Research Administration Modernization Program at UNCG

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) is a comprehensive doctoral research institution,
with $38.9 million in sponsored research funding support, currently serving 16,238 undergraduates and 3,083
graduate students. Of these students, more than 1/3 are enrolled in biomedical departments at UNCG, and the
majority are from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical disciplines.
UNCG has identified health and wellness as an area of distinction, with programs that span all
educational levels, garner impressive national rankings, and include faculty who are recognized through
awards and honors and generate significant external funding. UNCG has made a specific commitment to
increase research funding in areas of health and wellness over the next five years.
Growth in the biomedical research enterprise at UNCG requires robust and efficient research
administration infrastructure. A 28% growth in research funding over the last five years has advanced the
research mission of NIH and of UNCG, but it has also strained the existing sponsored projects administration
(SPA) capabilities which are hampered by three primary issues: a legacy eRA system that creates
inefficiencies and errors; inadequate professional training opportunities for SPA staff which includes both
centralized and de-centralized staff; and a need for additional research development and project startup
support for biomedical researchers. Our data on proposal submission and award rates suggests these barriers
may especially impact our rapidly growing number of faculty from groups that are underrepresented in
biomedical fields.
In order to strengthen UNCG’s sponsored projects administration, specifically in preparation for the
planned emphasis on growth in biomedical research, we propose the Research Administration Modernization
Program (RAMP UNCG) which includes three aims: 1. Enhance sponsored programs infrastructure to increase
regulatory compliance, decrease administrative burden, and provide access to enterprise-wide research
administration data through the phased implementation of a commercial eRA system; 2. Facilitate the
development of sponsored programs capacity and administration through the implementation of a scaffolded
curriculum of competency-based professional development and mentorship for research administration staff to
ensure that all research support staff have the requisite knowledge and skills to provide efficient pre- and post-
award services; 3. Promote biomedical research and research training through the implementation of targeted
strategies in support of faculty from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in Biomedical
Sciences and NIH funding. The success of RAMP UNCG has enormous potential for attracting and retaining
talented scientists and students from diverse backgrounds to UNCG’s biomedical research and training
enterprise, ultimately contributing toward the national imperative for a diverse biomedical workforce.