Continuing Education

Introduction

Some positions at Duke require employees to earn certification(s) and maintain those certifications through continuing education. While certification requirements vary, all persons in the following job classifications are required to maintain certification(s) in specific RCC programs (RAA, AGM, RAI): Grants and Contracts Administrator (2647); Grants and Contracts Manager (2648); Senior Grants and Contracts Manager (2649); Research Administrator (2627); Research Administration Manager (2628); Associate Director, Research Administration (2629).

In order for certified Duke employees to maintain and renew their certification(s), they are required to complete continuing education every fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). At the end of the fiscal year, RCC reviews each certified employee’s completed training to ensure the continuing education requirements were met throughout the fiscal year. Completion of these requirements renews the certification for another fiscal year. However, failure to meet continuing education requirements invalidates all certifications.

Research Costing Compliance recommends that supervisors and grant managers work together to select continuing education opportunities that are relevant to the employee’s job duties and professional goals.

Continuing Education Requirements

Current Training Opportunities

The continuing education requirements to maintain RCC, RAA, AGM, RAI and FCC certifications are:

• Annual version of Management of Selected Post Award Issues (MSPAI)
• Total of 15 credit hours, including the annual MSPAI
• Any additional required FasTrack(s), which would be in addition to the required 15 total credit hours

Continuing education credits, or credit hours, are provided based on the number of hours of the class/training. For example, a 3-hour class will count as 3 continuing education credit hours, if all requirements (quiz, evaluation, etc.) are met. Continuing education credit hours are noted in the Associated Learning tab for the course offering in the Duke LMS. However, professional conferences, workshops, Duke’s Annual Symposium for Research Administrators, and other training activities that are lengthy have a maximum number of CE credit hours you can earn per fiscal year toward meeting your annual continuing education requirement. See chart below.

Management of Selected Post Award Issues

Management of Selected Post Award Issues is updated each fiscal year to provide up-to-date information and developments in research administration that affect Duke’s grant management community. Therefore, it is required that certified employees (or any employee working toward a certification) attend this class every year to maintain their certification(s).  Attendees will receive 3 of their 15 required RCC continuing education credit hours for attendance. 

Ways to Earn Continuing Education Credit Hours

1. Certificate Program Classes (including electives): RAA electives and AGM classes may be counted as continuing education credit hours. All certificate program classes include an assessment, which must be completed by the deadline and passed with a score of 80% or greater to count towards continuing education credit. An evaluation must also be completed to receive continuing education credit. Some classes include pre-class work assignments, which also must be completed on time in order for the class to count for CE credit.
2. Other Classes Offered by Central Offices: All class requirements, including an evaluation and any other requirement listed in the LMS, must be completed to receive continuing education credit.
   • Research Costing Compliance (RCC)
   • Office of Research Administration (ORA)
   • Office of Research Support (ORS)
   • Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)
3. Central Office Quarterly Meetings: All requirements, including an evaluation and any other requirement listed in the LMS, must be completed to receive continuing education credit.
   • Research Costing Compliance (RCC)
   • Office of Research Administration (ORA)
   • Office of Research Support (ORS)
   • Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)
4. CRA Study Group: The semi-annual Certified Research Administrator (CRA) Study Group provided by RCC also counts as continuing education credit.
5. External Professional Organization Meetings: Attendance to external professional organization meetings count as continuing education credit.  To request continuing education credit for attending a professional meeting, please submit a Request for RCC Certification Credit form with documentation of your attendance.
   • North Carolina Society of Research Administrators (NCSRA)
   • Society of Research Administrators (SRA)
   • National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)
   • National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP)
   • National Conference on College Cost Accounting (NACCA)
   • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
   • Model Agreements & Guidelines International (MAGI)
6. Duke Symposium for Research Administrators: To receive credit for participation in the Symposium, attendees must complete evaluations of event and break-out sessions. Further details of how to earn credit for attending the Symposium are provided at the event.
7. Webinars: Webinars offered by professional organizations (NCURA, SRA, NORDP, etc.) and have been vetted by RCC may count as continuing education credit. RCC, in coordination with other central offices, may offer a webinar up to 4 times per year that can be viewed in the LMS. A brief quiz must be completed and passed with at least 80% to receive 1 continuing education credit hour. You may also submit a Continuing Education Credit Request for Department Webinar Viewing (pdrf) form to RCC to earn one continuing education credit hour for watching an approved webinar within your department.

Continuing Education While Enrolled in a Certificate Program

Individuals enrolled in any RCC certificate program (RAA, AGM, RAI) are exempt from completing all 15 continuing education credit hours during the fiscal years in which they are enrolled in the certificate program, with the exception of Management of Selected Post Award Issues (MSPAI) and required FasTracks.

Petition to Waive RCC Continuing Education Requirements

Supervisors of RCC, RAA, AGM, RAI, and FCC certified employees may petition to have the annual continuing education requirements waived for a particular fiscal year(s) due to extenuating circumstances, such as extended periods of approved leave. Workload and staffing concerns are not reasons for which a waiver will be granted. The form is located on the forms section of the RCC website and should be completed by the supervisor and submitted to RCC at rcc-cert@duke.edu

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits for External Certifications

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits are those that are required by professional certifications external to Duke. Employees who hold an external certification, such as CPA, CRA, etc., must earn a specified number of CPE credits to get their certifications renewed. Please note that CPE credits are not the same as continuing education credits needed for certifications that are internal to Duke (RAA, AGM, RAI, FCC). Additional details about earning CPE credits are available on the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) webpage.