NIH GRANTS MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

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NIH GRANTS MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
Victoria C. Carper, MPA Grants Management
Officer NATONAL GRANTS MANAGEMENT
ASSOCIATION 24th Annual Training Conference
Washington, DC April 29, 2003
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NIH Overview
The principal health research agency of the
Federal Government A component of the Department
of Health and Human Services. Headquarters in
Bethesda, Maryland Composed of 27 distinct
institutes and centers, hereafter called
"institutes" or "ICs. Not all have granting
authority.
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NIH Overview Grants Management

• The NIH awarding institutes use Grants,
  Cooperative Agreements Contracts
• FY 2003 Budget
• 18.93 billion in research
• grants, contracts training grants
• 9,854 estimated competing Research Project Grant
  Awards
• Completes the President's commitment to double
  the NIH Budget within five years
• New proposal to double the NIH budget yet again

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Origin of Certification

• Directive from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for
  Grants and Acquisition Management
• November 1995
• HHS Grants Management Professional Certification
  Program is to be
• Implemented and maintained by Operating
  Divisions authorized to make grants and other
  assistance awards

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HHS Requirements

• Develop a process to address
• Agency specific eligibility requirements for each
  certification level
• Evaluation of candidates
• Award and perform an annual review and
  endorsement of certificates
• Decertification
• System for maintaining a current roster of
  certified agency staff, including the dates of
  each certification action

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NIH Grants Management Vision

• Grants Management field should consist of
• Highly trained and competent professionals
• Actively applying their business and
  administrative skills
• In partnership with scientific program officials
• Dedicated to achieving the NIH mission by
  ensuring grant programs are soundly managed,
  grant laws and regulations are followed.

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NIH Grants Certification Objectives

• Identify and Recognize grant professionals who
  develop expertise, knowledge and skills necessary
  in the conduct of their business management
  responsibilities
• Encourage
• -Continuing Education
• -Professional Development and Growth

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Positions Covered
Incumbents of all NIH positions who manage,
supervise, perform or develop policies and
procedures for the management of Federal Grants
and Cooperative Agreements Specific Positions
-Grants Management Specialist -Grants
Management Officer -Grants Policy
Specialist/Officer -Grants Management Analysts
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Certification Requirements
-Satisfactory job performance -Completion of
standard Training Courses -Individuals must be
certified as a condition of carrying out grants
management responsibilities -Expectation that
grant professionals will strive to achieve Level
II Certification at a minimum
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Level I Journey Grants Management Specialist

• Minimum 1 year relevant grants experience
• GS-5 up to GS-12
• Required Coursework
• Manages a portfolio of grants that include a
  broad range of both pre and post award activities
• Achieve Level I certification within 3 years of
  entering the profession

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Level II Expert Grants Management Specialist

• GS-12 up to 14 and Certified at Level I
• Achieve Level II certification within
• 2 years of receiving Level I certification
• Required Coursework
• Independently manages a portfolio of grants that
  include a broad range of grant mechanisms,
  including complex mechanisms
• 1 grants management professional activity

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Level III Grants Management Officer

• GS-13 up to 15 and Certified at Level II
• Continuing Education
• Requires Memo and concurrence of the Director of
  Office of Policy Extramural Research Activities
• Significant responsibility
• -Review and signature of other Specialists grant
  awards and/or
• -Independent responsibility for complex portfolio
• 2 grants management professional activities

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Level IV Grants Management Executives

• GS-15 or SES and Certified at Level III
• Continuing Education
• Chief Grants Management Officers and Director,
  OPERA
• Primary Individual responsible for grant
  management in an NIH Institute or Center
• Requires Review and comment by HHS
• Achieve Certification within 1 year of
  appointment
• 3 grants management professional activities

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Qualifying Coursework
Required DHHS Standard Courses Optional/Addition
al Training Examples Annual or regional
meetings of SRA, NCURA and NGMA Monthly NGMA
training sessions Applicable courses from an
accredited college, university or business school
Other Certifications (CRA, MCI) Courses
sponsored by NIH
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Qualifying Professional Activities
Membership in NGMA,SRA, or NCURA Involvement in
government-wide activities

Involvement in activities beyond the
agency Membership in trans-NIH committees
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Example of NIH Professional Development
Activities
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Application Process
Quarterly Receipt Dates Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct.
Board Meeting Held following month
Notification of Decision within 1 month of Meeting
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Application Goes Electronic
Debut in July Required in October
Benefits -Standard Format -Enables Applicant
to save previous Version and Update as
needed -Expedites the Review Process
-Facilitates Transmission to the Board
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Grants Professional Certification Review Board
Located within the Division of Grants Compliance
and Oversight, OPERA Composed of peers,
currently 8 members Review applications Recomm
endations submitted to the Director of OPERA for
concurrence
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Hot Topics

• Waivers
• Unusual circumstances
• Primarily for grand fathering highly qualified
  individuals who may have achieved the objectives
  through other means such as
• -Comparable training courses
• -Substantial work experience
• Requires full explanation of equivalence to
  requirements
• Chief GMO must endorse waiver requests

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Recertification
Requirement

• Required Every 3 Years
• Must demonstrate
• - Continuing Education
• - Ongoing Professional Development
• since last certification or recertification
• Additional Continuing education required for
  Levels II - IV

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Where we are today

• 77 of the NIH Grants Staff Certified
• Continue to streamline the
• Application process
• Constant improvements
• made to provide the best and
• Up-to-date training Opportunities
• Subcommittees enable Grants
• Staff to develop additional skills
• (eg computer)
• and increase professional development

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Thank You! VICTORIA C. CARPER, MPAChief,
Grants Management OfficerNational Center for
Complementary and Alternative MedicineNational
Institutes of Health Phone [phone]Email
vp8g_at_nih.gov