expanding the role of the dra: moving from and island culture to a global community leadership...
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Expanding the role of the DRA:
Moving from and Island culture to a global community
Leadership Project
NCURA Region VI & VII 2010 Spring Meeting
April 18-21, 2010
MenteeDerick Jones- Medical Genetics Institute
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Mentor
Debbie Caulfield
University of California San Francisco
The Departmental Research Administrator (DRA) assists and advises the PI (Principal Investigator) in pre-award activities in accordance with:
• Sponsor’s terms and conditions,
• applicable regulations and
• institutional policies.
What is the Role of a DRA?
The DRA assists the PI in compliance with post-award activities in accordance with:
• Terms and conditions,
• Regulations and
• Institutional policies.
What is the Role of a DRA?
The DRA is a “Cradle to Grave” pre- and post- award management position.
The DRA is responsible for monitoring the compliance and allowableness of expenses for all funded research.
What is the Role of a DRA?
DRAs are the primary interface with the scientific staff members that are responsible for sponsored project conduct.
Because DRAs are “on the ground,” they have an important understanding of issues a central administrator may not or cannot know.
What is the Role of a DRA?
An experienced and competent DRA is an asset to both his/her assigned PIs and Central Administration’s pre- and post-award offices.
What is the Role of a DRA?
The DRA is one of the most important players in Research Administration Operations
What is the Role of a DRA?
YouAre
in Grant Administration
What is the Role of a DRA?
Your Importance does not eliminate the challenges and hurdles associated with
getting your job done, especially when you are a one person office.
What is the Role of a DRA?
In order to be a successful DRA:
Understand your value to your organization
Understand your limitations Determine your strengths Identify your weaknesses
What is the Role of a DRA?
You are a DRA in a one person office but you have the ability to expand your network of
Staying on Track
Develop key relationships throughout your organization.
• Introduce yourself to others in your organization and let them know your needs
• Network within your resource community.
• Please and thank you go
long way.
Staying on Track
The DRA must have relationships with:
• Other DRAs
• Central Administration
• Prime award office and officials
• Purchasing
• Finance/accounts payable
• Human resources
• Information technology
Staying on Track
For many DRAs, life is lived in a bubble on remote deparmental islands. The DRA must become part of a global and local Reseach
community in order to maximize the knowledge basis at their disposal
The need for Community
For many DRAs, life is lived in a bubble on remote deparmental islands. The DRA must become part of a global and local Reseach
community in order to maximize the knowledge basis at their disposal
There is an overwhelming need for the DRA to have interaction with others in their roles in
order to move departments from operating as ‘mom and pop” entities into a conglomerated
body of research knowledge
The need for Community
In order to meet the need for community among DRAs, I propose
• The creation of Department Research Administrators Work groups.
The Proposal
The DRA group can benefit an organization by:
• Becoming better trained staff who are current with industry shifts
• Simplifying communcations while bridging the historical divides between Investigators and Central Administration
• Having invested partners in the Research enterprise operations of a organization
The Benefit
The focus of the group is to:
• Promote commonality in business practices.
• Shared knowledge base • Cross-departmental training.
The Benefit
The DRA group meeting is essential to the future growth of an organization.
The DRA is your institutions first line of defense for compliance.
The DRA is where the rubber meets the road. An investment in them coupled with training, will become the life force of any research organization.
In Conclusion
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