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Over the past two years the University of Michigan Medical School Office of Research under took a major whole scale change called the Clinical Trials Transformation. Clinical trials are a high priority and research is a key differentiator for any university. Being able to bring in, retain, and support leading-edge talent requires an adaptive robust infrastructure. Moving from traditional department-based support models to business units organized around various science schematics is something few institutions with a similar scope and breadth of research have tried. This presentation will describe leading this initiative and panel members will discuss the specific environments and unique challenges they faced in applying strategies to leading change. Panel members will analyze and identify what success looks like and the barometers needed to measure progress across the cycle of change. We will delve into the challenge, process,roles, and reactions. 

A Quick Talk is a 15-20 minute presentation that will be combined with two other similar presentations in one 60-minute session. 

This Quick Talk will explore data gathered through the RAAAP and through CARA to shed some light on how we -research administration- got to where it is today. There is no doubt that there has been change to the role and importance of research administration, in particular over the last 20 years. Drawing from the data noted, as well as my own observations and experiences, I will look to have a conversation about the journey from 'job' to 'profession'. My hope is that those in attendance would share their own stories.

In the high stress field of research administration, high employee turnover rates often result in frequent interviews, onboarding of new employees, and changes to team structure and function. Traditional techniques may not always identify the best candidates for the team or transition new hires into efficient and effective teams. Games and other interactive tasks provide a creative opportunity to identify best-fit candidates, train employees for new responsibilities, and build productive teams for high impact goals.

In this session, audience members will have the opportunity to volunteer for a team-based activity demonstrated live during the session.

Session Objectives:

1. Consider ways to incorporate games and other scenarios into interview, training, and team-building procedures
2. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of a live team-building example

Attendees will identify opportunities to improve candidate selection and team development and brainstorm additional ways to leverage scenario-based training to increase its value and impact.

Effective interactions between the central Sponsored Programs office and department contract/grant administrators are essential as each plays a critical role in the research administration process at an institution. Both the central Sponsored Programs office and department staff, as well as researchers, have the same goal in mind – to receive funding in support of important research, education and public service projects. Recognizing this common goal and strengthening the collaborative relationship between the central Sponsored Programs office and department contract/grant administrators will not only make work more enjoyable for all involved, it will lead to more effective communications and, hopefully, adherence with University, campus and sponsor rules and regulations. This presentation will focus on identifying areas of commonality between the central office and department contract and grant staff, offering guidance on fostering collaborative relationships, creating networking opportunities, disseminating information, planning training programs and resolving issues that arise.

Poor communication between the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and members of sponsored programs, grants and contracts offices, and research administrative staff, can lead to missteps in adherence to regulations. In addition, when the responsibilities and scope of the IACUC are not well explained, known, or understood, the interpretation of necessary compliance holds can sound more like “Hi, my name is IACUC and I’ll be holding up your grant award today”.
IACUCs have defined regulatory requirements to which they are beholden and the administrative offices that support them must uphold the requirements. These federal and state regulations affect pre- and post-award activities, subcontracts, and other facets of research administration. Research Administrators are often caught in the middle of these “compliance holds”. In this first section of a two part session (refer to "Part 2: IACUC and Research Administration: why and when our paths cross and how to improve the journey”), the University of Michigan’s IACUC Office will provide the foundations of IACUCs and how IACUCs and animal activities overlap with Research Administration(ors).
Focusing on how regulations relate to research administration, we will first review cornerstone regulations, terminology, review processes, and required documents and assurances. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, scenario’s, quips, and concerns to the discussion. Our goal is to help Research Administrators navigate the IACUC and the processes related to grants and contracts, to reduce administrative burden, and to facilitate research administration by sharing foundational knowledge of IACUC regulations and processes, opening channels of communication, and helping us all asking the right questions at the right time. Participants will be able to describe the basic regulations governing animal research and identify when IACUC regulations affect research administration functions.

Coffee Talks are informal networking and learning gathering facilitated by our Exhibitors to bring research administrators together around topics of interest.Join an SRAI-Coffee Talk to hear best practices and exchange ideas with your peers. We will provide the coffee! Participants are eligible to receive 45 minutes of Continuing Education Credit.

Meet the SRAI President
Continental 7
Ever have a suggestion on what SRAI should be doing, but don’t’ know who to tell? Have a question, but don’t know who to ask? Swing by the SRA Coffee Talks and get the inside scoop from the SRAI President. She will share her experiences, answer your questions and looks forward to the discussion.

