SPACE Fundamentals Core

The Office for Research - Sponsored Programs Academy for Continuing Education (SPACE)

The Fundamentals Core courses provide a basic overview of the Office for Research Administration, its various components and the services each provides to the university research administration community—specifically the initial stages of the lifecycle of sponsored programs. Information covered includes pre-award, post-award, and contracts administration. These instructor-led courses are offered to assist newly hired employees, and existing staff to learn the basics about conducting research at Rutgers.

SPACE101 Welcome to the Office for Research

Rutgers’ threefold mission includes advancing research, so it is important to understand the research support functional areas within the Office for Research. The first part of this session will provide an overview of the Office for Research (OFR) and the organization’s role in providing services to the University’s research community. In the second segment, each functional support area will share its expertise.

Objectives: Experience an overview of the functional support research areas:

• Research & Sponsored Programs (RSP) will provide an overview of proposal basics, budget preparation, compliance, negotiation, and non-financial requirements.

• Research Financial Services (RFS) will provide an overview of central financial accounting functions and post-award administration support services for the university’s sponsored programs and other restricted funds, including project reconciliations, award specifics, closeouts, effort certification, and cost transfers.

• Research Contract Services, a pre-award office, provides the research community expert and expeditious contract management services that grow Rutgers’ research enterprise.

• Other topics briefly covered are research compliance; corporate engagement; innovation and technology.

SPACE110 Fundamentals of Life Cycle of Sponsored Programs - Pre-Award Administration

The grant administration module provides essential knowledge for understanding the grant submission process, award setup, and various components of grant administration. Participants will explore proposal basics, compliance, and non-financial requirements.

Objectives:

• Understand how to navigate through the proposal submission process in concert with using the Uniform Guidance, Sponsor requirements and Rutgers policies. 

• Obtain a clear picture of the RSP Pre Award vs the PI / Department Administrators roles and responsibilities.

• Discuss basic considerations for the development of a reasonable, allowable and allocatable budget for proposal purposes

• Demonstrate an understanding of the various administrative grant components

SPACE120 Fundamentals of Life Cycle of Sponsored Programs - RFS/Post-Award Administration

This module offers an overview of the post-award lifecycle, emphasizing best practices for grants and contracts management in alignment with University policy and the Uniform Guidance.

Objectives:

• Understand the post-award process.

• Apply best practices for managing grants and contracts.

• Comply with University policies and the Uniform Guidance.

• Successfully administer grants, including project reconciliations, award specifics, closeouts, effort certification, and cost transfers.

SPACE130 Fundamentals of Life Cycle of Sponsored Programs- Research Contracts

As Rutgers’ threefold mission includes advancing research, it is important to understand the research support functional areas within the Office for Research. Research Contract Services is one such resource.  Research Contract Services, a pre-award office, provides the research community expert and expeditious contract management services that grow Rutgers’ research enterprise.  This course provides a detailed overview of the Research Contracts Services’ services, how to engage with this team, the elements of a typical research contract as well as some basic contract law information.

Objectives:

• Gain Understanding of Rutgers’ sponsored program and research-related contract management services process: when and how to engage Research Contract Services (RCS) through the Research Administration and Proposal Submission System (RAPSS).

• Demonstrate basic understanding of different types of sponsored program and research-related agreements.

• Understand the basics of RCS’ contract management process and how to leverage RAPSS as a communications tool.