Announcements

Biweekly Salary Calculations Made Easy with the New Salary Funding Projection Tool

Description: Research administrators are often tasked with estimating personnel impacts to sponsored projects and making appropriate adjustments on payroll. These changes often happen mid-pay period, or mid-grant budget period and are not easily captured with a biweekly payroll process. This session will be a demonstration of new tool that has been developed to model changes to funding sources and funding splits across multiple biweekly pay periods and at different time points. We will live demo a few options for how this tool can be used to help research administrators predict spending within the biweekly pay structure. We hope this tool will assist administrators in predicting estimated funding amounts to one or more sources across different time points in the pay period.

Presented By:

• Jenny Dahlberg, Grants Administrator, School of Veterinary Medicine

Career Paths in Research Administration and Introduction to NCURA’s Research Admin Career Path Pilot Program

Description: We all work in Research Administration, but how did each of us get here? What paths might we follow to secure long-term rewarding careers? What steps are required to reach our goals? What can be done to recruit more young talented people to the profession? Join us for a discussion about Research Administration as a profession in an environment where we can learn from one another, share our squiggly careers paths, and hear about a pilot program NCURA is spearheading to attract people to this line of work.

Learning Objectives:

• Ascertain what technical and soft skills are highly sought after in research administration
• Gain an understanding of the roles mentoring, certifications, and advanced education may play in professional growth and reaching career goals in research administration
• Discover what the NCURA Research Administration Career Path Pilot program is and how it may impact the recruitment and retention of staff in the future

Presented By:

• Dorothy Johnson, Interim Director of Research Financial Services, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Tamara Kuhn Martin, Assistant Dean, College of Engineering

Change is Easy! But You Go First.
Tools for leading people through organizational change.

Description: Have you wondered why it’s so hard to get other people to change? You’re not alone. Organizations change all the time, yet change cannot happen without getting other people on board—and that can be a challenge.

In this session we will introduce you to change management frameworks and tools that can help you better understand the people side of change and how you can be a more effective change leader. We will identify what people need to prepare for and adapt to change—and what steps you can take to support others through the process. We will include scenarios and interactive discussions on the multiple phases of change, how people experience transitions, and ways to respond to common forms of resistance.

Learning Objectives:

• Deepen knowledge of the phases of change
• Understand how individuals may experience change
• Able to use frameworks and tools for implementing change
• Build skills to address resistance to change

Presented By:

• Jennifer Erickson, Capacity Building Lead, Office of Strategic Consulting
• Kate Kingery, Internal Consultant, Office of Strategic Consulting

Collaborating with Libraries to Advance Research

Description: Ever wondered how the libraries can support research? From planning and performing research projects to sharing results and measuring their impact - the Libraries offer services to support every stage of research for both researchers and research administrators.  Join us to learn more about this wide array of services that include finding grant opportunities, managing citations and research data, sharing and publishing results while complying with publication and data sharing requirements, measuring research impact, managing researcher profiles and more.  We’ll share specific examples for how these services can support your work.  There will also be an opportunity for you to share your challenges and be connected to a librarian that can consult with you to see if partnering with the Libraries will address your needs.

Presented By:

• Ariel Andrea, Chemistry Librarian, UW-Libraries
• Cameron Cook, Data and Digital Scholarship Manager, UW-Libraries
• Deborah Helman, Director of Science and Engineering Library Services, UW-Libraries

Communicating with Principal Investigators

Description: We work in a complex environment that involves collaboration with many different types of people and personalities at different organizational levels. The foundation of great working relationships is strong and effective communication skills, especially when working closely with different types of PIS. Learn how to improve your communication skills and build successful collaborative relationships with different types of PIS to gain confidence, clarity, and credibility – as well as deal with issues that come up.

Learning Objectives:

• Discover several key competencies for developing “connected” working relationships.
• Learn “what works” from an experienced PI.
• Share successes or challenges and learn best practices.
• Identify one skill or strategy to improve upon.

