CPRA case studies
CPRA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Pre-Award Administrator (CPRA®) is one of three certification programs offered by the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC), an independent non-profit organization formed in 1993. RACC describes its mission as certifying that an individual, through experience and testing, has the fundamental knowledge necessary to be a professional research or sponsored programs administrator. The CPRA case studies are 5 cases and about 2,159 words.
1The Rushed Subaward Under a Federal Prime
You are the research administrator for a university prime award with a federal sponsor. A program officer at the sponsor verbally urges the PI to issue a $185,000 subaward to a collaborator at a small company so work can begin in 10 days.
491 words, about 2 min2Effort Certification After a Mid-Year Rebudget
A PI on a federally funded project is budgeted at 25% effort across the academic year. In month 5, the PI takes on a departmental administrative role and asks you to reduce charged effort to 10% for the remaining months while keeping the same total salary charged to the award.
438 words, about 2 min3Cost Transfer Three Months After the Period of Performance
A departmental accountant submits a cost transfer moving $42,000 of laboratory supplies from a departmental unrestricted account to a federal award. The charge originally posted 95 days after the award's period of performance ended.
411 words, about 2 min4Proposal Budget Cap and Committed Cost Share
A PI is preparing a proposal to a federal sponsor with a 500,000 total cost cap and a required 20% cost share on total project costs. The PI's draft budget totals 610,000 and includes $95,000 of voluntary committed cost share in the form of waived indirect costs and donated equipment.
430 words, about 2 min5Participant Support Costs and a Missing Prior Approval
A PI wants to pay 40 workshop participants 750 each as stipends, plus 300 each for travel, from a federal award. The approved budget contains a participant support cost line of 30,000.
389 words, about 2 min