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Training, Education & Communication
This section of The Guide remains under construction even as we publish it for use. However, the ultimate goal of Northwestern University's Research Training, Education and Communication (TE&C) program is to partner with the NU research community to provide innovative, research related TE&C in an effective and comprehensive manner.
The TE&C program will be organized around the grant administration life cycle and be based on the tenets of innovation, partnership and effectiveness. The TE&C program will embrace innovation by utilizing new media, non-traditional perspectives and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). In the spirit of "building quality in," SMEs will not only be leveraged to ensure all information is current and appropriate, but also to deliver training from the audience's perspective. Partnering with Northwestern's research community will include leveraging personnel from across the school and research administration unit spectrum to build the program. Program effectiveness will be promoted through, among other methods, tracking whether PIs and research administrators have adequately received and completed the proper training. Continuous improvement principles will be employed to make sure the program maintains effectiveness as the needs of Northwestern's research community change.
While the new program has yet to take shape, valuable research TE&C is already available at Northwestern University. Below is a limited selection of training, education and communication opportunities available to Northwestern University research community. For further clarification of the TE&C program, please contact the individual department(s).
Training and Education
Communication
Accounting Services for Research and Sponsored Projects (ASRSP)
ASRSP training generally concentrates on improving technical research grant accounting skills. These skills are essential to ensure Northwestern University assists its investigators in fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities to granting agencies and regulators. Courses are directed primarily toward unit administrators and staff but are open to interested faculty members as well. Those interested in finding out more about the training below should contact ASRSP directly.
For more information, please contact ASRSP
| Subject |
Audience |
Frequency |
| Post-award Training |
Unit Administrators |
As Needed Basis |
| Business Basics Delivered by HR-D |
Open to Faculty and Staff
Attended by Staff
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Quarterly Schedule |
| Internal Controls Delivered by Internal Auditing |
Staff |
Monthly |
| Lab Sessions Delivered by Financial Systems |
CUFS Users |
Twice a Month on each campus |
| Information Exchange |
Staff |
Closing
One to Two Times Per Year
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| How to Read Sponsored Project Budget Statements |
CUFS Users |
Once Per Quarter |
| Specific Training focused on Individual Sponsored Project Requirements |
Open to Faculty and Staff |
As Needed Basis |
Brown Bag Lecture Series
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RAs, DAs & PIs |
As Needed Basis |
Effort Reporting Training and Education
| Subject |
Audience |
Frequency |
Effort Reporting Policies
Electronic Effort Certification
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Clinical departments and faculty
Faculty and research administrators
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Contact Jennifer Wei for additional information |
| ERS Certification Guide |
Faculty and research adminstrators |
Online tool |
| Effort Reporting for Faculty |
Faculty |
Online tool |
NU Advisory Council for Clinical Research (NU ACCR)
The Council is dedicated to promoting compliant and responsible clinical research conduct through facilitating new ideas, promoting changes in organizational policies, and creating educational programming and relevant activities for the Northwestern University clinical research community. The Council serves the entire Northwestern clinical research community on the Chicago Campus including Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH), Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation (NMFF), the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), and the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC). The ACCR is jointly sponsored by the Office for Research at the Feinberg School of Medicine and the Office for Research Integrity at Northwestern University.
| Subject |
Audience |
Details |
Monthly Educational Lecture Series
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All working in clinical research
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Click here for the 2008 schedule
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| Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) Scholarships |
Clinical Research Coordinators |
The November 2007 deadline for the most recent scholarship has passed. Please check back later for future scholarship opportunities. |
Center for Comparative Medicine (CCM)
All personnel -- including investigators and staff -- who work with animals at Northwestern University and affiliated institutions must receive training on the proper care and use of animals in biomedical research, testing and teaching. The Animal Welfare Regulations and Public Health Service Policy require institutions to ensure that people caring for or using animals are qualified to do so. Therefore, personnel who are directly responsible for animals and/or use or care for animals will be trained prior to being allowed entry into the animal facility. Formal or on-the-job training will also be utilized to facilitate effective implementation of the program. All training documents are kept on file to verify completion.
For more information, please click here
| Subject |
Audience |
Frequency |
| Orientation to CCM |
CCM staff |
Weekly |
| Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Certification Training |
CCM animal care technicians |
Approximately twice per year (weekly classes span 29 weeks) |
| Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) Certification Training |
CCM animal care technicians |
Approximately twice per year (weekly classes span 29 weeks) |
| Barrier Training |
Research technicians, animal care technicians and PIs with animals in a barrier
All personnel requiring entrance into a barrier for maintenance or construction
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As needed
By request
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| Conventional Training |
Research technicians, animal care technicians and PIs with animals in a conventional area |
As needed
By request
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| Non-human Primate (NHP) Training |
Research technicians, animal care technicians and PIs with animals in a NHP room |
As needed
By request
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| Containment Training |
Research technicians, animal care technicians and PIs with animals in containment
All personnel requiring entrance into containment for maintenance or construction
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As needed
By request
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| Lab-Animal Specific Hands-On Training |
Research technicians, animal care technicians and PIs |
As needed
By request
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| Research Awareness Training |
CCM staff
Any research staff
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Once monthly |
Cost Studies training generally focuses on topics associated with OMB Circular A-21 -- Cost Principles for Educational Institutions. Topics covered by A-21 include, but are not limited to:
- Cost Principles - these principles establish the base guidelines for the reasonableness, allowability and allocablity of costs charged to federal research grants and contracts. A-21 also specifically establishes the allowability of certain items involved in determining cost
- Facilities and Administration Rate - Northwestern's F&A rate determines the rate by which Northwestern recovers indirect costs incurred from performing federal research
- Effort Reporting - general guidelines and methods for reporting faculty and staff effort on federal grants and contracts are described here
- Cost Accounting Standards - CAS describes techniques for treatment of costs across all educational institutions
Accordingly, Cost Studies' training and education is focused on improving Northwestern's ability to comply with OMB Circular A-21 and increasing the general knowledge level of A-21 across Northwestern's research community. Courses are directed toward all levels of administration, including deans, chairs, investigators, unit administrators and staff. Those interested in finding out more about the training below should contact Cost Studies directly.
