Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV

Certified Research Administrator Program

usf-centric curriculum for researcher administrators

The Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV offers a certification program for employees who serve as research administrators. The designation, Certified Research Administrator-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV (CRA-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV), identifies the certification with Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV and is aligned with recognized academic and professional credentialing.

The CRA-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV stands apart from other research administration certifications in that the curriculum is Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV-centric, focusing on the business systems, processes, best practices, tool, resources and forms endorsed and used by the Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV.

Being an effective research administrator requires not only extensive knowledge and understanding, but also many skills and abilities that can only be learned and developed through practice and hands-on application in real-world settings. These courses lay the foundation for participants to further develop their knowledge base and improve job skills and competencies outside the online course environment.

Types of Credentials

Two credentials may be earned by Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV employees, CRA-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV/Basic and CRA-
Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV/Advanced, by successfully completing the applicable online course. Employees
who earn a credential become members of the Academy of Certified Research
Administrators at Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV.

Recertification

Certification standardization is essential to upholding the integrity of the CRA-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV
credentialing program and serves to support the credibility of those who hold the
credential at Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV. Recertification helps to ensure members of the Academy of
Certified Research Administrators maintain their credential with a current syllabus.
Sponsored Research recommends recertifying every three years to keep up to date
on changes to the research enterprise at the university. As research guidance
evolves so will the information covered in the courses.

Member Database

Employees who earn a credential become members of the Academy of Certified Research Administrators at Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV. Members are included in the Academy’s online database that lists active Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV employees who have earned one or more CRA-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV credentials. You may search members by College/Department, Last Name, or Certificate Type. The database also includes certificate dates.

Certificates

Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV employees who have earned a CRA-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV credential may download a copy of their signed certificate(s) from the Academy of Certified Research Administrators Member Database. Each credential has its own certificate. Documentation of course completion is also reflected in the employee’s GEMS training record.

Authorized Use of the CRA-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Credential

All active Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV employees who hold a current credential are authorized to use the credential and are expected to properly cite their credential in their signature block.

Along with earning a credential, comes an obligation to uphold the integrity of the CRA-Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV designation which supports the credibility of those who hold this honor. Both the credential and the Academy have come to connote competency and integrity resulting from consistent adherence to Federal/State regulations, sponsor guidelines, Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV policies, procedures, and standards of acceptable business practices.

Authorization to use the credential is at the discretion of Sponsored Research. Employees who do not recertify within a reasonable time frame, after expiration, may have their credential temporarily revoked until they are recertified.