Research Administration at Emory (RAE) Program

RAE is a comprehensive training certificate program designed to provide onboarding and orientation to Emory’s Office of Research Administration (ORA) for new employees and to provide upskilling or refresher training for current ORA staff. RAE provides an introduction to Research Administration and the grant lifecycle.

Research Administration at Emory Basic Certification


Basic Certification Training

Basic Certification training is designed for RAS research administration staff new to ORA or the research administration community of practice. Basic certification training consists of 3 self-paced, core courses followed by three days of instructor-led courses.

Self-paced Basic, Core Courses

Self-paced core courses focus on the foundations of research administration, the federal framework, laws, regulations, guidelines, terms and conditions, and “why” policies and procedures must be followed.  These courses are available on demand on any internet-enabled device. Participants must score 75% in required courses to earn a certificate. To obtain access to the self-paced core courses, participants must complete the RAE Kickoff course in Brainier.

During the pre-award phase of the sponsored project lifecycle, the primary goal of the research administrator and the entire proposal team is to ensure the very best possible proposal is submitted to the sponsor. This can be a challenge for even experienced research administrators because of competing deadlines, multiple budget revisions, and onerous regulations and policies. The ultimate reward for the team’s dedication, attention to detail, and persistence in solving problems is the institution being granted the award. In this ultra-competitive environment though, pre-award processes, procedures, and policies must be clearly defined and communicated to the entire team. This module will assist you in preparing for your key roles and responsibilities during the pre-award phase.

Well done! The project has been awarded to your institution, launching the project into the post-award phase. Before your institution accepts this award, though the terms and conditions of the award need to be negotiated. The negotiation of the award depends largely upon the sponsor and the awarded funding mechanism as well as your institution’s culture and policies. This course focuses on defining the common agreement types and standard terms and conditions that may be problematic to your organization. It also presents strategies to solve these problems and ensure compliance. We end the course with a discussion of administering the agreement from award set-up to closeout.

What is post-award non-financial research administration? Why is it necessary, and who provides these services? LevelUP’s newest module explores the vital role Research Administrators share in keeping operations moving smoothly, facilitating effective communication, and fulfilling regulatory and sponsor requirements when managing the non-financial components of active awards. Learners will understand managing and making changes to sponsored projects, compliance obligations, reporting formats and requirements, and the core skills needed for successfully discharging these requirements. This program is a deep dive focused on explaining the what of post-award non-financial research administration and the why to prepare professionals for the inevitable nuances and exceptions they will encounter in their day-to-day responsibilities.
 

Elective Courses

In addition to the basic, core courses, Emory has made available additional elective courses. Elective courses may be taken in addition to the basic, core courses.

For new hires with prior experience in research administration, managers may opt to replace a basic, core course with an elective.

*Note: When selecting from Elective courses, the total number of SRAi course contact hours between Core and Elective courses must still add up to at least 13.0 contact hours.

SRAI LevelUp Course Descriptions

Instructor-led Basic Courses

Instructor-led core courses focus on university-specific policies, procedures, and systems and “how” tasks and transactions are handled at Emory. Participants who have passed all 3 self-paced, core courses will be sent links to attend the next cohort of Instructor-led courses.

RAE Day 1: Pre-Award - Emory Policies, Procedures, and Systems related to pre-award administration

RAE Day 2: Post-Award - Emory Policies, Procedures and Systems related to post-award administration

RAE Day 3: Cost Studies, Research Compliance, and Compass/EBI Reporting

Upcoming Session Dates

Mark your calendar to attend the next RAE Cohort! Participants who have passed all 3 self-paced, core courses will be sent links to attend the associated Instructor-led courses.

NOTE: Participants must attend all three sequential days of Instructor-led courses within a cohort offering.

​Below are the next cohort offerings through May 2026.

MANAGERS Register Your Employee (You MUST be logged into Brainer for the link to work): 

NOTE: You may register multiple employees even if the survey shows 100% complete.

Trouble accessing Brainer? Refer to the Brainier Access job aid

SRAi Self-Paced Module Completion Deadline:
  • Friday, January 9, 2026
Instructor-led Courses (Virtual):
  • Monday, January 12, 9 AM to 4 PM ET​
  • Tuesday, January 13, 9 AM to 3 PM ET​
  • Wednesday, January 14, 9 AM to 2 PM ET

MANAGERS Register Your Employee (You MUST be logged into Brainer for the link to work): 

NOTE: You may register multiple employees even if the survey shows 100% complete.

Trouble accessing Brainer? Refer to the Brainier Access job aid

SRAi Self-Paced Module Completion Deadline:

  • Friday, March 20, 2026

Instructor-led Courses (Virtual):

  • Monday, March 23, 9 AM to 4 PM ET​
  • Tuesday, March 24, 9 AM to 3 PM ET​
  • Wednesday, March 25, 9 AM to 2 PM ET

MANAGERS Register Your Employee (You MUST be logged into Brainer for the link to work): 

NOTE: You may register multiple employees even if the survey shows 100% complete.

Trouble accessing Brainer? Refer to the Brainier Access job aid

SRAi Self-Paced Module Completion Deadline:

  • Friday, May 1, 2026

Instructor-led Courses (Virtual):

  • Monday, May 4, 9 AM to 4 PM ET​
  • Tuesday, May 5, 9 AM to 3 PM ET​
  • Wednesday, May 6, 9 AM to 2 PM ET

Questions

Please direct questions about the RAE Program to Tricia Callahan (tricia.callahan@emory.edu).