The Value of Research Administrator Certification-What it can mean to you by RACC
Golden Gate 2
Obtaining certification means that an individual has met the eligibility requirements of the Research Administrators Certification Council(RACC) and has demonstrated achievement of an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the principles, concepts, and regulations for administering research.

Challenges of Enforcing Internal Deadlines by Cayuse
Golden Gate 4-5
Join the Cayuse team of recent research administrators turned Solution Consultants, as we engage fellow RA's in a conversation on the challenges of enforcing internal deadlines. Bring your best practices and worst woes as we facilitate this thought provoking discussion. Hear real world examples of how to improve communication and deadline compliance. We’ll even take notes to keep the talk (and coffee) flowing!

Plan S, NIH and Open Access impacts on the Research landscape by Ex Libris Pivot and Research Professional
Golden Gate 6-7
How new funder requirements to publish in Open Access journals and data repositories may impact those who work in the world of research. Join Eddie Neuwirth, Sr. Director of Product Management, Ex Libris as he shares insights from Research Professional News’ coverage of plan S and leads discussion on what Research Administrators should be thinking about when it comes to a rising tide of funder open access requirements.

Federal Funding for Research, Regulations, and Oversight + Developments re: Foreign Influence in Research by Streamlyne
Golden Gate 8
Sara Bible, Associate Vice Provost for Research, Stanford University, and Board Chair of COGR, will respond to questions posed by Randy Ozden, President and CEO of Streamlyne, to explore the 2019-2020 outlook for Institutions of Higher Education and Research Institutions regarding federal funding for research, regulations, and oversight. There will be special emphasis on recent developments regarding foreign influence in research.

Purchasing Software in an Institutional Environment by infoReady
Golden Gate 3
Sometimes the most challenging part of buying a software solution can be navigating the procurement process, especially in an institutional environment. During this session, we’ll cover some tips, tricks and strategies to to help you move a software purchase through the approval and procurement process.

Ever wonder why the IACUC holds up an award release? Curious about why an IACUC protocol is needed and how it affects a subcontract? Frustrated by grant congruencies? Unsure what an MOU is and why they are needed? Poor communication between the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and members of sponsored programs, grants and contracts offices, and research administrative staff, can lead to missteps in adherence to regulations. In addition, when the responsibilities and scope of the IACUC are not well explained, known, or understood, the interpretation of necessary compliance holds can sound more like “Hi, my name is IACUC and I’ll be holding up your grant award today”.
IACUCs have defined regulatory requirements to which they are beholden and the administrative offices that support them must uphold the requirements. These federal and state regulations affect pre- and post-award activities, subcontracts, and other facets of research administration. Research Administrators are often caught in the middle of these “compliance holds”. In this second section of a two part session (refer to “Part 1: Foundations of IACUC and Animal Activities in Research Administration”), the University of Michigan’s IACUC Office will briefly review the regulations, terminology, and review processes of “IACUCs”, and then take an in-depth look into the ways in which IACUC rules and regulations interact with, and affect pre- and post-award activates.
Participants are encouraged to bring questions, scenario’s, quips, and concerns to the discussion. Our goal is to help Research Administrators navigate the IACUC and the processes related to grants and contracts, to reduce administrative burden, and to facilitate research administration by sharing foundational knowledge of IACUC regulations and processes, opening channels of communication, and helping us all asking the right questions at the right time. Participants will be able to identify when IACUC regulations affect research administration functions and analyze when IACUC involvement is, or may be needed.

Research administrators work with many different constituents, made up of individuals with varying interests. Customers of research administrators are: University administrative offices, department administrators, faculty members and sponsoring agencies. Effectively working with these very different customers requires research administrators to be able to identify the goal of each customer, determine the reason for each interaction and respond to the customers’ needs in an appropriate and valuable way. This session will focus on identifying each type of customer’s priorities, analyzing how to solve problems for the customer and communicating with the customer. This session will cover what is necessary for research administrators to best meet their customers’ needs and offer guidance on honing those integral customer service skills.

Through an overview of Seattle Children's Research Institute's (SCRI) best practices and standard process for proposal development, level-loading, and institutional review, the presenters will define and address common pitfalls experienced by the central office and department administrator.

The session will cover how to avoid errors and rework when developing a proposal and common changes requested by an institutional reviewer. The presenters will provide examples of each group’s perspective and concerns throughout the cycle of an NIH application, and highlight pitfalls to consider when working with other types of sponsors.

The presenters will introduce continuous process improvement methods and tools implemented through all of SCRI's administrative levels which improved quality, transparency, and speed within the institute.