Presented By:

• Irina Diaz, Research Administrator, Wisconsin Center for Education Research
• Lori Uttech-Hanson, Director of medRAMP, School of Medicine and Public Health

Cost Share, It Isn’t Play Money: It is Real

Description: Using play money, attendees "manage and track" cost share to visualize how cost share is a real cost to institutions. Participants will discuss good and bad cost share situations and learn varying perspectives on how to manage from each other.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize how costly cost share is to their institutions.
• Distinguish the differences between mandatory and voluntary cost share.
• Determine other ways to offer support for research without offering cost share

Presented By:

• Sandy Fowler, Director of Business Services and Post-Award Administration, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Current and Pending Support – Federal Agencies – What has changed?

Description: Join us to learn about recent updates to Current and Pending (Other) Support document requirements from Federal agencies like NH, NSF, DOE.  We will explore what are Current and Pending (Other) Support documents and why federal agencies are updating their requirements for this document.  As we discuss we will highlight the new requirements for some agencies such as in-kind support and foreign involvement.

Learning Objectives:

• Define Current and Pending (Other) Support documents
• Discuss recent updates
• Provide guidance on how to complete create Current and Pending (Other) Support documents

Presented By:

• Brenda Egan, Managing Officer, Proposal Team, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Amy Kuehn, Assistant Director, School of Vet Med, Department of Pathobiological Sciences

Critical Thinking – How to Get Past “It Depends”

Description: Some research admin questions are easily answered. We love being able to respond with an unqualified “Yes.” However, situations are rarely simple and do not necessarily follow an ideal course of action.  That’s when we enter the world of “It Depends.” When we are faced with situations like this, how should we respond? During this session, we will use critical thinking skills to work through examples of unusual situations where the answer is not obvious.  We will talk about what resources are available to help people work through such situations.

Learning Objectives:

• Practice critical thinking skills in research administration.
• Learn about resources available for problem solving.
• Discuss potential approaches to unusual situations.

Presented By:

• Sandy Fowler, Director of Business Services and Post-Award Administration, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
• John Varda, Assistant Dean, College of Letters and Science

Demystifying Compliance for the Research Administrator

Description: Thinking about compliance in research can be a daunting task, from required protocols and training, to export controls and foreign relationships, this session will help you sort through it all. In this presentation I will explain animal use, biosafety, human subjects, and other approvals. I will also discuss compliance for WISPER records and common things that can hold up project setup, including training and Outside Activity Reporting (OAR).

Learning Objectives:

• Get to know the three big committees; IACUC, IBC, IRB and when their approval is required.
• Learn how to set yourself up in WISPER for a seamless project setup.
• Understand the basics of Export Control Regulations, OARs, and disclosure of foreign entity relationships.

Presented By:

• Sarah Johnson-Schlueter, Compliance Manager, College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, Research Division

Developing Quality Department of Defense (DOD) Proposals

Description: While most PIs and grant management staff are familiar with NSF and NIH proposal formats, applications to the DoD are less frequently submitted. Many are not familiar with the elements unique to DoD, such as DoD-focused grantsmanship, requisite format(s) and content, or the eBRAP system for pre-applications and verifications. And yet, in this era where competition for NSF and NIH funding is increasing, campus needs to examine DoD’s numerous funding opportunities to complement existing funding strategies. This talk with focus on navigating the DoD system and provide resources to grant managers. While focused primarily on biomedical funding opportunities, basic principles are broadly applicable to DOD proposals.

Presented By:

• Cathy Rasmussen, Executive Director of Forward BIO Institute, UW-Madison

DHHS Salary Cap: How It Impacts Post-Award Grants Management

Description: The Office of Management and Budget limits how much of a base salary someone can be paid on a grant with DHHS awards. Folks paid over this base salary rate need their salary adjusted on the grant. This can impact multiple aspects of grants management, including effort and financial reporting. Please join us for a discussion on an overview of the DHHS salary cap, best practices on how to handle awards impacted, and more!

