Interactive Self-Paced Training

Learn how research administrators support sponsored projects after an award is funded.

Research administration supports the full lifecycle of a sponsored project. Pre-award work helps develop, review, and submit proposals before funding is received. Post-award work begins after the award is issued and focuses on managing the project responsibly.

This training focuses mainly on post-award research administration, while using a short pre-award setup at the beginning to explain how the project became funded. You will follow one public health award across three years and practice how a research administrator reviews documents, identifies risks, communicates with the project team, and documents decisions.

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Training Premise

You are not just reading about post-award administration

This training is built around a fictional sponsored project that unfolds over time. Each event gives you a realistic situation that a research administrator might face after an award is issued.

Some issues involve compliance approvals. Others involve payroll, effort, budget changes, subrecipients, cost transfers, reporting, audit requests, or closeout. The point is to practice how these issues connect across the life of an award.

The goal is not memorization. The goal is to build administrative judgment: what to review, what to ask, what to document, and when to pause before moving forward.

Training Method

How each case study works

1. Enter the scenario

Each event begins with a realistic project situation, such as an email, a budget concern, a compliance question, or a closeout issue.

2. Review the project file

You review documents, timelines, emails, financial records, project notes, and sponsor requirements before deciding what Marcus should do.

3. Practice judgment

You identify what is allowed, what is risky, what needs documentation, and what should happen before the project moves forward.

Training Path

Follow the award across three years

Year 1

Award Startup and Foundational Controls

Begin with IRB approval, hiring delays, burn rate review, allowability, documentation, equipment needs, and participant incentive controls.

Go to Year 1

Year 2

Active Award Management

Review payroll distribution, effort changes, community partner classification, subrecipient monitoring, and late cost transfers.

Go to Year 2

Year 3

Closeout Readiness and Final Accountability

Work through carryforward, scope creep, reporting deadlines, audit requests, personnel transitions, extensions, reconciliation, and award closeout.

Go to Year 3

Learning Focus

What you will practice

  • Reading award, compliance, financial, and reporting records
  • Identifying when project activity should pause for review
  • Understanding budget, payroll, effort, and spending issues
  • Reviewing subrecipient relationships and monitoring records
  • Connecting project activity to financial documentation
  • Preparing for final reconciliation and award closeout
  • Communicating clearly with investigators and project staff
  • Documenting decisions so the project record is defensible

Self-Paced Course

Move through the training at your own pace

This course is designed for independent learning. There is no grade or certificate required. The goal is to build practical administrative judgment by working through realistic sponsored project situations.

Begin the Case Study