Research Administration Help and Training

New Hire Onboarding eCourse: Fundamentals of Sponsored Research at UC San Diego

This informational video provides a high-level overview of working within a University environment and specifically highlights UC San Diego's mission while introducing learners to sponsored research and the common terms, concepts, players, and life cycle of a research project. Learners will gain a baseline understanding of what working within Sponsored Research at a University is and how it can be a complex and fascinating world that greatly contributes to the mission of UC San Diego.

Level 0: Research Administration (RA) Orientation

This self-paced training introduces you to the University of California System, UC San Diego, your role as a researcher within that landscape, and common vocabulary and tools you will encounter in the Sponsored Projects Life Cycle.

Training Manual

The Research Administration Training Manual was created as a resource for many of the questions you may encounter in your role as a research administrator. Starting off with the Role of the Research Administrator we you through the Sponsored Project Lifecycle (Pre-award to Post-Award), providing information, examples, and resources as you navigate the research administration landscape.

New Hire Checklists

• New Hire Onboarding Checklist (PDF)
• RA Responsibilities Checklist (PDF)
• New Award Checklist(PDF)
• New Faculty Checklist (PDF)
• Closeout Checklist(PDF) 

Mentorship Program:  

Mentors support personal and professional growth by setting goals, providing feedback, and sharing knowledge. They create productive workplaces, demonstrate employer value, offer specific guidance, boost confidence, and provide crucial encouragement, helping individuals navigate challenges and achieve success in their careers. The RA Mentoring Program will provide support for all new research administrators who successfully completed the Research Administration Training Bootcamp. Mentees will be matched with a mentor in a department that has similar business processes to their home department.

This is a comprehensive enterprise-wide research administration educational certification program that establishes and maintains individual and organizational learning and knowledge about research administration topics, programs, and systems. The program consists of five levels, four of which earn certificates. Visit the RA Training Program page to register or learn about each of our certificate program levels.

• Register for an instructor led class (on Zoom) to learn more about Kuali Research
• View our step-by-step system training guides to help you perform common tasks in Kuali Research