Learning Objectives:

• Understand salary cap terminology
• Proactively managing the DHHS salary cap including setting up payroll for researchers over the cap on DHHS awards
• Find resources available to determine allowable salary on grant and what should be on non-sponsored.
• See an overview of how the salary cap looks in ECC

Presented By:

• Bridgett Molinar, Post-Award Accountant, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Larisa Roberts, Post-Award Accountant, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

How to Navigate the PIVOT Database Tool

Description: This session will provide an overview of the PIVOT tool. Participants will learn how to conduct a variety of searches for funding mechanisms, as well as set the system up for focused notifications. The session will also teach participants how to find funding for specific investigators, as well as connect investigators to collaborate. Finally, the session will show participants how to save, manage, and track searchers for future use.

Learning Objectives:

• Become proficient at the use of PIVOT to easily conduct funding searches.
• Learn how to use the advanced search tools to focus funding research.
• Learn how to use PIVOT to target funding to specific researchers.
• Use notifications systems to alert faculty of funding resources applicable to their research.

Presented By:

• Lori Uttech-Hanson, Director of medRAMP, School of Medicine and Public Health

Making Cents of Subawards

Description: It is becoming more and more common for sponsored projects to include partners outside of UW. Subawards, regrants, ASSAs, and vendor agreements are all options, but how do we know the appropriate way to get our partners paid? Fortunately, the institution has developed policies and tools to determine the best mechanism to handle each type of relationship. In this session, we will discuss what makes an entity a subawardee or regrantee, as well as the process behind issuing a subaward or regrant. Several case studies will be reviewed to help participants practice what they have learned.

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish different types of agreements available to handle partnerships on sponsored projects.
• Determine whether something is a subaward or regrant using tools policies and resources.
• Understand what is needed to help expedite subaward or regrant issuance.

Presented By:

• Bob Gratzl, Assistant Director of Contracts, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Jennifer Kuhr, Senior Grants and Contracts Specialist, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Navigating Limited Submission Opportunities for External Funding

Description: We will describe what limited submission opportunities are and how to determine if an opportunity is truly limited. Session will include discussion of what do to if your PI is interested in a limited submission opportunity, where these opportunities are posted and who is responsible for the process. Procedure for grant programs that limit the number of proposal submissions per campus will be reviewed. Finally, we will discuss sponsor specific guidelines related to limited submission opportunities.

Learning Objectives:

• Determine what constitutes a limited submission opportunity.
• Know what to do if a PI is interested in applying to an opportunity that limits the number of proposals UW-Madison can submit.
• Understand the process for determining which proposals can go forward to the funding agency.

Presented By:

• Amber Jensen, Divisional Research Administrator, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education
• Nick Novak, Assistant Dean, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education

PI Talk - Opening Doors Through Language: Access and Equity

Description: More than any other human behavior, language is central to successful participation in society. The ubiquity of language, and the high level of skill that most adults achieve in their native language(s), masks myriad societal problems that arise because of unequal access to aspects of languages, or to a specific language. A new UW-Madison cluster hire is bringing together scholars whose research addresses linguistic disparities. As part of this presentation, two of our new faculty members will describe their ongoing research focused on children learning in an indigenous language community (Cree) and deaf children acquiring sign languages in Guatemala and the United States.

Presented By:

• Jenny Saffran, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, Department of Psychology & Waisman Center
• Ryan Henke, Assistant Professor, Language Sciences
• Laura Horton, Assistant Professor, Language Sciences

Proposals and WISPER: Making It Work for You

Description: Have you ever submitted a proposal in WISPER and had your Dean’s Office or RSP come back with questions or clarifications that were unexpected? Do you wonder when or how certain fields in WISPER flow through to other campus systems - and why we need to get that information right? Are you interested in learning some “insider tips'' about what types of information in WISPER help to reduce delays during the submission and review process? This interactive panel discussion will shed light on what information in WISPER is reviewed by the School/College and RSP when a proposal is submitted and will help make your work in WISPER more efficient.

