Event
Event Details
Where:
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
When:
August 9 - 13, 2025
August 9 - 13, 2025
Hear from Attain Partners at the 2025 NCURA Annual Meeting
Attain Partners is a proud sponsor of the 67th NCURA Annual Meeting, taking place August 10 – 13, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Are you attending? Add these informative sessions to your conference agenda—or meet one-on-one with our experts. We’d love to schedule a time to discuss solutions for any current issues your institution may be facing.
WS13 – Balancing Act: Navigating Compliance and Customer Service in Research Admin
Sunday, August 10 | 1p – 4:30p ET
Research administrators often find themselves balancing two critical roles: enforcing compliance with complex regulations and providing exceptional customer service to researchers and stakeholders. This workshop, “Balancing Act: Navigating Compliance and Customer Service in Research Administration,” equips participants with the tools and strategies to manage this dual responsibility effectively using well-researched customer service models as well as relationship building and communication skills. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and role-playing exercises, attendees will learn how to navigate conflicts, communicate with diplomacy, and build relationships that foster collaboration while upholding compliance standards.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the dual role of research administrators as compliance officers and service providers.
- Learn strategies to enforce compliance without alienating stakeholders, including central offices, researchers or sponsors.
- Develop communication techniques to maintain positive relationships while addressing regulatory requirements.
- Create a toolkit to effectively balance these roles in daily operations.
Speakers
- Georgetta Dennis, Senior Associate, Attain Partners
- Amy Thomas, Director of Research, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Auburn University
Leveraging Preexisting AI Tools to Streamline Research Administration
Monday, August 11 | 4p – 5p ET
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an essential part of modern workflows, offering opportunities to enhance efficiency and reduce administrative burden. In research administration—a field marked by complex processes and compliance demands—AI has the potential to revolutionize daily operations. This session explores how research administrators can harness preexisting AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, to streamline tasks and improve productivity.
We will discuss real-world applications of publicly available AI platforms, from automating routine communications to interpreting policies and creating templates. Participants will learn how these tools can free up time to focus on more strategic and compliance-driven responsibilities. We will also address key considerations for ethical AI use, institutional readiness, and the critical need for training to maximize benefits while mitigating risks. Join us to discover practical strategies for integrating AI into your workflow and shaping the future of research administration.
Learning Objectives
Understand the Applications of AI in Research Administration:
- Gain insights into how preexisting AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Grammarly, can be used to automate routine tasks, enhance productivity, and streamline processes in research administration.
- Evaluate the Benefits and Ethical Considerations of AI Use: Explore the advantages of incorporating AI tools into your workflow while identifying potential ethical challenges and strategies to mitigate risks.
- Develop Strategies for Effective AI Integration: Learn practical approaches to adopting AI tools in research administration, including training needs, institutional preparedness, and balancing innovation with compliance and decision-making skills.
Speaker
- Kathleen Halley-Octa, Manager, Attain Partners
2 CFR 200 Uniform Guidance – Under New Management
Tuesday, August 12 | 8:15a – 9:45a ET
Speaker
- Gilbert Tran, Senior Specialist Leader, Attain Partners
Leveraging Preexisting AI Tools to Streamline Research Administration (Follow-up Discussion Group)
Tuesday, August 12 | 10:15a – 11:30a ET
Speaker
- Kathleen Halley-Octa, Manager, Attain Partners
Beyond the Basics: Working Through Pre-Award Complexity
Tuesday, August 12 | 2:45p – 3:45p ET
The presenters will explain our experience in the pre-award realm and discuss proposals that are complex—including budget formulations and commonly negotiated terms. We’ll also then delve into best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations on how to navigate proposal complexity across the research administration landscape.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss what makes a proposal complex
- Provide real-life examples of complex proposals and negotiations
- Cover lessons learned and best practices for navigating our complex research admin world
Speakers
- Jeff Derr, Principal Consultant, Attain Partners
- Matthew McElroy, Senior Consultant, Attain Partners
HHS Salary Cap to Discussion of New Policies and Implementations to UG
Tuesday, August 12 | 4p – 5p ET
Speakers
- Liliana Keany, Senior Consultant, Attain Partners
- Karen Renaud, Director-Research Finance, Boston Children’s Hospital
Transfer Seasons: Navigating Award and PI Transfers from Start to Finish!
Wednesday, August 13 | 8:30a – 9:30a ET
Are you intimidated by award or PI transfers? Wondering what the heck we are even talking about? Then come and learn how to process transfers like a seasoned pro (or something close to it)! We will cover NIH and NSF grant transfers between institutions, as well as PI transfers of an award within one organization. In this session, you will learn about federal requirements, differences between NIH and NSF procedures, and step-by-step instructions on the process. We will talk about both incoming and outgoing transfers from Departmental as well as Central Office perspectives. Additionally, we will share some best practices and tips, common challenges and how to face them, and ways to communicate with the PI and their new institution for a (hopefully) painless process!
Learning Objectives
Participants will feel more comfortable with the grant transfer process. They will understand requirements, implications, challenges, and learn efficient ways to complete the process. New administrators will have a better understanding of how and where to begin the transfer process, while more experienced staff will have an opportunity to expand their knowledge of best practices. There will also be an opportunity to collaborate and learn about various processes at other institutions through Q&A and discussion at the end of the session.
Speakers
- Jeff Derr, Principal Consultant, Attain Partners
- Tahira Mershon, Manager of Research Administration, University of California-San Diego
Research Portfolio Management
Wednesday, August 13 | 11a – 12p ET
Speakers
- Liliana Keany, Senior Consultant, Attain Partners
- Chelsea Gambill, Manager, Post Award and UARC Operations, Howard University
