Course Syllabus: Research Administration for Scientists COMP 918
Overview: This course covers a range of topics important to any doctoral student in the sciences – topics that are rarely covered in other courses. Students will learn the basics of writing grant applications and preparing budgets, how the proposal review process works at different agencies, and important aspects of managing research after the proposal is funded e.g., supervising people as well as managing money, scheduling work, and documenting performance while complying with funding agency rules. Additional topics include: setting up a lab; research ethics; misconduct in science; human subject testing; laboratory safety; intellectual property including copyrights, patents, trade marks and trade secrets; technology transfer including licensing, material transfers, and start-up companies; conflict of interest; and the challenges/rewards of bridging the academic/industry divide.
Time and Location: Tuesday/Thursday from 12:30 to 1:45 in Sitterson SN011
Instructor: Tim Quigg, Associate Chair and Lecturer, Department of Computer Science
Text: There is no text book for this course; however, there will be a series of assigned readings – accessible from the instructor’s web page.
Course Projects/Final Grade: Students will complete several budgeting projects (20%), write patent claims (20%), participate in several research management group case studies (10%), and prepare/present/critique a modified grant proposal (done in small groups) (50%).
Related Course: Those students interested in writing a full proposal for submission to a funding agency should, in addition to registering for COMP 918, register for 2 hours of COMP 790-083 (special topics).
Auditors and Guests: Anyone is welcome to sit in on any or all of the lecturers. Post-docs and junior faculty are especially welcome.
Lecture Topics: Initial Assignment before First Class – Read the Endless Frontier report at http://www.nsf.gov/about/history/vbush1945.htm and come to class prepared to discuss
- Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Introduction and History of Research Funding in U.S.
- Thursday, January 14, 2010 Overview of Federal Budgeting Process,
Federal and Non-federal Expenditures for Research, and UNC-Chapel Hill Research Funding
Assignment – read the following articles before next class and come prepared to discuss:
1. “The Art of Grantsmanship” by Jacob Kraicer http://www.utoronto.ca/cip/sa_ArtGt.pdf
2. “Zen in the Art of Grantsmanship”
http://www.mindspring.com/~bozartmt/zen_in.html
- Tuesday, January 19, 2010 The Art of Grantsmanship
- Thursday, January 21, 2010 Contracts/Grants/Cooperative Agreements – What’s the Difference?
Assignment – review the following federal circular before next class:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a021/a21_2004.html
- Tuesday, January 26, 2010 OMB Circular A-21 (Cost Principles) –
Allowable/Unallowable, Direct/Indirect costs - Budgeting
- Thursday, January 28, 2010 OMB Circular A-21 (Cost Principles) –
Allowable/Unallowable, Direct/Indirect costs (continued)
Assignments:
1. Review the following federal circular before next class:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a110/a110.html and
2. By Tuesday, February 2 at 5:00pm, submit via email detailed budgets and budget justifications for in-class discussion and critique on Thursday February 4.
- Tuesday, February 2, 2010 OMB Circular A-110 (Administrative
Requirements) Program Income, Budget Revisions, Expanded Authority,
Equipment, Termination/Closeout, Cost Sharing, Recharge/Service Centers
- Thursday, February 4, 2010 Student Presentation of Budgets &
Critique by Class/Instructor and completion of OMB Circular A-110 discussion
Assignment – Tuesday, February 9 by 5:00pm via email – second detailed budget project.
- Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Guest Lecture: Peg Vigiolto, Associate
Vice Chancellor for Research and
Director, Office of Sponsored Research
“Electronic Proposal Processing –
Grants.gov and UNC Initiatives”
Assignment – read Chapter 26 in Research Administration and Management text entitled “Special Issues of Departmental Administration” by Tim Quigg before next class and come prepared to discuss:
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~quigg/#teaching
- Thursday, February 11, 2010 Sponsored Research Administration at
Department/Lab Level: Setting-up a Lab,
Effective Time Management
Assignment – read Report of UNC Sponsored Programs Study Committee by Tim Quigg before next class and come prepared to discuss:
- Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Sponsored Research Administration at
Institutional Level: A Case Study!
- Thursday, February 18, 2010 Project Management: Supervising People
(Basic Tasks of Supervision, Failure Tolerant
Organizations, Team Building, Managing
Around Weaknesses, Managing Your Boss)
Assignment: Review the MacGregor Case Study, meet with group to discuss study questions and prepare class presentation for Thursday, February 25
http://www.alampi.com/MacGregor
- Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Continuation of Project Management:
Supervising People (Efficiency and Effectiveness, Sub-Unit Optimization, Goal Setting, Delegation, Dealing with Difficulty Employees, Negotiation Skills)
- Thursday, February 25, 2010 Management Case Study Group Exercises
- Tuesday, March 2 2010 Research Ethics: Misconduct in Science
(Fabrication, Falsification, Plagiarism); Authorship; Peer Review, Data Ownership
- Thursday, March 4, 2010 Human Subject Testing: History,
Informed Consent, and Institutional Review Boards (IRB)
- Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Spring Break – No Class!
-
- Thursday, March 11, 2010 Spring Break – No Class!
- Tuesday, March 16, 2010 Intro. to Intellectual Property: Patents
- Thursday, March 18, 2010 Patents (Utility, Design, Plant) - Writing
Patent Claims: Understanding
Independent/Dependent Claims
Assignment read Chapter on Writing Patent Claims (posted on web)
- Tuesday, March 23, 2010 Writing Patent Claims: Understanding
Infringement/Invalidation
- Thursday, March 25, 2010 Copyrights: Legal Protection and Fair
Use; Trade Marks and Trade Secrets
Assignment due Thursday, April 1 - Patent Claims Project due
- Tuesday, March 30, 2010 Copyrights: Legal Protection and Fair
Use; Trade Marks and Trade Secrets
- Thursday, April 1, 2010 Student Presentation - Patent Claims
Assignment: Review IP Agreements for next class
- Tuesday, April 6, 2010 Guest Lecture: Trude Amick, Assistant
Director, Office of Technology Development "Working with Industry: NDA's, MTA's and Licensees"
- Thursday, April 8, 2010 Guest Lecture: Trude Amick, (continued)
- Tuesday, April 13, 2010 Intellectual Property Case Studies!
- Thursday, April 15, 2010 Conflict of Interest Issues – Working with
Industry brings both Rewards and New Challenges
-
- Tuesday, April 20, 2010 Bringing It All Together!
- Thursday, April 22, 2010 Group Final Project Presentations!
- Tuesday, April 27, 2010 Group Final Project Presentations!
|
