Help and Training
This section is designed to be a resource for questions and to aid in training and professional development needs related to Research Administration.
Conflict of Interest
OSP offered two Conflict of Interest Workshops in August of 2012. The presentations from those workshops are available here.
OSP Forums
These community forums typically convene monthly during the academic year. They aim to bring together members of the research administration community to share knowledge and discuss research administration topics, both current and evergreen. Go to the OSP Forums page to see the schedule and download materials from past Forums.
Sponsored Research Training
The MIT Learning Center catalog is the gateway to MIT training and professional development. Research Administration offerings are found in the Administrative category under Sponsored Projects and Practices. You may also search by keyword.
We are happy to announce the Spring 2013 schedule of open-enrollment courses on research administration at MIT.
Fundamentals: Intro to Unallowable Costs
Experts from OSP and VPF present cost allowability from conceptual and practical perspectives, concentrating on the allowability of charges to sponsored accounts, the difference between allowable and reimbursable costs, and the role of various VPF and OSP functions in managing unallowable costs.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Fundamentals: Sponsored Project Closeout
Offered by subject matter experts from Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and Sponsored Accounting in the Office of the Vice President for Finance (VPF), this short course describes the fundamental issues in sponsored project closeout, from project end to final reports.
Monday, March 25, 2013 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Fundamentals: Post-Award Administration
This course provides an overview of common issues in award management and reporting. This course is designed for those who play a role in sponsored projects administration today but may also prove useful to those who are interested in playing those roles in the future.
Thursday, April 25, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Register for any or all of these sessions by selecting MIT Learning Center on the Training tab in SAPweb. These courses are in the catalog under Administration > Sponsored Projects & Practices.
Please feel free to contact Laura Mannix with any questions about these offerings at 617-324-2193 or via email. We look forward to seeing you there.
Responsible Conduct of Research
The National Science Foundation requires undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers supported on NSF awards to complete an RCR training program. Information about how to comply with this requirement can be found under Responsible Conduct of Research in the Compliance section of the OSP website.
STARweb
STAR stands for Specialized Training for Administrators of Research. STARweb was developed for the Institute by OSP to introduce you to the basic principles and policies of sponsored projects administration. You can find additional training on sponsored research topics at http://web.mit.edu/sapwebss.
Coeus
Coeus is an Electronic Research Administration system developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Named after the Greek Titan of Intelligence, Coeus was one of the first cradle-to-grave award management systems in the nation. You can find available Coeus training classes at http://web.mit.edu/sapwebss.
Learning offerings by MIT partner departments
As MIT strives to integrate processes and knowledge across departments, learning offerings converge. Find training that supports consistent, professional financial and sponsored project management below.
Office of the Vice President for Finance (VPF)
See the schedule of upcoming training: http://vpf.mit.edu/calendar_schedules/calendar
All of the VPF offerings are germane to those who have responsibility for sponsored project transactions and management.
Information Systems & Technnology (IS&T)
Financial and sponsored projects management is achieved using MIT systems. Learn skills to use those systems at http://ist.mit.edu/services/training/schedule
Note that IS&T is a key partner with OSP in providing Coeus training to support the system of record for grants management at MIT.
Human Resources at MIT (HR)
HR offers a range of courses on communications, management, leadership and other topics. See especially the following catalog categories in the MIT Learning Center catalog: Career Development and Transitions and Communications and Leadership.
Offerings for all of the departments above, including OSP can be found at the MIT Learning Center online.
Reference Tools
Sponsored Program Reference Manual (PDF)
Developed with the Research Administration Improvement Initiative (RAII), the Reference Manual provides an overview of key issues in research administration, includinggeneral research environment, cost principles, cost sharing, administrative and direct charging, cost transfers, property management, equipment, and project monitoring.
MIT Quick Guide for PIs (PDF)
This short guide to principal investigators’ responsibilities and resources describes ten essentials every PI should know. It focuses on managing sponsored projects and points to additional resources formore information.
Access to, Sharing and Retention of Research Data: Rights and Responsibilities (PDF)
Council on Government Relations publication - Published March 2012
This guide covers:
- General guidelines for retention and access of data
- Federal agency policies and regulations
- Special circumstances that affect the access to, sharing and retention of data
Roles & Responsibilities Matrix (PDF)
This matrix was developed by the RAII Roles and Organizational Structure team and identifies responsibilities of tasks in the Grant/Contract lifecycle.
FAQs
Find answers to basic, unusual, and frequently asked questions.
Glossary
This glossary is a collection of acronyms and terms heard often in OSP. Some terms are sponsor specific, while others are standard terminology used in the research administration field.