Presented By:

• Brenda Egan, Managing Officer, Proposal Team, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Steve Flaherty, Research Administrator, College of Engineering
• Sheila Hayden, Senior Research Administrator, College of Letters and Science
• Sarah Marcotte, Research Administrator, School of Human Ecology
• Christy Schulz, Research Administration Director, School of Medicine and Public Health

Post-Award Management in Clinical Trials

Description: Bringing an intervention from lab to practice is an exciting step.  Whether it's a new drug, device, or behavioral intervention, moving ideas into practice represents a major milestone.  Financially, however, these projects can be complicated, especially when the trial involves medical care and procedures.  This session will cover the basics of clinical trials, different revenue cycles (grants vs CTA), and how to manage revenue and expenses for trials.  We will also discuss special financial considerations (Medicare billing compliance), and campus tools and resources available to study teams and investigators. 

Presented By:

• Jennifer Dawson-Tibbits, MHA, CCRP, Clinical Research Finance Manager, UW Carbone Cancer Center

Post-Award Discussion – Bring Your Questions to RSP Accountants!

Description: Join us for an engaging discussion on Post-Award topics. Do you have questions about Budget Adjustments, No Cost Extensions, PI Transfers? Bring your questions to our RSP accountants. Engage in discussion, ask questions, and share what you know with others.

Presented By:

• Angie Johnson, Interim Director of Research Financial Services, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Larisa Roberts, Post-Award Accountant, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Jenny Yuan, Post-Award Accountant, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Research Admin Hot Topics and Federal Updates

Description: Research Administration is ever-changing. Policies change, procedures change, systems change, and we change with them. Join us to discuss current hot topics in the field and federal updates (COGR, FDP, etc.) Attendees are encouraged to contribute to the discussion by bringing their own perspectives on these topics. There will be opportunities to contribute and ask questions throughout the session.

Presented By:

• Kim Moreland, Associate Vice Chancellor in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Mark Sweet, Director of Grants and Contracts in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Research Administration Systems – A Glimpse into the Future with ATP/RAMP

Description: Efficiently managing the entire Research Administration process, from proposal development and pre-award requirements through post-award financial management and reporting, requires that we rebuild our current systems and processes. ATP will expand our capabilities and modernize our technology to meet the ever-changing requirements of the world-class research enterprise across the campuses of the University of Wisconsin System.

To make this possible, we will expand our use of the Huron Research Suite (aka. RAMP), which will handle pre-award through post-award functions. We will also move many of our functions to Workday, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that will unite most financial functions in a single, cloud-based platform. These two systems will work together to streamline the work of researchers, principal investigators (PIs), and administrators.

With RAMP going live in June 2023, this session will provide a thorough update on implementation of these new technologies and provide more details about what functionality you can expect. We’re even hoping to provide a demonstration of some features.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the exact scope of RAMP and what features the Huron Research Suite will provide.
• Understand the exact scope of the Workday implementation and what features this will provide.
• Understand the timing and how they can get involved in all these exiting initiatives.

Presented By:

• Kurt McMillen, Research Administration Strategy Lead, Administrative Transformation Program
• Crystal Jones, Research Administration Functional Lead, Administrative Transformation Program
• Bridget Montour, Sponsored Billing and Receivables Design Lead, Administrative Transformation Program
• Kate Mollen, Grants and Agreements Design Lead, Administrative Transformation Program

Research Security

Description: Research Security continues to be an important topic for federal research agencies. This session will cover recent updates related to the National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33) and the changes that will affect how we address keeping research secure yet protecting the openness we value. Panelists from RSP, the Office of Cybersecurity, and the Export Controls Office will discuss UW – Madison’s approach and answer your questions.

Presented By:

• Mark Sweet, Director of Grants and Contracts in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

SciENcv and ORCID – Tips, Tricks, and Live Demo

Description: Here are two tools that can make things easier for you and for your PI’s!  (Really!) Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is an electronic system currently used by NIH, NSF, DOD, EPA, USDA, DOE (both Energy and Education), and other agencies.  With delegated access in SciENcv, you can create, edit, clone, switch between sponsor specific templates and archive biosketches and current and pending documents for PI’s and key personnel. SciENcv also allows researchers to link and update publications in biosketches with a few clicks. Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier (ORCID) is a free unique identifier that can be used to populate SciENcv documents. Your researchers own and manage the account for this persistent digital identifier (an ORCID ID) that automatically links their professional activities (no matter how many different names they publish under). By January 2023, NSF intends to encourage the use of ORCID ID and require SciENcv; use of the fillable forms will no longer be permitted! In accordance with NSPM-33, senior personnel must certify these documents; SciENcv will allow them to do so. Come hear about SciENcv and ORCID. See a hands-on demonstration, get tips and tricks, bring your questions.

