Strengthening Makerere University's Research Administration Capacity for efficient management of NIH grant awards (SMAC)

项目摘要/摘要 Makerere大学健康科学学院(MakCHS)是乌干达最大的健康培训机构 和东非。它的大部分生物医学研究都是由NIH资助的，几十年来一直是 主要通过合作伙伴组织的次级奖励获得。在过去的四年里， MakCHS的NIH直接赠款稳步增加，从不到210万美元增加到460万美元。 这种增长增加了她在管理NIH赠款方面的作用和责任，并呼吁 提高研究管理能力，以满足需求。多年来一直是次要接受者，在 当时的拨款监督在很大程度上是在主要获奖者的管理之下，大多数MakCHS 管理员对严格管理所需的拨款管理流程的接触有限 美国国立卫生研究院拨款。他们通常依赖于合作的主要接受者(他们拥有总体赠款监督)来 为他们解释资金规定。他们很难遵守NIH的拨款政策，这可能会 折衷未来的赠款资金。迫切需要为MakCHS研究管理员配备 正确的知识和技能，以更好地管理NIH的拨款。为了实现这一目标，我们将提供两名高级 具有NIH拨款管理高级培训的管理人员，并可获得良好的业务实践 管理美国国立卫生研究院的拨款。这将通过以下方式完成：1)在乔治·华盛顿大学进行实践培训 (GWU)在美国，2)在NIAID-Rockville通过赠款管理计划(GMP)进行定制培训，以及3) NIAID关于方案资金和赠款管理的区域研讨会。经过培训，高年级学生 管理员将向MakCHS初级研究管理员和其他管理员级联学习 在该地区提高其有效管理NIH赠款的能力。培训将是 采用经批准的工作人员培训计划，通过低成本研讨会和网络研讨会会议提供。我们还将 实施研究管理员伙伴计划和在线学习咖啡馆，以提供指导和 通过提供协商机制，加强该区域研究管理人员之间的合作 和共享赠款资源。此外，我们亦会落实从广东工业大学学习的良好营商手法，以 简化MakCHS的赠款监测流程。引入现代助学金制度，完善 跟踪赠款支出，并实时获取赠款数据，以便做出明智的决策。现有 将审查、更新赠款管理标准作业程序，并在需要时制定新的标准作业程序。到年底的时候 该项目将改进MakCHS赠款管理系统和资源，以更好地管理NIH 资助金。两名MakCHS高级行政人员将转变为熟练的院校补助金管理人员 领袖们。MakCHS的69名初级管理人员和56名科学家，加上该地区的25名管理人员将拥有 提高了管理NIH补助金的知识和技能。这将对赠款池做出贡献。 NIH的管理专家可以作为该地区的顾问。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) is the largest health training Institution in Uganda and East Africa. Majority of its biomedical research is supported by NIH funding, which for decades has been predominantly secured through sub awards from collaborating partner organizations. Over the last four years, MakCHS has registered a steady increase in its NIH direct grant awards from under USD 2.1M to USD 4.6M. This growth has increased her role and responsibility for the management of NIH grant awards, and calls for improved research administration capacity to match the need. Having been a sub recipient for many years, during which time grants oversight was largely under the stewardship of prime award recipients, most of MakCHS administrators have limited exposure to grants management processes required for rigorous management of NIH grants. They often rely on the collaborating prime recipients (who have the overall grant oversight) to interpret funding regulations for them. They struggle to comply with NIH grants policies, and this could compromise future grant funding. There is an urgent need to equip MakCHS research administrators with the right knowledge and skills for better management of NIH grants. To achieve this, we will provide two Senior Administrators with advanced training in management of NIH grants, and access to good business practices for managing NIH grant awards. This will be done through: 1) hands on training at George Washington University (GWU) in USA, 2) tailored training with the Grants Management Program (GMP) at NIAID-Rockville, and 3) the NIAID regional workshop on program funding and grants administration. After training, the senior administrators will cascade lessons learnt to MakCHS junior research administrators and other administrators in the region to improve their capacity for efficient management of NIH grant awards. The training will be delivered through low-cost seminars and webinar meetings, using an approved staff-training plan. We will also implement a Research Administrator Buddy Program and an online Learning Café to provide mentorship and enhance collaboration among research administrators in the region, by providing a mechanism for consultations and sharing of grants resources. In addition, we will implement the good business practices learnt from GWU to streamline MakCHS’ grants monitoring processes. A modern Grants System will be introduced to improve tracking of grant expenditures and provide real time access to grants data for informed decision-making. Existing grants management SOPs will be reviewed, updated and new ones developed where needed. By the end of the project, MakCHS grants management systems and resources will be improved for better management of NIH grants. Two MakCHS senior administrators will be transformed into proficient institutional Grants management leaders. 69 junior administrators and 56 scientists at MakCHS, plus 25 administrators in the region will have improved knowledge and skills for management of NIH grants. This will contribute to the pool of grants administration experts NIH can use as resource persons in the region.