Navigate: Lunch & Learn

Target Audience

The Navigate: Lunch & Learn series is open to all research administrators involved in any pre- or post-award management activities for research projects. 

Upcoming Session 

Learn From My Mistakes: An Exploration of RA Horror Stories

Date:  Thursday, November 1, 2018
Time: 
    11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Lunch
    12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Program
Where: Wolverine Tower, Suite 18 

Register to attend in person by Wednesday, October 24, 2018. Space is limited. You may be added to a waiting list. Pizza will be provided. There is no cost to attend. This event will not be available by remote simulcast.

Join us for a special (in-person only) Halloween-themed Navigate: Lunch & Learn event! In this session, we will explore chilling tales from the RA community about mishaps and lessons learned from these experiences. See below for details on how you can submit your own RA horror story!

We are interested in hearing from RAs across the university who are willing to submit a “frightful” story to potentially be shared by the Lunch & Learn facilitators. Four stories will be selected from the total submitted.
 
All persons submitting stories will be entered in a random prize drawing (must attend the Lunch & Learn to win)!
 
Please use the link below to submit a brief story, following these important guidelines:

• Describe the terrifying near miss or mistake you made as a research administrator.
• Tell us how the problem was resolved. Was the solution sufficient?
• What key lesson(s) did you learn from this experience that might be beneficial to your RA colleagues?

Please be sure to maintain confidentiality and anonymity - avoid using personal names, titles, identifying units/departments, project names, etc.
 
Use this link to submit your story by 5:00 pm Wednesday, October 24, 2018.

Past Sessions

Here are some examples of past Lunch & Learn topics:

Mapping Your Career in the Research Administration (RA) Zone - July 2018  

In this Lunch & Learn session, leaders from both the University of Michigan and Michigan State University shared their interesting pathways to their current positions in this amazing field. Watch the Mapping Your Career video for more information.

Partner or Perish: A Holistic Approach to Corporate Relations - June 2018 - 

In this Lunch & Learn session, Stella Wixom, Executive Director, U-M Business Engagement Center (BEC), shared information about what the BEC can do to support faculty who are interested in engaging with industry or pursuing commercialization. Additional BEC resource: Watch the BEC’s What We Can Do for Faculty video.

CRA Exam Experiences: A Panel Discussion - May 2018

In this Lunch & Learn session, Kristina Oberly (CSE Research Manager and CRA) moderated a panel where guests shared their experiences in preparing for the exam, tips and tricks for success, post-exam lessons learned and answered questions from the audience. To learn more about the session discussion, please view the CRA Exam Panel Discussion document.

Effort - February 2018 - 

Faculty and staff are responsible for monitoring their activities to ensure that their effort is supported by fund sources appropriate to their activities, and for certifying their effort on an annual basis. But effort reporting and certification can be a confusing topic for faculty and research administrators alike. In this Lunch & Learn session, Heather Offhaus, Director of the Medical School Grants Review & Analysis Office, provided a basic overview of Effort and discussed its importance. 

Subawards, Hybrids, and Purchase Orders - October 2017 - 

Dennis Poszywak, Procurement Subcontract Administrator of U-M, helped distinguish the differences among subawards, purchase orders, and hybrid purchase orders, and how they impact your proposals.

Financial Status Reports (FSRs) - June 2017

Kristi Beckon, Senior Financial Manager, provided a basic overview of Financial Status Reports (FSRs) and discuss their importance, including a detailed review of the FSR worksheet snapshot and the required submission timeline.