COMPASS Certification Course

The “Compass” program at Auburn guides research administrators through the myriad channels of knowledge they need to perform their job e.g. enhancing and improving support provided to researchers. The Certification Course provides a working knowledge of the policies and procedures that underlie the field of sponsored project administration.  It is designed to challenge practitioners who have experience working in the field.  We take a broad view of sponsored project administration and develop a basic understanding of the diverse facets of the field.  Through classroom engagement and experiential learning, participants learn about sources of federal, state and local funding for research and other extramurally funded projects, sponsor agencies, industry and foundation sponsors, institutional models, the grant award cycle, and the typical roles and responsibilities seen in sponsored project administration.  The course emphasizes a pedagogy that is experiential and interactive in nature. Through this approach, participants explore regulations, principles, problems, and policies that are most relevant to the issues they may encounter in their daily work environment.  

Quick Links

 AU Policy

• Salary/Wage Cost Transfers Involving Sponsored Projects Policy 
• Unreimbursed and Unallowable Sponsored Projects Expenditures Policy 
• Fixed-Price Residual Balance Policy 

AU Procedures

• Rebudgeting
• Close-out
  • Steps to successful close-out
  • Subagreement closeout
• No-cost extensions
• Cost reimbursable 
• Fixed Price: Research Agreement; Research Services Agreement; Technical Agreement
• PI Handbook 
• All guidance and forms on OSP’s website