Using a Custom Harvester - Factors to Consider January 30, 2005

1. Research Administration Capacity Building in an Established Institution Presenter: M.M.Aboud, MD Director of Research and Publications, MUHAS

2. Topics • What is Capacity Building in R.A.? • Aim of R.A. Capacity Building • Challenges for Changing R.A. Structure • Strategies for Capacity Building in R.A. • Priority Areas to Build Capacity • Available Resources

3. What is Capacity Building? • Investments targeted at improving the performance of an institution by strengthening: • Management/Leadership • Resources for Research Administration • Resources Available to Investigators • A process of individual and institutional development which leads to higher levels of skills and greater ability to perform research administration

4. Aim of Capacity Building • Create a framework for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of research administration activities • Reducing administrative burden and improving services for faculty • Adhering to regulatory compliance without compromising the ability to do outstanding research

5. Aim of Capacity Building, cont. • Enhancing the existing skilled and knowledgeable administrative workforce • Maintaining an effective and efficient organizational structure • Identifying and providing tools and systems that aid administrative staff to support growing research portfolio

6. Challenges for Research Admin. Present practices • MUHAS is Established institution( under UDSM until 2007) • Weak central administration • MUHAS has 37 sponsored projects • Research is donor/sponsor driven( need for institution research agenda) • Research administration is project based • Poor organization structure and coordination;

7. Challenges for Research Admin. Present practices • Policies, regulations, procedures, SOPs not well developed • Trained research administrators not available • Paper-based system • ICT deployment is suboptimal • Inadequate oversight of research processes and hence poor compliance

8. Strategies for Capacity Building Four-step process Invest in people and ideas first and always PARTNER(UCSF, Dartmouth, Harvard, projects) COPY(Share resources, ideas, systems, technology transfer INNOVATE ( Unique solutions, adapt ) LEAD ( Export, Networking )

9. Strategies for Capacity Building Involve all stakeholders Managing the process and the players: • Buy-in from top institution management • Establish Advisory Board • Catalyze cross-departments/projects collaborations • Create working groups • Review existing R.A. capacity • Identify Priority areas • Systematically identify gaps/issues and solutions to barriers. Identify competencies required

10. Priority areas to build capacity • Organizational structure • Skilled and knowledgeable administrative workforce • Policies, procedures, regulations, compliance • Proposal Development and Submission • Negotiating and Accepting Awards • Post-Award

11. Organizational structure • Chose the best model • Business vs. Academic affair • Centralized vs. Decentralized • Electronic vs. Paper-based Systems • Develop office Infrastructure: Equipment, Space, Support Staff • Administrative Database, Office SOP • Efficient Communication Strategies/Tools

12. Skilled and knowledgeable administrative workforce • Not readily available • Need to be trained; identify competencies needed • How to train? Distance, attachment, in-house • Promote retention: Incentives, recognition, professional development, work scheme and promotion

13. Policies, procedures, regulations, compliance • Written, documented, approved and binding • Encompassing all research and research administration related activities • Widely disseminated to faculty, students, collaborators, funding agencies • Aligned and harmonized with collaborating institutions and funding agencies

14. Proposal Development and Submission • Information about internal and external grant opportunities • Grant application process, routing, approval, IRB application • Support to develop grant proposal, budget • Connect with colleague, facilitating partnership/collaborations • Develop efficient review and submission process

15. Negotiating and Accepting Awards • Institution should know what it is accepting • What would be the role/contribution of the institution (i.e., commitment) • Institutional capacity to support the project • F&A cost negotiation. Why 8%? • Request for additional funding, extension in time, change in scope or PI, MTA

16. Post-Award • Processes for managing grants & contracts • Finance and procurement • Research reports • IPR, data retention, • Human subject protection • Risk prevention • Audits • Closures

17. Support and ResourcesResources available to draw upon • Collaborators • Existing programs/projects ( Sponsored 15 attendees ) • Awards, e.g., IEARDA • Training opportunities • Mentoring • Facilities access • ARAA

18. Monitoring and evaluationMeasure your output Measure the process of engagement: • Achievements • Strengths • Weaknesses • Lessons learned • Unexpected challenges • Share best practices

19. Monitoring and evaluationMeasure your impact • An increase in faculty awareness of services offered • An increase of faculty pursuing funding • An increase in sponsored program activities • Change in research climate • Change in image of the institution

20. Acknowledgment • The presentation is supported by award number G11HD061019 • Extramural Associate Research Development Award(EARDA) • Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD • The content is solely my responsibility