Expanding the Role of the DRA:
Moving from an Island Culture to
a Global Community
Leadership Project
NCURA Region VI
Mentee
Derick Jones- Medical Genetics Institute
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Mentor
Debbie Caulfield
University of California San Francisco
What is the Role of a DRA?
The Departmental Research Administrator
(DRA) assists and advises the PI (Principal
Investigator) in pre-award activities in
accordance with:
• Sponsor’s terms and conditions
• applicable regulations
• institutional policies
What is the Role of a DRA?
The DRA assists the PI in compliance with
post-award activities in accordance with:
• Terms and conditions
• Regulations
• Institutional policies
What is the Role of a DRA?
The DRA is a “Cradle to Grave” pre- and
post- award management position.
The DRA is responsible for monitoring the
compliance and allowableness of expenses
for all funded research.
What is the Role of a DRA?
DRAs are the primary interface with the
scientific staff members that are responsible
for sponsored project conduct.
Because DRAs are “on the ground,” they
have an important understanding of issues a
central administrator may not or cannot
know.
What is the Role of a DRA?
An experienced and competent DRA is an
asset to both his/her assigned PIs and
Central Administration’s pre- and post-award
offices.
What is the Role of a DRA?
The DRA is one of the most important
players in Research Administration
Operations
What is the Role of a DRA?
You
Are
in Grant Administration
What is the Role of a DRA?
Your Importance does not eliminate the
challenges and hurdles associated with
getting your job done, especially when you
are a one person office.
What is the Role of a DRA?
In order to be a successful DRA:
 Understand your value to your
organization
 Understand your limitations
 Determine your strengths
 Identify your weaknesses
Staying on Track
You are a DRA in a one person office
but you have the ability to expand your
network of
Staying on Track
Develop key relationships throughout your
organization.
• Introduce yourself to others in your
organization and let them know your
needs.
• Network within your resource
community.
• Please and thank you go a
long way.
Staying on Track
The DRA must have relationships with:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Other DRAs
Central Administration
Prime award office and officials
Purchasing
Finance/accounts payable
Human resources
Information technology
The need for Community
For many DRAs, life is lived in a bubble on
remote departmental islands. The DRA must
become part of a global and local Research
community in order to maximize the
knowledge basis at their disposal
The need for Community
There is an overwhelming need for the DRA to
have interaction with others in their roles in
order to move departments from operating as
“mom and pop” entities into a conglomerated
body of research knowledge
The Proposal
In order to meet the need for community
among DRAs, I propose
• The creation of Department Research
Administrators Work groups.
The Benefit
The DRA group can benefit an organization
by:
• Becoming better trained staff who are
current with industry shifts
• Simplifying communications while bridging
the historical divides between
Investigators and Central Administration
• Having invested partners in the Research
enterprise operations of a organization
The Benefit
The focus of the group is to:
• Promote commonality in business
practices
• Shared knowledge base
• Cross-departmental training
In Conclusion
The DRA group meeting is essential to the
future growth of an organization.
The DRA is your institution’s first line of
defense for compliance.
The DRA is where the rubber meets the
road. An investment in them, coupled with
training, will become the life force of any
research organization.