New academy offers support for managing research dollars

Duke's funding from sponsored research has exploded, growing 78 percent in the last five years to nearly $800 million. This sudden influx has created strains on the system, too, which end up on the desks of people like Michelle Smith.

Smith, interim assistant manager of research administration, helps oversee 641 grants and research projects in the Department of Surgery, the equivalent of balancing 641 checkbooks every month. When she first assumed her role last year, she had many questions -- everything from how to apply for a grant to how to decode the acronyms that describe them.

"People speak in this acronym language," she said. "When I first started, I had to figure out what people were talking about."

Smith discovered she was not alone when she became one of 43 people in the inaugural class of the Research Administration Academy (RAA), a three-month course taught by internal experts at Duke.

The course was developed in response to administrative demands created by the growth in Duke's research funding, which makes up the largest component of Duke's operating budget. These funds include regulations that prescribe how they can and can't be spent. And people like Smith can now get certified through the academy to ensure those funds are managed appropriately.

"I am much more confident in dealing with compliance issues," Smith said. "I've gained a much better perspective on the entire process, and

I don't feel so isolated when I have questions."

Having more confident staff managing grants has already made an impact in places such as the Nicholas School of the Environment. Jim Haggard, associate dean of finance at Nicholas, said having certified staff managing the process has been invaluable to faculty responsible for grant projects.

"Duke wants to free up researchers so they can focus on their science, and the researchers need to have good people managing and ensuring compliance," Haggard said.

The academy is one of several improvements that resulted from the Research Administration Continuous Improvement (RACI) initiative launched in 2007 following a comprehensive review of research administration at Duke.

"Duke has become one of the elite research universities in the country," said Hof Milam, vice president for finance who chairs the RACI initiative. "Our goal is to enhance the support structure in a way that will enable our research faculty to be even more successful. We're working closely with faculty, business managers, and research support offices to improve processes, technology, policies and training."

During the first academy class graduation last December, participants presented class projects, including a pocket guide produced by Smith and fellow classmate, Diane Dunn.

"I was impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the class," said Scott Gibson, executive vice dean of administration for the School of Medicine. "I think it speaks highly of the need and the impact of this program for staff who aspire to careers in grant administration."