E2RA Course

The E2RA Fundamentals Course

The E2RA Fundamentals Course provides a detailed overview of the grants administration process from conception to closeout. Participants will gain a solid and practical understanding of research funding agencies, the grant application process, as well as efficient and compliant post-award management of grants. The E2RA Fundamentals Course is divided into a Pre-Award Module and a Post-Award Module. We advise interested participants to review the E2RA 19 curriculum for details (check in the upper section). 

The time commitment for the Fundamentals E2RA Course: The Fundamentals E2RA sessions are scheduled twice a week and each session lasts between 1 and 1.5 hours. The E2RA Fundamentals Course lasts for seven months. For more details, review the E2RA curriculum.

Attending most of the Fundamentals E2RA sessions is essential for participants’ learning experience. Participants are encouraged to attend all Fundamentals E2RA sessions and at least 75% of the live sessions. If a WCM employee cannot commit to attending live E2RA sessions regularly because of other commitments, it is then advised to consider the status of the E2RA auditor.

As an E2RA auditor,  E2RA sessions can be attended when possible and independently of the others. No requirement of attendance or completion of the activities is tight to the E2RA auditor status. No E2RA Graduation Certificate can be released to E2RA auditors 

The E2RA Graduation Certificate: To complete and validate the E2RA Fundamentals Course, participants should attend 75% of the live E2RA Fundamentals sessions, complete all pod activities, and the two E2RA validation quizzes to which they should get 75% of correct answers (One for the Pre-Award module, and one for the Post-Award module). Upon completion of the E2RA Fundamentals Course, participants will receive their E2RA Fundamentals Graduation Certificate during the in-person E2RA Graduation Ceremony.

If participants are solely interested in gaining skills and knowledge by either completing the E2RA Pre-award module or the E2RA post-award module, they can do this as well. in these situations, the E2RA Pre-Award Completion Certificate or the E2RA Post-Award Completion Certificate can be obtained!

The E2RA course is here to support everyone's education in research grant administration, and flexibility will meet participants where they are. Don't hesitate to discuss your situation with the E2RA Instructor.

E2RA Enrichment Sessions

The E2RA Enrichment Sessions are open to all participants in the Fundamentals E2RA Course. These are stand-alone practice sessions about various topics. These sessions supplement the E2RA pre-award module and can be attended as needed. They are 1 hour long. Below is the list of all E2RA Enrichment Sessions:

• Reading NIH Funding Opportunity Announcements
• Reading Foundation Funding Opportunity Announcements
• Getting Started with Excel
• Mastering Simple Grant Budgets
• Mastering More Complex Grant Budgets 

E2RA Advanced Series

Participants in the Fundamentals E2RA Course, can choose to participate in elective E2RA Advanced Series to tailor their learning experience to their needs. These series are running when there are enough interested participants.

• Non-Human Compliance: This Pre-Award Advanced Series is focused on animal research compliance, as well as non-clinical research safety requirements involving EHS (Environmental, Health and Safety), and the IBC (Institutional Biosafety Committee). Participating in this Advanced E2RA Series will give participants a deep understanding of how research compliance applies to WCM research projects.   
• Clinical Research: This Pre-Award Advanced Series is focused on human subjects research, federal compliance requirements, the process involved in obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and an overview of the other WCM central offices involved with clinical research. Participating in this Advanced E2RA Series will give participants a deep understanding of the regulatory components of clinical research and how various offices contribute to supporting clinical research at WCM.                                                                
• Financial Acumen: This Post-Award Advanced Series includes sessions focused on the terms and calculations involved in properly setting up the change of funding (COF) record of employees dedicating effort to research grants, practice sessions on complex financial situations relevant to grant budgets, and tricky re-budgeting situations. By participating in this Advanced E2RA Series, participants will develop their capacity to perform financial management and financial monitoring of grant accounts.

What Can Participants Expect from the E2RA Course?

• Participants will get an overview of processes relevant to research grants’ administration from inception to completion, including relevant and up-to-date information concerning grants administration (policies and best practices from NIH and WCM).
• Participants will develop in-depth knowledge and skills relevant to research grants’ administration, ranging from the application process, management of awards, and specific circumstances pertaining to grant processes at WCM.
• Participants can expect to become savvy with calculations relevant to research grants’ budgets and grants post-award management such as calculations associated with re-budgeting situations, financial modifications, or effort variation.
• Participants will develop the capacity to anticipate their roles and responsibilities in the grants administration processes and to know where to find the necessary information and people when they need additional support.
• Participants will be able to better support investigators during the application process, performance of research, and follow through in terms of compliance.

Optimal Mindset for E2RA Participants

• Be ready to learn new concepts and new skills. The E2RA Course challenges participants to be engaged in learning, practicing activities, and using large sets of information to solve situations all relevant to research administration.
• Be ready to quickly implement your new knowledge about research grants administration. While taking the E2RA Course, participants are encouraged to immediately build upon their current responsibilities by using the new knowledge they have been exposed to during the E2RA sessions. It helps to make connections with real work situations and to increase engagement and interest in the E2RA material.
• Be ready to be a team player. E2RA sessions are currently being held virtually on Zoom. This makes it even more important to participate in live sessions. To help foster a learning community, participants are encouraged to not only show up on time and have their cameras turned on, but also to participate in polls, participate in breakout room activities with small groups, propose answers to questions, watch short videos, and be responsive and collaborative with classmates.
• Be ready to complete relevant activities with other participants. E2RA participants develop their skills by completing interactive learning activities with pod members, which is a great way to learn from each other and establish relationships with other WCM research administrators.