Presented By:

• Erin Goeldner, Senior Research Administrator, College of Engineering, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Sylvia Kmiec, CRA, Senior Research Administrator, College of Letters and Sciences, Department of Physics

The First Certification Period in ECC – A Debrief

Description: Many of you were pioneers in the shift to payroll certification in ECC.  Let’s get together and debrief!  What went well?  What was difficult?  How did you tackle your very first pre-review?  With the help of interactive, live polling you can give anonymous feedback.  Or speak up and share your experience, tips, and tricks with other attendees.  Either way, we want to hear from you! 

Learning Objectives:

• Open discussion for attendees to share how the first certification period in ECC is going
• Opportunity to learn best practices from other Compensation Compliance Coordinators across campus

Presented By:

• Kelly Belshaw, Effort Administrator, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Kurt McMillen, Research Administration Strategy Lead, ATP
• Mark Sweet, Director of Grants and Contracts, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

The Rules and Policies Impacting Research Agreements: Recent Updates

Description: Change is the only Constant in Life." This quote applies to many things, and research agreements are no exception. While there is a big part of agreement processing that is consistent, rules and policies around agreements continue to update. In response, the University continues adjusting its approach to meet the rapidly changing requirements of sponsors, the Board of Regents, the State of Wisconsin, and the Federal Government. In this session, Ben Griffiths and Bob Gratzl will discuss the changes to a variety of rules and policies related to research agreement terms and the signing of research agreements as they have shifted over the past few years. Sample policies and rules include:

• Board of Regent Review and Approval
• State of Wisconsin Self-Dealing
• Conflict of Commitment
• Exceptions requests related to publication, intellectual property, and data ownership
• Foreign national participation in research projects

Learning Objectives:

• Descriptions of the changed rules and/or policies that apply to research agreements.
• Origins of these rules and/or policies.
• UW process for complying with these rules and/or policies.
• What you can do to help expedite these processes.

Presented By:

• Bob Gratzl, Assistant Director of Contracts, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Benjamin Griffiths, Senior University Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs.
• Sam Leinweber, Conflict of Interest Compliance Manager, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education

WARF (fund 135) Funding Initiatives and Fund Administration

Description: Do you have PIs with 135 funding in your School, College, Division or Department? Ever wonder how it works, who to call or how to get more information on spending, edits, close out or other funding opportunities? Attend this session to hear directly from the financial team at OVCRGE that manages all the WARF funded research initiatives on the UW Madison Campus. This session is designed to give administrators a high-level overview of how 135 funded projects are setup, monitored and administered.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the source of 135 funds
• Hear about our 135 funded programs
• Understand 135 project administration
• Learn about 135 project setup, edits, rebudgets, unallowable expenses and project close out policies
• Meet us and find out who to contact in our office with any questions!

Presented By:

• Russell Schwalbe, Director of Financial Reporting, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education
• Jessica Wipperfurth, Financial Manager, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education
• Vielska Brautigam, Accountant, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education

What, More Work???
How to find your most efficient self when faced with an increased workload

Description: Discussion Session - What does efficiency look like--and how can we work more efficiently in a world of ever-increasing work? That will be part of the discussion, along with tips and resources on handling increased workloads. Come prepared to discuss your own tips and tricks and learn from others on how to work more efficiently, especially when dealing with more work!

Presented By:

• Aaron Crandall, Research Admin Manager, School of Medicine and Public Health, Dept. of Population Health Sciences
• Lauren Gee, MFA, Pre-Award Manager, School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine
• Zach Smith, Research Administrator, College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering