Research Guidelines - Mission, Roles & Activities Of TRA

A. Mission:

The primary mission of the Temple Research Administration (TRA) is to oversee all sponsored research and creative activities that receive external support. TRA IS THE ONLY OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED UNIVERSITY OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR FINAL APPROVAL OF ALL APPLICATIONS FOR SPONSORED PROJECTS PRIOR TO SUBMISSION. TRA is also responsible for ensuring that all research and other sponsored projects comply with federal, state, local, and University regulations. In addition, TRA assists researchers in the resolution of problems that may arise in the conduct of sponsored projects, either with external funding agencies or with administrative offices within the University.

B. Organizational Structure:

The Senior Vice President for Research, reports directly to the Provost and is responsible for all sponsored program activities at Temple University. The Office of Sponsored Projects Administration administers all pre-award activities for grants and contracts. The Director of Contracts Administration is responsible for administration of all contracts and subcontract activities. The Director of Strategic Initiatives coordinates the efforts to build commercial relationships that generate new funding sources for research projects at both campuses. The Associate Vice Provost in the Office of Technology Transfer is responsible for administering activities related to that office. At the Health Sciences Center (HSC), the Associate Vice Provost is responsible for all sponsored program activities.

C. Activities:

TRA conducts the following administrative functions:

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

TRA staff members are responsible for identifying and disseminating information to faculty on sources for external funding and for assisting faculty in the proposal development process. For more information on services available through TRA, see section for Funding Opportunities.

SPONSORED PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION (SPA)

SPA is responsible for managing projects at two stages: pre- and post-award.

• Pre-Award Activities
SPA staff assist faculty and administrators with developing budgets, obtaining university assurances, and approving all proposals prior to submission to a funding source. For more information on proposal submission guidelines, see section for Pre-Award: Proposal Prep.

• Post-Award Activities
Staff monitor and approve expenditures on grants and contracts. For more information on administration of sponsored projects, see section for Post-Award: Ongoing Admin.

Office Of Technology Transfer (OTT)

OTT protects and commercializes all intellectual property through patents, copyrights, confidential disclosure agreements, licenses, options, and other agreements (excluding textbooks). For more information on the functions and services of OTT, see section for Intellectual Property.

Compliance

TRA is responsible for ensuring that the University is in compliance with all regulations outlined by the sponsoring agency. TRA works closely with other university departments, such as the Office of Personnel Services, Contracts and Grants Accounting (G&CA), and University Counsel, to achieve this objective. For more information on these regulations, see section Regulatory Compliance.

D. Location

TRA occupies offices in:
Main Campus
406 University Services Building 083-45
1601 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6099
Phone: (215) 204-6938
Fax: (215) 204-7486

Health Science Campus
3400 North Broad Street
Philadephia, Pennsylvania 19140
Phone: (215) 707-3390
Fax: (215) 707-8387