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Research Administration Help and Training

Information on how to get Research Administration Help and Training.

The Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) prioritizes the support of Research Administrators (RAs) and other customers to ensure that they have the resources and support needed when working on sponsored research activities.

Learn more about:

RA New Hire Resources

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

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.

RA Professional Development Certificate Program

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.

Kuali Research Systems Training and Resources

RA Business Intelligence Training and Community of Practice (CoP)

We encourage you to join our Research Analytics Community of Practice! Both Cognos, Tableau and other tool users are invited. This Community of Practice is a great place to get your questions answered and see real examples of how research data is used at UCSD.

The Community of Practice meets the second Tuesday of the month at 2:00 p.m. by invite only.

Join the Activity Hub Research Community of Practice (login required) mail list.

Knowledge Base of Common Questions, Quick Guides and Articles (KBAs)

The Services & Support portal, built on the ServiceNow platform, provides one place for faculty, staff, and students to browse knowledge base articles, request services or get help. The portal is divided into 5 major areas:

  • Advancement: Support for engagement, stewardship, and philanthropy
  • Budget & Finance: Budget, finance, logistics, payment, procurement, and travel 
  • Information Technology: Technical, communications, and network support for business systems and campus infrastructure
  • Payroll, Academic Personnel, & HR (PATH): Payroll, academic personnel, timekeeping, and benefits
  • Research: General research administration, Kuali COI, and Kuali research
  • Student Support: Student account management, student campus card, student finance support
How it works
  • Access the main portal at https://support.ucsd.edu/
  • Use the search box to search across all portals. Note: Entering a search term and not pressing enter will bring up a mega search menu where you can select specific items.

For more information on how to access individual portals directly, please read more about our Services and Support Portal here.

Submit a Ticket

  1. Go to Services and Support Portal
  2. In the upper right-hand corner of the page, select the dropdown and click on the "Research" option.
  3. Click on "Get Help and Order Services"
  4. Click on "Submit a Ticket to Research Support"
  5. Fill out the form to create a ticket.

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Contact a RA Client Experience Agent

Our Client Experience team is a innovative, collaborative, solution-oriented and customer-focused group. They utilize a coordinated and holistic approach to support customers through training, communications and client support activities and analytics. If you have any questions, you should e-mail researchadmin@ucsd.edu. This will automatically generate a ticket for you, and one of our client experience team members will respond shortly to assist you with your inquiry.

Past Research Administration Office Hour Notes

Research Administration Office Hours Presentations:

Visit the Research Administration Office Hours webpage to see upcoming sessions.

For more information or questions email researchadmin@ucsd.edu.