Navigate: Budgeting Basics for Sponsored Projects

The Navigate Program is pleased to announce a new instructional format for the Navigate: Budgeting Basics for Sponsored Projects course for Spring 2025. This blended pilot course requires that participants complete both the online (asynchronous) component and attend the virtual instructor-led session.

Register to attend (link is external) by 5:00 p.m on Monday, March 31, 2025.

Schedule

• Part 1: 8 weeks (1-2 hours/week) - Asynchronous via Canvas 
  • Starts: Monday, April 14, 2025
• Part 2: Virtual Instructor-Led Session 
  • Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
  • Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

The Navigate: Budgeting Basics for Sponsored Projects course will be broken down into two parts:

• Part 1 learners will complete all baseline activities in Canvas over an 8-week period. This content will provide introductory information and the essential foundation to prepare learners for Part 2.
• Part 2 is a virtual instructor-led session that will focus on the practical application of the information learned in Part 1.

Target Audience

The Navigate: Budgeting Basics for Sponsored Projects course is recommended for newer research administrators:

• with approximately one (1) year of on-the-job experience,
• who have minimal experience working with budgets for sponsored research proposals, and
• who are proficient in using Microsoft Excel.

Note: Those who have previously attended the Navigate: Fundamentals course should not register for this course. The Fundamentals course content covers the concepts and materials included in this Navigate: Budgeting Basics for Sponsored Projects course.

Session Content

• Part 1: The asynchronous (online) portion of this course will provide introductory information and the essential foundation for building sponsor budgets. This content is broken down into modules and covers understanding cost principles and Uniform Guidance, calculating and reflecting effort in sponsor budgets, and budget attributes.  The asynchronous content contains text and reading materials, short videos, and infographics. Quizzes will be offered at the end of each new topic that has been covered so learners can test their understanding of the material.
• Part 2: The virtual instructor-led portion of the course will provide class demonstrations and modeling. Participants will apply basic techniques to build their own budgets, each with increasingly complex elements and attributes. Participants will engage in class walk-through demonstrations, discuss budget-building and problem-solving strategies typical in the context of proposal submission, and then work through reinforcing budget development with a homework assignment. 

By the end of the course, participants will master three to four basic budgets for externally sponsored projects. They will also receive a collection of job aids and templates to use as a referece for building similar budgets on their own.

Registration and Requirements

Registration (link is external) for the Navigate: Budgeting Basics for Sponsored Projects course is required, and due by 5:00 pm on Monday, March 31.

Course Requirements

• Obtain supervisor's approval
• Participate in 1-2 hours per week of asynchronous training for 8 weeks (Canvas)
• Participate in 3-4 hours of a live virtual instructor-led session (Zoom)
• Complete all assignments
• Complete a course evaluation

This is a blended course experience. Participants must complete all coursework in Canvas, and attend the virtual instructor-led session in order to successfully complete the course.

This pilot course is limited to 20 participants.

Course Fee

The course fee is temporarily waived.