Research today has become very complex, often involving international collaborations among multidisciplinary teams. Many institutions, especially those in less economically developed countries, have a great deal of expertise to contribute to these collaborations, but often lack the instrumentation, training, and research management infrastructure…

Describes the evolution of Northwestern University's "Policy on Faculty Conflict of Commitment and Conflict of Interest" and addresses the underlying guidelines that shaped the policy content. Also describes the management procedures designed to provide flexibility in policy implementation to accommodate different university subcultures. (EV)

National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluates all allegations of conflict of interest made in connection with NSF activities. This article identifies factors institutions may consider in developing a conflict of interest policy by discussing NSF's requirements, while highlighting these issues with case examples. A…

Explaining that scientific cores at research institutions support shared resources and facilities, discusses devising a method of charging users for core services and controlling and managing the rates. Proposes the concept of program-based management to cover sources of core support that are funding similar work. (EV)

Explaining that scientific cores at research institutions support shared resources and facilities, considers pricing of services to users from outside the institution. Proposes a method of allocating charges from the cores to projects with multiple funding sources through program-based management. Describes aspects of an example program: price of…

Describes an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research initiative to enhance the review process for its training awards using a new tool based on the ProGrid decision-assist software. Implementation resulted in several modifications to the review process in the areas of definition, rationality, fairness, timeliness, and responsiveness; the…

Reflects on the process used by the Society of Research Administrators International (SRA) to establish its 2001-2006 strategic plan, addressing such questions as: What are the underlying principles of strategic planning? What implications does a new strategic plan portend for an organization? (EV)

Discusses clinical trials in general, protecting human research subjects, and the role the research administrator can play in facilitating the process. The discussion is not intended to be a thorough treatise on clinical trials, but is an overview of new and lesser known human protection issues that are better handled prospectively. (EV)

Focusing on research administrators, discusses how an effective training program improves employee performance by including comprehensive needs assessment, employing appropriate training methodologies, and anticipating factors beyond the actual training event that influence the transfer of skills from the training environment to the work…

Describes the research administration curriculum developed by the Office of Research Administration (ORA) at the Naval Medical Research Center. The curriculum educates students in the philosophical, legal, and sociological values and principles that undergird the responsible conduct of research, and serves as an important new pathway for promoting…

Uses the concepts of "capacity" and "consistency ratios" as the means for planning and utilizing faculty capability for research and sponsored project development. Analysis of typical institutional data reveals how an understanding and use of these concepts can provide the research administrator with useful insights into the cost implications of…

Evaluated factors that influence junior faculty across disciplines in the pursuit of grants. Found that junior faculty who acquire some grant training as part of their doctoral or postdoctoral program still require some faculty development in the grant process. Barriers included teaching loads and inadequate support, while motivators included…

This speech to the Society of Research Administrators contends that U.S. research universities have contributed powerfully to the nation's prosperity, security, and intellectual vitality and that research universities and industry possess complementary strengths and should work in close partnership for maximum benefits. Stresses the importance of…

Discusses the role of research administrators as executive administrators and executive managers of Institutional Review Board (IRB) ethical review programs within biomedical research institutions. Suggests that research administrators who serve as IRB executives can work to transform biomedical research organizations from being only associations…

An experienced research administrator who has worked in both pre-award and post-award administrative roles offers her perspectives of both sides and suggests that a smooth relationship between pre-award and post-award research administrators is critical to the conduct of research. (DB)