The Research Administration Educational Offerings are open to all in the MIT research administration community and those exploring a career in research administration. You can learn at your own pace with self-study webinars. MIT authentication is required to register for and join online trainings.
MIT Atlas Learning Center closes registration two days before the course is scheduled to be held. Atlas email course reminders will include Zoom links for virtual sessions. Register early, and contact training@mit.edu if a course you are interested in is closed or if you have any registration difficulties.
Ongoing
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RA Support team members will highlight topics drawn from current trends in questions received through ra-help@mit.edu. We invite you to bring questions and/or current proposals that you are working on. Join on Zoom (no registration required)
April 2025
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Create a Detailed Budget for a Non-Profit sponsor with a difference between MIT’s federally negotiated rate and the F&A rate allowed by the sponsor resulting in Underrecovery. This hands-on class will build upon knowledge and skills practiced in the pre-requisite web courses.
Please complete pre-requisite courses in this order prior to registration:
This hands-on class is offered in three versions with exercises and discussion focused on more complex proposal scenarios.
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Live Web Event
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming research administration, offering new opportunities to streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and reduce administrative burden. However, navigating the AI landscape can be overwhelming, with concerns about accuracy, security, and implementation costs. This webinar, led by Dan Harmon and Lori Schultz, will provide research administrators with a foundational understanding of AI, including its capabilities and limitations, key terminology, available tools, and real-world use cases. Participants will also gain insights into data governance, institutional resources, and practical strategies for getting started with AI-powered workflows. Whether you're curious about AI or looking for ways to integrate it into your work, this session will equip you with essential knowledge and actionable steps.
Learning Objectives
Join us for this informative session, where we will review:
- Define AI and Its Role in Research Administration – Understand what AI is (and what it isn’t), key terminology, and the types of AI tools available to support research administration functions.
- Assess the Opportunities and Challenges of AI Implementation – Explore AI use cases, evaluate accuracy and risks, and learn best practices for data governance, privacy, and security in a research administration setting.
- Apply AI Tools to Improve Research Administration Tasks – Learn practical examples of AI applications, including prompt engineering for basic research administration tasks, and discover available institutional resources for AI adoption.
Please join us April 15, 2025, via Zoom
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Session encouraging participation by all staff managing subawards issued under MIT prime awards. We will discuss recent updates, process changes and tools that assist with workflow and minimize delays in issuing modifications. There will be ample time for Q&A.
Register for Improving Subaward Modification Process
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Create a Detailed Budget with cost sharing on Personnel and Non-Personnel expenses to meet sponsor cost sharing requirements [03/28/2024]. This hands-on class will build upon knowledge and skills practiced in the pre-requisite web courses.
Please complete pre-requisite courses in this order prior to registration:
This hands-on class is offered in three versions with exercises and discussion focused on more complex proposal scenarios.
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Live Web Event
As research administration becomes increasingly complex, AI-powered solutions offer a transformative opportunity to enhance efficiency and responsiveness in customer service. This session will explore how AI can streamline processes, reduce administrative burden, and improve the overall service experience for researchers and staff. Participants will gain insight into the current landscape of AI in customer service, including available tools and best practices. Additionally, we will walk through the development process AI chatbots tailored for research administration, highlighting key considerations such as data integration, knowledge base maintenance, automation, and user interaction. Whether you are just beginning to explore AI or looking to refine your existing approach, this session will provide valuable guidance on leveraging AI to meet the unique challenges of research administration.
Learning Objectives
Join us for this informative session, where we will review:
- Understanding AI Model Development: Explore the foundational elements of developing an AI model specifically tailored for customer service applications, ensuring efficient and effective problem-solving.
- Enhancing Efficiency in Research Administration: Investigate how AI can be leveraged to improve efficiency within the customer service sector of research administration, particularly where time is of the essence. Discover how AI can streamline processes, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance overall productivity.
- Current Landscape and Tools: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the current AI landscape and identify the available tools that are revolutionizing the customer service sector within research administration.
No registration is required.
Please join us April 29, 2025, via Zoom
May 2025
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Fellowship Activity Type is used for Pre and Post Doctoral fellowships which support independent research for purposes of enhancing the training experience of an individual. The example for the class exercise will be an NIH Post-Doctoral Fellowship. This class will build upon knowledge and skills practiced in the pre-requisite web courses.
Please complete pre-requisite courses in this order prior to registration:
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Live Web Event
Research administration (RA) and research development (RD) are distinct but closely related functions within the broader field of academic research management. They involve different aspects of supporting research activities at universities and research institutions. While at times the two roles may overlap, they serve different purposes within the broader framework of supporting and advancing research activities in academic institutions.
The session will explore the unique contributions of both research development and research administration to the research enterprise. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the value of both professional roles, discuss operational challenges, and explore collaboration opportunities to enhance research outcomes. Through interactive sessions and expert-led discussions, participants will gain valuable insights to encourage a stronger collaborative environment. The webinar will cover tips and strategies for ensuring success with navigation between both RA and RD functions and activities.
Learning Objectives
Join us for this informative session:
- Participants will have a clear understanding of the roles of responsibilities between RA and RD.
- Participants will understand the value each function brings to the research enterprise.
- Participants will be provided with strategies and tools to engage with and elevate their partnering RA or RD functions and activities
No registration is required.
Please join us May 27, 2025, via Zoom
June 2025
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Create a Detailed Budget that includes personnel with different salary inflation dates and indirect costs. This hands-on class will build upon knowledge and skills practiced in the pre-requisite web courses.
Please complete pre-requisite courses in this order prior to registration:
Share your topic suggestions at ra-help@mit.edu.