch terminology 
  • Demonstrate the navigation of IBISResearch
  • Practice how to create a funding proposal and budgets (including cost share and subaward) in IBISResearch

  
  

   

• Manage Awards for Financial Success (3 hours)

  Provides a comprehensive understanding of how to manage sponsored projects at the University of Miami focusing on compliance and responsibilities to ensure financial success of the project.

  After this session, you’ll be able to...

  • Identify the award process
  • Use the award requirements
  • Describe the award setup
  • Manage salaries
  • Identify required award reporting
  • Prepare for matters related to closeout

• Clinical Trial 101

  Explores the basics of a clinical trial and how it is handled at UM

• Cost Principles I & II

  Reviews the roles and responsibilities of ORA, Department and PI as it relates to sponsored projects.

• Roles and Responsibilities I & II

  Reviews the roles and responsibilities of ORA, Department and PI as it relates to sponsored projects.

• Cost Sharing Basics

  Explores the basics Cost Sharing and how it impacts the University. 

  • Define cost sharing
  • Demonstrate how cost sharing is handled at UM
  • Discuss your responsibility when cost sharing is proposed in a proposal

• Subrecipient Basics I, II, & III

  Provides a comprehensive understanding of UM’s policies and procedures related to subrecipients and includes topics such as the roles and responsibilities of the PI and administrators throughout the subaward process, the difference between a subrecipient and a vendor relationship, the requirements for subrecipient monitoring, the processing of subrecipient invoices, and where to locate resources to assist in the subaward process.

  • Differentiate between subrecipient and contractor
  • Identify subrecipient processes and documents
  • Prepare for monitoring subrecipients

• Understanding Salary Caps

  Discusses the concept of salary cap on sponsored projects; covers how to budget and account for it when there is an imposed salary cap.

• Introduction to IBISResearch

  Covers the terminology and navigation of IBISResearch.

  • After this session you’ll be able to...
  • Recall the information IBISResearch collects
  • Use the IBISResearch system
  • Recognize how to navigate when using IBISResearch

• IBISResearch: Create and Submit a Proposal Video

  In this video you will learn how to describe IBISResearch terminology; Demonstrate the navigation of IBISResearch and practice how to create a funding proposal/budgets (including cost share and subaward) in IBISResearch. While this video is similar to the Hands-On Create and Submit a Proposal, it does not take the place of the Hands-On class.

• IBISResearch: Manage Awards

  Focuses on award management; How to create a continuation, revision, and resubmission application, how to submit a Just-In-Time request or respond to an Agency Request, request an award modification, and create an agreement from a related proposal.

  After this session you will be able to ...

  • Find the Funding Award in IBISResearch
  • Create an award modification in IBISResearch
  • Create follow-up proposals (continuation, revision, renewal and resubmission)

• Understanding MCAs (2 hours)

  Reviews the fundamentals, variables, and process of developing Medicare Coverage Analysis and its impact on the clinical research financial sustainability, research billing compliance and ability to recruit and retain research patients. 

  • Understand what an MCA is and its functions
  • Understand overall MCA’s impact on clinical research
  • Understand what drives MCA development and revision
  • Recognize roles and responsibilities of different research partners in MCA development, review and use
  • Recognize MCA components, relevant documentation and process points of MCA development
  • Learn how to read, interpret, validate, and provide feedback on MCA
  • Understand implications and imposed limitations of billing designations decisions

• Developing Study Budgets (2 hours)

  Provides resources supporting effective clinical trial budgeting, describes associated costs, demonstrates how to prepare an internal budget, and identifies hidden costs.

  1. Recognize what their role and the institution’s role and responsibilities are when developing a budget
  2. Understand the components of building a clinical research budget
  3. Know the differences between clinical research study budgets and
  4. Recognize the institutional costs/rates and resources available.

• Non-Financial Compliance (2 hours)

  Covers the principles of research compliance, concentrating on what research administrators need to know about research involving animals, human research studies, conflict of interest, environmental health and safety, and export controls.

  After this session, you will be able to…

  • Recognize when to use the information regarding the following areas:
  • Conflict of Interest & COI/Disclose
  • Human Subjects Research Office (HSRO)
  • Animal Study
  • Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
  • Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee (ESCRO)
  • Division of Veterinary Resources (DVR)
  • Export Control Office (ECO)

• Successful Management of Clinical Trials (2 hours)

  Reviews the basic management of clinical trials.

• IBISResearch Agreements (2 hours)

  Learn how to navigate the IBISResearch system and create agreements in IBISResearch.

• Export Control Compliance

  Explores Export Control issues, the laws and regulations which prohibit the unlicensed “export” of certain technologies (information, software, materials, and other items) to foreign entities.

  After this session, you will be able to...

  • Describe and use the Export Control Office Services, Policy, Processes and Forms
  • Utilize the https://research.miami.eduwebsite for additional Export Control Information and Forms
  • Use the CITI training to obtain an Export Control Training Certificate
  • Describe the consequences for failure to comply with Regulations.

• NIH Career Development

  Provide understanding of the requirements and responsibilities when submitting and receiving an NIH Career Award.

• IBISResearch: Entering Budgets

  Demonstrate how to enter different budgets in IBISResearch.

• Getting Started with the Project

  Covers what is required to start your project, understanding the award letter, submitting documentation to ORA, and requesting an advance account.

• IBISResearch: Follow On Proposals

  Covers the different proposal types (new, renewal, revision, and resubmission) and understanding the difference on how they are handled in IBISResearch.

• IBISResearch: Ancillary Reviewer

  Covers what an ancillary review is and how to initiate in IBISResearch.

• IBISResearch: Department Reviewer

  Reviews the steps to initiate the proposal routing in IBISResearch which starts with Department Review.

• IBISResearch: Manage Tags

  Describes what tags are in IBISResearch and how to manage them in the system.