Sponsored Projects Certificate Program FAQs

Please visit our Program page at research.columbia.edu/sponsored-projects-certificate-program.  This page includes in-depth descriptions of the two in-person courses (Research Compliance Foundations and Sponsored Projects Essentials), and information about and links to the three online components (the Review of Online Case Studies, the post-Foundations Rascal Test, and the post-Essentials Rascal Test).

If you’d like to be sent an invitation email to attend the course, please email [email protected]

This program is *not* intended for Barnard and NYSPI employees who do not have a joint appointment with Columbia.

The Foundations course is offered every Summer and Winter.  Exact dates are determined generally a couple of months before the course start date.  If you’d like to be sent an invitation email to attend the course, please email the Assistant Director for Research Compliance Education, Dr. Anderson Smith: [email protected].

The Essentials course is offered every Spring and Fall.  Exact dates are determined generally a couple months before the course start date.

Exact dates are determined generally a couple months before the course start date.  Please keep an eye on the course website for more information.

To be eligible to attend the Essentials course, you must have already attended the following class sessions of the Foundations course: Roles and Responsibilities (Rascal placeholder course TC4002), Fundamentals of Sponsored Project Proposals [“Pre-Award”] (TC4003), Post-Award Regulatory Fundamentals (TC4004), and Compensation and Effort Reporting (TC4005).

Within the 3-year Certificate completion time limit (please see the FAQ on this topic, below), you may register for upcoming offerings of the course(s) for which you need to make up any missed class sessions. You will automatically be emailed an invitation to register for the courses until you've completed them. Following registration, you may then attend the class sessions you've missed, and you will also be welcome to attend any class sessions you've already attended as a refresher.

Check your Rascal profile to see which class sessions you’ve already attended: log in at www.rascal.columbia.edu, go to “My Rascal,” and go to “My Test History.”

First, see which class sessions you’ve already attended by checking your Rascal profile (log in at www.rascal.columbia.edu, go to “My Rascal,” and go to “My Test History”).  Then check the course website to see when the class sessions you’d like to attend will meet.

Yes: the class fills up at both campuses and seats will be guaranteed t only those who formally register.

Waitlist instructions will be included in the course emails, which will be sent to you.  In general, while seats are guaranteed to only regular registrants, those on the waitlist will be encouraged to show up to class sessions since not every regular registrant can attend every class session.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are holding all previously in-person classes virtually via Zoom.  Please note that these classes are not recorded and must be attended live.  The same attendance policy (outlined below) applies, so please plan accordingly.

Yes: in order to receive attendance credit for a class session, you must not miss more than 20 minutes of that session.

Yes, you will.

Yes: Effective January 2021, participants in the Sponsored Projects Certificate Program must complete all in-person and online requirements within 3 years of starting in the program in order to earn the Certificate.  Anyone who has started the program before January 2021 will be grandfathered in to this policy: they will have 3 years starting from January 2021 to complete all Certificate requirements in order to earn the Certificate.

Please note that all Certificate requirements must be completed while you are employed at Columbia.

Batches of Certificates will be prepared roughly twice a year, shortly after the end of the Essentials course.  The preparation of Certificates is not automated, so please be patient while we go through the process.

No. This requirement applies prospectively only.  Since there is much content to cover, we have decided to expand the review and case study portion of Research Compliance Foundations to a separate session.

In the past, we’ve combined the Export Controls and the Review and Case Studies Sessions. Since there is much content to cover, we have decided to expand the review and case study portion of Research Compliance Foundations to a separate session. Individuals that had previously attended the combined Export Controls and the Review and Case Studies Session have received credit for the review session, which is why you see TC6950.