The Office of Research Support and Graduate Studies hosted a training program for research administration professionals during the second week of September 2017. Around 50 professionals from QU and other higher education institutes in Qatar took part in the program.
Themed “Fundamentals of Sponsored Projects Administration”, the training program is organized in collaboration with the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). It aimed to provide the participants with an overview of the various aspects involved in sponsored projects administration, including preparation and review of proposals, negotiation and acceptance of awards, financial and administrative management, and closeout and audit, as well as the relevant compliance issues. It is designed for professionals involved in the administration of sponsored projects at higher education and research institutions.
Speakers were California Institute of Technology Office of Sponsored Research Director David Mayo and University of Wisconsin-Madison Director of Research Financial Services, Research and Sponsored Programs Robert Andresen.
They discussed several critical topics such as the difference between grants, contracts and cooperative agreements, the underlying legal framework surrounding sponsored projects, co-funding with end-users, audit and compliance, and ways of finding sources of funding.
Individuals who successfully completed the training program received 16.5 Continuing Education Credits, which are recognized credits to provide a record of an individual’s continuing education accomplishments and which can be used as educational credits for certification. Certificates were also issued to those who completed the course.
Commenting on the importance of the training program, QU Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Prof Mariam Al-Maadeed said: “Qatar University has always been on the forefront to meet the research challenges of the country and therefore we conducted this training session. It was a very important event for the University as it sharpened the skills of the administrators and provided them with new tips and tools in research administration. I am confident that the participants at this program have gained more insights and will become better administrators leading to the realization of the Human Development Pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030.”
QU Research Support Director Dr Aiman Erbad said: “Research administration is becoming a sub-field of administration with unique challenges. Qatar University hosted experts from the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) to share experience with our team and other participants from Qatar. This training allowed research administration professionals to develop their skills and get answers to their daily operational challenges. Qatar University also invited participants from different research offices in Qatar to build a community of research administrators in Qatar and increase collaboration among local entities.”