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
► NCURA
began in 1959 with 45
members and one Annual Meeting a
year
► 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 I- New England- Purple
Region II- Mid-Atlantic- Red
Region III- Southeastern- Blue
Region IV- Mid-America - Green
Region V- Southwestern - Turquoise
Region VI- Western - Gold
Region VII- Rocky Mountain - Terra Cotta
NCURA’s Cornerstones
► Sharing
Knowledge
► Fostering
Community
► Networking
Core Values
► Integrity
► Commitment
to excellence
► Open to all points of view
► Inclusive
► 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
► Multi-week
Online Tutorials
Workshops
- 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
http://www.ncura.edu/bookstore/default.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 resourcesharing among members.
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Compliance, Dept Administration, eRA, FRA, PreAward, PUI, and International
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FREE Resources: Listserv, Related Events,
Resources Library,Career section, Online Chats,
On campus profiles, shared policies
FOR MORE INFO...
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
► 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.
► Employers
-Quick and Easy Job posting
-Simple Pricing Option
Other NCURA Benefits
► Online
Membership Directory
 Access to colleagues around the country
 Member profile with areas of expertise
► 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
► Report on Research Compliance
 Monthly hard copy, archived website & timely e-alerts
► Guide to Managing Federal Grants for Colleges and
Universities
 Compendium includes quarterly updates and 10 issues/year of the Federal
Grants News (CD Rom)
► Sponsored Research Administration: A Guide to
Effective Strategies and Recommended Practices
 Principles, sample policies, effective strategies (CD Rom)
► Regulation and Compliance: 2007
 Regulatory framework; Anti-discrimination; Privacy issues; Environmental
protection; Human & animal subjects; Safety & security and much more
NCURA Publications
► 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 Non-Research
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
 A-21 and A-110
http://www.ncura.edu/bookstore/default.asp
Research Management Review (RMR)
 Scholarly online journal
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Researcher Behavior that Leads to Obtaining Grant Funding
Research Administrator Stress Survey
http://www.ncura.edu/rmr/
Leadership Development
Institute (LDI)
► 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
LDI
 Graduation at Annual Meeting and press
release sent to your institution
 Your institution pays travel costs, NCURA
pays for the rest of program
 Applications Due June 6, 2008
►http://www.ncura.edu/content/educationa
l_programs/leadership_development.php
LDI Graduates (Region 6&7)
Current Students
Candyce Lindsay, Arizona State University
Rosemary Madnick, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine &
Science
Christine Pacheco, University of New Mexico
Alumni
Ken Felthouse, Arizona State University
Lisa Gentry, University of Arizona
Jacqueline Hinton, University of Utah
Joseph McNicholas, Loyola Marymount University
Lillie Ryans-Culclager, Stanford University
Sinh Simmons, University of Washington
Kim Small, Washington State University
Current Initiatives
► Departmental
Research Administration
Workshop
 Will offer summer/early fall
► Senior Research Summit - November 1
Aligning Services, Resources, and Institutional Mission to
Enhance Faculty Research Productivity and
Competitiveness
Senior Summit
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Chief research officers (VPR) and their senior sponsored
program officials should attend together
Topics include:
 Aligning compliance obligations, resources, mission
and services to get our scientists and engineers back to
the bench doing research
 Restoring full reimbursement of the costs of research
by effectively communicating the value of facilities
and administrative costs
 Balancing the obligations of academic freedom with
those of social responsibility
 Risks of under-investment in research infrastructure
Adult Learning Techniques
► Traveling
workshop faculty training on
principles of adult learning styles
► ’09 Traveling Workshops to incorporate
more active learning
► Creating Dynamic presentations workshop
at Annual Meeting for membership
Programming Needs Survey
► Board
Charge to Professional Development
Committee
 Focus groups at Regional meetings and PRA III
 Online survey this summer to full membership
► Research
Office Succession Planning
Get Involved!
►Regional
Opportunities
 Assist with Registration
 Moderator/Presenter
Regional Committees
- Advisory
- Program
- Nomination
Regional Officer Positions
- Chair
- Treasurer
- Secretary
Get Involved!
► National
Opportunities
 Board of Directors
 Professional Development Committee
 Financial Management Committee
 Task Forces/Subcommittees
 Neighborhood Committees
 Submit an article for the newsletter/RMR
► Volunteer
your time!
 Conferences & Annual Meeting
 Contact NCURA Volunteer Manager, Myrta Stager
at stager@ncura.edu
Your NCURA Staff
1225 19th Street, NW, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202.466.3894
Fax: 202.223.5573
Website: www.ncura.edu
E-mail: info@ncura.edu
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About NCURA:
http://www.ncura.edu/orginfo/default.htm
NCURA Staff:
http://www.ncura.edu/orginfo/ncurastaff.htm
Your NCURA Colleagues
► “Every
Member has something unique to offer and
even the newest member can infuse our
organization with the innovative ideas, energy
and enthusiasm necessary to keep NCURA vital”
 Pat Fitzgerald, Harvard University, Band Leader, “The
Grateful Deadlines”
Your NCURA Colleagues
► “I
would jump in with both feet if I were a new
member. NCURA has the ability, through contacts
and people, to help you grow and advance in
ways that you haven’t ever dreamed of”
 Judy Fredenburg, University of Montana, Chair,
Nominating and Leadership Development Committee
Questions?
Marc Schiffman
Assistant Executive Director
NCURA
202.466.3894
www.ncura.edu
schiffman@ncura.edu