NCURA: A Guide to Navigating Your Professional Development

NCURA:
A Guide to Navigating Your
Professional Development

Marc Schiffman
Assistant Executive Director
National Council of University Research Administrators


NCURA Mission
NCURA serves its members and advances the field of research administration through education and professional
development programs, the sharing of knowledge and experience, and by fostering a professional, collegial, and respected
community.


NCURA Facts
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NCURA began in 1959 with 45 members and one Annual Meeting a year

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Today NCURA has approximately 6,800 individual members from over 850 colleges, universities, teaching
hospitals,and non-profit research institutes


NCURA Resources
Your 5 Most Powerful Words as a Research Administrator

“I am an NCURA member…”

Your NCURA Colleagues
Through the years that I have been
apart of NCURA, I have found that no
matter what I’m doing at the
University, there is something at
NCURA that helps me to do a better job
and to understand it better.”

“

 Michele Codd, Assistant Director, ISIS,
Vanderbilt University


Your NCURA Colleagues
“NCURA is, hands down, the premier
professional development organization
for academic-based research
managers, thanks to its programs,
camaraderie, and networking.”
 Steve Smartt, Assistant Provost for
Graduate Education, Vanderbilt University,
and Band Leader “Soul Source & the No
Cost Extensions” (NCURA’s own Party Band)


NCURA Regions
NCURA is comprised of seven (7) regions,
based upon their geographical location.

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Region
Region
Region
Region
Region
Region
Region

I- New England- Purple
II- Mid-Atlantic- Red
III- Southeastern- Blue
IV- Mid-America - Green
V- Southwestern - Turquoise
VI- Western - Gold
VII- Rocky Mountain - Terra Cotta


NCURA’s Cornerstones
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Sharing Knowledge

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Fostering Community

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Networking



Core Values
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Integrity

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Commitment to excellence

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Open to all points of view

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Inclusive

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Collegial/sharing

Essential Training Resources
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Region 6/7 Spring Mtgs – April 5-8, 2009 –
Santa Fe
’10: Hawaii

Traveling Workshops - Held around the country
& On Campus
► Fundamental of Sponsored Project
Administration Workshop
► Sponsored Project Administration Level II
Workshop
► Financial Research Administration Workshop
► Departmental Research Administration
Workshop (coming soon)


National Conferences
► Pre-award

Research Administration
Conference: August 11-13, Hilton Head
Island, SC

► Financial

Research Administration

Conference: February 9-11, La Quinta,
CA

► 50th

Annual Meeting and Workshops:
November 2-5, Washington, DC


Distance Learning Offerings
► NCURA

TV: Quarterly Live Satellite
Broadcast Workshops

► Multi-week

Online Tutorials

- A Primer on Federal Contracting (8 weeks)
- A Primer on Clinical Trials (7 weeks)

► Webinars:

90 minute web/audio
seminars available from your desktop

► NCURA

Neighborhoods: Virtual

Communities of Professional Interest


NCURA TV Broadcasts
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Live or DVD
Designed for large groups of learning on
YOUR campus
Broadcast schedule & reference material
guide
Interactive Q&A: email questions up to a
week after
Prior Broadcast Tapes/DVD Available to
Build Training Library
/>asp


Multi-week Online Tutorials
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Complete at your own pace during your
selected enrollment period

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Interactive learning activities, lesson quizzes
and final exam

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Certificate of completion for passing final
(80% minimum)


Webinar Programs
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90 minute web/audio seminars

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Available from your desktop

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Live, CD Rom, Audio CD

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Build Your Training Library


NCURA Neighborhoods
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Virtual communities of professional
interest promote increased
communication and resource-sharing
among members.

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Compliance, Dept Administration, eRA,
FRA, Pre-Award, PUI, and International

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FREE Resources: Listserv, Related Events,
Resources Library,Career section, Online
FOR
MOREOn
INFO...
Chats,
campus profiles, shared policies

Your Neighborhoods: www.ncura.edu/members/Neighborhoods


NCURA Neighborhoods
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On Campus Member Profile
 Brief monthly e-interview designed to give a more
personal account of the day-to-day activities,
issues, and challenges in research administration.

 Latest Profile: Ann Holmes, Dir, Finance &
Administration, University of Maryland, College
Park

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Chats: hour text only chats with experts, sharing
latest information on issues, challenges
 Good references for staff meetings
 Next Chat: America COMPETES Act – Jean
Feldman, NSF, May 21, 2-3 pm EDT


Other NCURA Benefits
Career Center
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Job Seekers

-The NCURA Career Center is FREE to all
NCURA member job seekers and provides
access to the best employers and jobs in
Research Administration.
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Employers

-Quick and Easy Job posting
-Simple Pricing Option

Other NCURA Benefits
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Online Membership Directory

 Access to colleagues around the country
 Member profile with areas of expertise
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Peer Review Program

 Enhance your sponsored programs
operation


NCURA Newsletter
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Published 5 times/year

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Available online and hard copy

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Includes Articles for FRA, Senior
Administrators, Compliance Issues, Biomed,
eRA, University/Industry, Federal Updates,

Tech Transfer, Leadership Tips, Regional
Corner, and Neighborhood Watch

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Member Milestones
Job ads

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NCURA Publications
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Report on Research Compliance

 Monthly hard copy, archived website & timely e-alerts

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Guide to Managing Federal Grants for
Colleges and Universities

 Compendium includes quarterly updates and 10 issues/year of
the Federal Grants News (CD Rom)

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Sponsored Research Administration: A
Guide to Effective Strategies and

Recommended Practices

 Principles, sample policies, effective strategies (CD Rom)

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Regulation and Compliance: 2007

 Regulatory framework; Anti-discrimination; Privacy issues;
Environmental protection; Human & animal subjects; Safety &
security and much more


NCURA Publications
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Micrographs

The Role of Research Administration
A Primer on Intellectual Property
Basics of Cost Accounting Standards
Writing and Negotiating Subawards Under
Federal Prime Award
 Establishing and Managing an OSP at NonResearch Intensive Colleges & Universities
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NCURA Publications
Micrographs (cont)

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Facilities & Administrative Costs in Higher
Education
Clinical Trials Handbook

Mini-guides

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A-21 and A-110
/>Research Management Review (RMR)
 Scholarly online journal
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Researcher Behavior that Leads to Obtaining Grant Funding
Research Administrator Stress Survey

/>

Leadership Development
Institute (LDI)
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Competitive Program to help develop members’ leadership skills to become tomorrow’s leaders

 Advisor Program
 Virtual classroom, online chats, listserv,
conference calls
 Up to 4 hours/month of assignments, 2 ½
day retreat in the summer