Our client’s need

Faculty and administration at a large higher education institution needed support in developing training programs to provide faculty with the information and resources to successfully manage their federally sponsored programs and ensure compliance with regulations, sponsor requirements and university policies. The objective of these training programs was to clearly and simply articulate the information in the university sponsored programs policy and procedure manual so that principal investigators (PIs), grants administrators and the research community at large would be better equipped to manage sponsored awards.

Baker Tilly solution

Baker Tilly, in collaboration with faculty and the sponsored programs office, reviewed 30 policies and developed written materials for 18 e-learning modules, which grouped the policy and procedure manual by subject matter, in two phases that included modules on topics such as budgeting, cost sharing, effort reporting, sponsored payments and clinical trials. During this review, Baker Tilly also evaluated these policies for adherence to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance, as well as industry best practices. After this material was developed, Baker Tilly worked with the sponsored programs office to deliver training to the faculty and answer any questions and concerns faculty had about the training programs or new regulations that affected their research activities.

Results achieved

The university obtained recommendations to enhance policies to achieve consistency with Uniform Guidance, along with programs for effectively delivering training to their faculty. In addition, faculty received the training they needed to effectively manage their research funding, as well as answers to questions they had about the impact of the new regulations and support for their research activities.

For more information on this topic, or to learn how Baker Tilly specialists can help, contact our team.