For more information, please click here
| Subject |
Audience |
Frequency |
Cost Accounting Standards
Direct and Indirect Costs on Sponsored Projects
Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Rate
Fringe Benefit Rates
OMB Circular A-21 (Cost Principles for Educational Institutions)
Recharge Centers (Rate Preparation and Financial Management)
Recharge Centers, A-Z
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Can be tailored for specific audience |
Contact Josh Rosenberg
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Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS)
The burgeoning clinical and translational research enterprise at Northwestern University is being spearheaded by the new Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) and now includes services formerly offered through the Northwestern Center for Clinical Research (NCCR). NUCATS is a resource for clinical research education within the Northwestern research community and beyond. Through the Pathways in Clinical Research courses and other training opportunities, NUCATS provide a variety of educational opportunities for investigators and research personnel.
The most up-to-date NUCATS training and education information can be found here
| Subject |
Audience |
Frequency |
| Navigating the Research Maze |
All working in clinical research |
- The seminars are held on the third Tuesday of every other month (besides May) from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
See NUCATS website for details
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| Pathways in Clinical Research: CRC Basic Training - A Practical Introduction to the Clinical Research Coordinator Role |
Nurses and other healthcare professionals interested in working in clinical research |
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| Pathways in Clinical Research: Essentials of Initiating Clinical Research
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Nurses and other healthcare professionals interested in working in clinical research |
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Office for the Protection of Research Subjects (OPRS)
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The IRB consists of individuals dedicated to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects, to assist investigators and the NU research community in minimizing risk to the human research subject, and to achieve compliance with all federal, state and institutional regulations. To that end, investigators and all authorized research personnel involved in the conduct of research at Northwestern University must complete training on the protection of human subjects. Authorized project personnel are listed in each IRB project submission and include the principal investigator, co-investigators, study coordinator, research nurse, students, and research assistants.
Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC)
ACUC ensures that animal care and use is humane care and use of animals, inspects the animal facilities and investigator laboratories, and reports its findings to the Associate Vice President for Research.
The ACUC also makes recommendations to the Vice President for Research regarding any aspect of the institution's animal program, facilities, or personnel training.
As such, ACUC ensures that all authorized project personnel receive appropriate ACUC related training. The training is targeted at personnel including principal investigator, co-investigators, study coordinator,
students, research assistants and other personnel.
For more information, please click here
| Subject |
Audience |
Frequency |
| eIRB Training In accordance with the eIRB rollout all documents (protocols, ect) must be submitted in electronic format starting January 1, 2008.
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All authorized research personnel
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Click here for a list of training dates for each campus and online registration.
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| IRB Education & Training |
All authorized research personnel |
Click here to access the IRB education & training website |
| IRB Brown Bag Seminar Series |
Any research staff |
Click here for schedule information |
| HIPAA Training |
All Northwestern University staff participating in research |
Click here to access the HIPAA training website |
| ACUC Training |
All project investigators and research staff handling and caring for animals |
Click here to access the ACUC training website |
Office for Research Safety (ORS)
In accordance with its mission, the Office for Research Safety offers training and education designed to increase the safety with which research involving radiation, chemical, and biological material is conducted. ORS training and education helps to keep Northwestern University compliant with local, state, and federal safety regulations; such compliance is essential to maintain Northwestern University's eligibility for federal funding. ORS training and education is targeted at faculty, staff, and students and is required in order for individuals to perform or participate in certain research related activities. Those interested in finding out more about the training below should contact the Office for Research Safety directly.
ORS has a new training page which details research safety training expectations for NU faculty and staff - please click here for more information!
Office for Sponsored Research (OSR)
The mission of the Office of Sponsored Research is to facilitate research at Northwestern University by efficiently and effectively identifying funding sources, assisting in proposal development, reviewing and endorsing proposals, negotiating agreements, accepting and appropriating awards, interpreting guidelines and promoting compliance with agency and University policies.
For more information, please click here
| Subject |
Audience |
Frequency |
| Grants.gov training materials |
Research administrators & PIs |
Presentation materials from previous trainings: Click here
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| Brown Bag Lecture Series |
Research administrators & PIs |
As scheduled.
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NCURA Video Training Series
Subawards and Subcontracts: A Workshop Primer on Managing Collaborative Projects
A Primer on Intellectual Property for the Research Administrator
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OSR, ASRSP staff & research administrators |
Upcoming
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Communication
Research and research related developments and events occur frequently. In order to keep up with the rapid increase in relevant, research related information, many research administration units utilize newsletters, e-mails and other methods to inform Northwestern's research community of new information. Some of these are listed below for your use and reference, as well as links to external agencies' communications methods.
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