Research Administration Certification Series (RACS)

What is RACS?
The Research Administration Certification Series (RACS) is a program sponsored jointly by Sponsored Programs and Extramural Funds Accounting. It is an 80-hour certificate program for UC Davis research administrators that covers both pre-award and post-award topics. The RACS certificate will be one of the eligibility requirements for positions in the new Research Analyst title series currently in development. These courses will also help research administrators prepare for the Certified Research Administrator (CRA) exam available through the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC). CRA certification will be required for Research Analyst III positions and above. For more information about CRA certification, visit the RACC Web site.

The three core post-award courses are prerequisites for the rest of the post-award series. Once the three prerequisites have been met, the remaining post-award courses may be taken in any order. Additionally, Post Award Administration, Part I is a prerequisite for Post Award Administration, Part II. Information about pre-award courses will come at a later date via the RACS e-mail list.

Planned RACS post-award courses* include:

Course Name Description

Principles of Research Administration (core) An overview of the research environment, roles and responsibilities, and resources for federal, state, and UC/UCD guidance; 3.5 hours

Post Award Administration, Part I (core) An overview of the award lifecycle, start-up tasks for new awards, charging practices, ledger review, cost transfers, and subawards; 3.5 hours

Post Award Administration Part II (core) An overview of effort commitments, cost sharing, changing awards, closeouts, and effort reporting; 3.5 hours; Prerequisite: Post Award Administration, Part I

A-21 and Costing Policy An in-depth study that focuses on understanding and applying tests for allowability, allocability, reasonableness and consistency. Additional topics covered include distinguishing direct from indirect costs, requirements for cost transfers, and effort reporting; 3.5 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses

Indirect Costs An in-depth study that covers the practical application of budgeting and re-budgeting with indirect costs. This will be a workshop with lots of hands-on exercises; 2 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses

A-110 – Administrative Requirements An in-depth study that covers cost sharing, program income, and budget revision. Additional topics include disposition of property, record retention, and contract provisions; 3 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses

Cost Sharing and Effort Commitments An in-depth study that focuses on when effort and cost sharing commitments exist and how to quantify and properly track them; 3 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses

Financial Closeouts An in-depth study that covers the steps involved in closing out an extramural award with emphasis on ensuring complete and accurate data in DaFIS to facilitate final financial reporting. Participants will practice using DaFIS reports to complete simple financial reports; 3 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses

Additional courses TBD

*Courses and content are subject to change.

Course Name	Description
Principles of Research Administration (core)	An overview of the research environment, roles and responsibilities, and resources for federal, state, and UC/UCD guidance; 3.5 hours
Post Award Administration, Part I (core)	An overview of the award lifecycle, start-up tasks for new awards, charging practices, ledger review, cost transfers, and subawards; 3.5 hours
Post Award Administration Part II (core)	An overview of effort commitments, cost sharing, changing awards, closeouts, and effort reporting; 3.5 hours; Prerequisite: Post Award Administration, Part I
A-21 and Costing Policy	An in-depth study that focuses on understanding and applying tests for allowability, allocability, reasonableness and consistency. Additional topics covered include distinguishing direct from indirect costs, requirements for cost transfers, and effort reporting; 3.5 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses
Indirect Costs	An in-depth study that covers the practical application of budgeting and re-budgeting with indirect costs. This will be a workshop with lots of hands-on exercises; 2 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses
A-110 – Administrative Requirements	An in-depth study that covers cost sharing, program income, and budget revision. Additional topics include disposition of property, record retention, and contract provisions; 3 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses
Cost Sharing and Effort Commitments	An in-depth study that focuses on when effort and cost sharing commitments exist and how to quantify and properly track them; 3 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses
Financial Closeouts	An in-depth study that covers the steps involved in closing out an extramural award with emphasis on ensuring complete and accurate data in DaFIS to facilitate final financial reporting. Participants will practice using DaFIS reports to complete simple financial reports; 3 hours; Prerequisite: completion of core courses
Additional courses TBD

Take a Class
Principles of Research Administration, Post Award Administration, Part I, and Post Award Administration, Part II are now available through Staff Development & Professional Services (SDPS).

Enroll Online at SDPS
Enroll on-line through Staff Development & Professional Services online enrollment page. You will need your Employee ID number to enter the system. Click Enroll in a Course, then click BA (Business & Administration). Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the course(s). Click the course number next to the course you wish to enroll in, then click to select the course date. Please contact Staff Development & Professional Services at sdps@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-1766 if you need enrollment assistance.

Bring RACS to Your School or College
If your school or college has a group of 20 or more who wish to attend a RACS course, we can bring the class to your location! The three core post-award courses are currently available for scheduling. Please contact Debra Henn at dshenn@ucdavis.edu for more information.

Obtain a Certificate
To receive credit for each course toward the RACS certificate, candidates must attend the class session and pass the online examination for each course on SmartSite. Exams are composed of 30 multiple-choice questions which cover the material presented in each course. To receive credit for an exam, a score of 24 or more correct answers (80%) is needed. There is a limit of two attempts for each course, after which you must re-take the class before attempting the exam again.

Take Exams on SmartSite
To take an online exam:

Go to SmartSite.
Click the Login button in the upper right corner.
Log in using your campus user ID and Kerberos password.
Click on the RACS link in the header bar. If you don’t see this link, send your DaFIS user ID to dshenn@ucdavis.edu and request permission to access the site.
Click on Resources in the left panel to review the course materials. There is a PDF file for each course containing the presentation materials, plus other resources.
When you are ready to take the exam, click on Tests & Quizzes in the left panel.
Click on the link for the exam you wish to take.
Take the exam. Your score will be automatically calculated and scored with results available in the Gradebook.

Join the RACS E-Mail List
Members of this e-mail list will receive important notifications from Extramural Funds Accounting about the program, including notifications when new courses are available through Staff Development and Professional Services. To subscribe or unsubscribe from this mailing list, go to the E-Mail List Subscription Management page. A valid campus user ID and Kerberos password is required.

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