Meet the E2RA Educator

Teaching Philosophy: Dr. Helene Brazier-Mitouart is committed to supporting the WCM community of research administrators by helping them develop and expand their knowledge and skill set in research administration. The E2RA educator is here to provide participants with the pertinent information and skills that they need to be successful in their current professional positions and future endeavors. The educational support provided to E2RA participants will contribute to increasing their autonomy and confidence in their daily management of research grants administration. Participants can expect the E2RA educator to be committed to their success in their position at WCM, to support their learning experience, and to bring an upbeat atmosphere where learning new things is fun! Ultimately, E2RA participants will get the support they need to succeed and be able to provide the most compliant and effective administrative support to their researchers. This way, our WCM researchers can focus their energy and time on their research projects, making ground-breaking scientific discoveries.

Dr. Helene Brazier-Mitouart is an educator at heart. She is passionate about helping others learn and master what they need in their professional career in research administration to thrive and shine every day. Her peers recognize her as an enthusiastic, dedicated, and inspiring educator in research administration. She created and launched the E2RA Course in 2016 and has been teaching it since then. She is committed to fostering a fun and challenging learning environment where participants build up knowledge, skills, and self-confidence. Dr. Brazier-Mitouart obtained her Ph.D. in Biology in 2008 in France. In 2014, she completed her post-doctorate training at WCM, performing research on bone metastasis from breast cancer. She taught students in middle schools and colleges between 2012 and 2014 and enjoyed it very much. Helene’s core motivation is to encourage people to learn new concepts, master new skills, and discover all they can do with this new knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions

• When does the next E2RA Course begin? The next E2RA Course will begin in Fall 2024! Registration is now live: https://weillcornell.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eL4bO6gm9Ll3Gh8
• I have little experience with grants administration, can I still join the E2RA Course? Of course! The Fundamentals E2RA Course will help you build upon your current knowledge.  The E2RA Fundamentals Course is specifically designed to meet the participants with little grant administration knowledge. The E2RA Enrichment Sessions will likely help you consolidate some basic skills you need to develop.
• Will all E2RA sessions be held virtually? The E2RA sessions are currently solely presented in Zoom meetings in a virtual set-up. Considering the current remote/hybrid work situation for most WCM research administrators, this is what makes the most sense so far.
• I have just joined Weill Cornell Medicine and I have missed the beginning of the E2RA Course; can I still join the E2RA Course? Please express your interest in joining the current E2RA Course at any point! Your educational needs will be evaluated and accommodated in the best possible ways! Each situation will be evaluated on a one-case basis. You can email Dr. Helene Brazier-Mitouart, Education Manager HEB2020@med.cornell.edu.
• How often are E2RA courses offered to the WCM community of research administrators? Typically, E2RA courses are offered three times a year. One course starts in February; the next one in June and the last one of the calendar year starts in September/October.
• Who can I reach out to for more information? Simply reach out to the Education Manager, Dr. Helene Brazier-Mitouart at HEB2020@med.cornell, with any questions about the E2RA Course.

What do E2RA Graduates Think of the E2RA Course?

The E2RA Course is one of the best things that WCM offers when it comes to learning more about grants and research. Whether participants are new to grants or have been working in research administration for years, participants will get something out of this course. It covers the fundamental concepts that are perfect for beginners while at the same time, touching on complex concepts that are bound to come up in one's everyday work. Helene is a wonderful instructor who genuinely cares, is patient, and answers all of the participants’ questions. The presentations are so thorough, and I would find myself referring to them multiple times. By the end of this course, participants will feel like an expert and be ready to take on any challenge presented. I've recommended this course to many colleagues because I know how helpful it is. Huge thanks to Helene for providing this course!

- Mina Redzematovic, Department of Pediatrics

The E2RA Fundamentals Course provided a high-level view of grants administration and clinical trials’ conduct at Weill Cornell, which has already helped me in my current role as a Clinical Trials Administrator in Infectious Diseases. Weill Cornell's grant and clinical trial start-up and management processes are complex. This course helped reinforce areas in which I was already familiar and provided knowledge/solidified understanding in new areas. Helene presented this information in a clear way, and her experience and positivity made classes enjoyable. I would recommend this course to new and experienced research administrators at Weill Cornell!

- Elizabeth Salsgiver, Department of Medicine / Infectious Diseases

The course is crucial to understanding participants’ roles and responsibilities in the grant world at WCM. And knowing which department or group oversees different aspects of the grant’s lifecycle is very important in deciding whom participants need to contact in order to resolve any issue. The instructor is energetic, full of knowledge, and a wonderful resource to have! I refer to the course materials she provided time and time again. I highly recommend taking this course, it really clarifies what participants need to do, how to do it, and when to do it.

- Karen Jasie, Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI)

Ready to participate in the E2RA Course?

If interested in participating in the next iteration of the E2RA Course, please contact the E2RA Educator Dr. Helene Brazier-Mitouart, Education Manager at heb2020@med.cornell.edu. Ther is no open enrollment phase at the moment. Looking forward to meeting you and working with you!