Presented by
Ronald Kiguba
Research Coordinator, Makerere Medical School

• What is the aim of Research Administration?
– To improve and promote good quality research output at the institution.
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Introduction…Continued 1
Human Resources for Research Admin office
• Who is a Research administrator?
A person whose main task is to facilitate and ensure smooth running of research activities that take place at the institution.
– Project coordinator (Specific Grant)
– Grants officer (Overall for Institution)
– Institutional Review Board (Independent operations)
– Differentiate IRB administrator from Research administrator?
• Institutional framework:
– Who reports to who?
– To whom does the research administrator report?
– HR: How many research administrators does institution need?
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Common titles of Research administrator or Research Manager
• Vice president for research,
• Chancellor of research,
• Research administrative officer,
• Grants manager,
• Grants and contracts manager,
• Research compliance manager,
• Director of research and sponsored projects,
• Sponsored programs manager,
• Sponsored research manager,
• Sponsored projects manager,
• Research development associate
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May work in;
• Research management,
• Contracts and grants management,
• Financial management,
• Intellectual property and technology transfer,
• Training and educational programming,
• Human resources management,
• Regulatory compliance,
• Ethics and IRBs, and
• Information services,
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Which Institutions need Research
Administrators?
• Universities,
• Hospitals,
• Medical centers,
• Industry,
• Government,
• Independent research organizations and
• Voluntary agencies.
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• Key questions
– Do African institutions need grants offices?
– Can grants offices run smoothly in African institutions?
– What are the essentials of a grants office?
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• You got the grant!
• The Board is excited, the boss is proud, Staff are grateful!
• Everyone is jubilant…….Until……reality bites!
• SOMEONE MUST ADMINISTER THE PROJECT!!!
• That person is…….YOU!
• WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF GRANTS
MANAGEMENT!
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• Whether a seasoned professional or part-time volunteer the role of grants manager involves a difficult balancing act;
– Ensuring program staff have latitude to accomplish something meaningful
– Every obligation to funding source is met
• How do you meet these competing demands?
– Effective management depends on certain core principles
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1. Organize for the receipt and management of funding;
Prepare for the paperwork; Create a project file: Six sections
– Section 1: Copy of executed grants agreement
– Section 2: Copy of grants budget reflecting how it will be processed through the accounting system
– Section 3: Correspondences with funder; from earliest to latest
– Section 4: Financial reports
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– Section 5: Program progress reports
– Section 6: Audit and project closeout documentation
Note:
• Study terms and conditions of award and compare with approved grant application
• If any corrections or clarifications waranted– take them up promptly!
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2. Develop a Task Management plan
• Project manager and staff should have reasonable plan for each proposed activity
• Ensures project monitoring and quality control
3. Establish system of compliance management
• Grants are not gifts: Strings attached
• Compliance requirements (Gov’t); Promote certain policies and discourage others
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4. Maintain a Good Financial Management
System
• So critical!
• Grants admins, project admins and financial managers MUST have a thorough understanding of how direct and indirect costs are defined, composed, allocated, and charged to one or more authorized grants
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5. Maintain a Sound Purchasing System
• Does a procurement system exist?
6. Follow necessary Personnel Practices
• Hire on merit
7. Maintain a System of Property Management
• Record essential info in a system of property records
8. Establish an Audit Management and
Resolution Process
• Regular audits – A sound business practice
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9. Follow Sound Ethical Principles
• Organizational and personal conflicts of interest can affect every class of grant-funded program
10.Establish a System of Quality Review and
Control
• Compare progress with task management plan
(Principle 2)
11.Monitor Current grant administration trends
• Electronic submission of grant applications
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• The IRB is an administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities conducted under the auspices of the institution with which it is affiliated.
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• The IRB has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove all research activities that fall within its jurisdiction as specified by both the national regulations and local institutional policy.
• The IRB also functions independently of but in coordination with other committees.
• Should be Accredited by overseeing body
• Membership: At least 5 members with varying backgrounds
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• Record Keeping: must prepare and maintain adequate documentation of IRB activities
– Written IRB procedures and membership
– copies of all research proposals reviewed,
– minutes of IRB meetings,
– records of continuing review activities,
– copies of all correspondence between the IRB and investigators, and
– statements of significant new findings provided to subjects
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• Records pertaining to research that is conducted must be retained for five years after completion of the research.
• All records must be accessible for inspection and copying by authorized representative(s) of the regulatory body
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• An institution must prepare written procedures and guidelines to be followed by the IRB when
– conducting its initial and continuing review of research, and
– reporting its findings and actions to the investigator and the administration of the institution.
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1. Do institutional policies comply with applicable regulations and promote appropriate review and approval?
2. Are the relevant institutional channels of communication sufficiently open?
3. Do adequate procedures for monitoring research and conducting audits of the research process exist?
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4. Does the institution adequately provide for the training of personnel in policies and procedures related to research with human subjects?
• 5. Does the institution support educational activities related to the design, conduct, and approval of research?
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• Who will ensure financial sustainability of research administration in African institutions?
– The Institutions themselves are responsible
• How will they do it?
– Only the will and commitment
• Budgeting for research admin as a core function
• Encourage grantsmanship and central management of all grants (Address bottlenecks of red tape)
• Charge overheads on all grants
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