This course provides an overview of the complex environment that supports the partnership between the federal government, industry and academic and clinical research institutions. The goal of these partnerships is to spur innovations in a variety of fields including biomedical research, engineering and others.

This course provides an introduction to accounting in not-for-profit organizations. Students will learn about budgeting for research projects, planning and making projections and reporting on the allocation of funds. Students will also learn about basic accounting principles, such as direct and indirect costs, balance sheets and financial analysis. The various sources that fund research projects including grants, gifts, restricted and unrestricted, will be presented.

This course takes the traditional Organizational Behavior topics such as motivation, communication, collaboration, change, culture, the nature of groups and systems dynamics, and views them from the perspective of leadership. As well as learning how to apply this knowledge to improve organizational effectiveness, students examine the effect their own leadership approach has on organizational change. Primary skills to be gained in this course include organizational analysis and problem solving through class experiential exercises and case discussions.

Federal and non-federal awarding agencies and institutions that provide research grants and awards require rigid adherence to their requirements. Universities, hospitals and other agencies that accept research awards are bound to the terms and conditions once a grant is accepted. Students are introduced to the federal requirements and other terms and conditions associated with acceptance of research grants.

This course provides an introduction to the basics of financial management of sponsored awards, grants, contracts and cooperative agreements. Students gain an understanding of the principles governing cost allocation and cost reimbursement in an academic environment, with emphasis on the distinction between indirect and direct costs and the importance of indirect cost recovery. Students discuss “post-award” administration issues including organizational structures, roles and responsibilities, internal controls and award monitoring and award closeout. Recent federal audits and audit findings at universities and medical centers are used to illustrate high-risk financial compliance issues such as cost allocation and allowability, cost sharing, effort reporting, cost transfers, and sub-recipient monitoring.

Contracts in the context of sponsored programs and research administration are a major function in the “pre-award” process and have the potential to significantly impact “post-award” processes. This course provides a fundamental understanding of contract processes and typical forms, including those used by the federal government. In addition, policies and regulations affecting contracts are reviewed. Students gain a basic understanding of the contracting process, how to research terms and conditions and key elements in negotiating contracts.

Internal and external environmental forces driving organizational change face resisting forces that maintain the status quo. The leader’s role as a collaborative change agent is examined and possible individual, group and organization-wide interventions are investigated. Concepts regarding the depth of change and culturally appropriate strategies for entry and change are evaluated. Students assess models of change and plan and execute data-gathering activities. Change scenarios and qualitative research activities are evaluated for use within an organization to begin preparing for the Capstone Seminar.

Current issues in economics and their relationship to the achievement of organizational goals will be discussed. The impact of economic reality on real organizations will be analyzed.

Economic, technological, demographic and environmental changes mean that today’s organizations are becoming progressively more diverse. This course has been designed to allow students to explore issues of individuality and diversity in several contexts, with the goal of providing them with practical insights and tools to navigate this changing environment. During this course we will examine how differences affect individuals, groups and leaders in contemporary organizations, including effects related to both the domestic and global environments. Issues of stereotype, bias and resistance are examined from both personal and organizational viewpoints, supporting a clear insight into managing diversity. Students learn about the ethical and legal responsibilities of organizations, and will link these to culturally appropriate strategies and analytical competencies, which will create a capacity to champion ethics and diversity in the workplace and community.

Students identify strategic management areas for organizations and evaluate these in terms of changing environments. Skills are developed in strategic planning and scenario building for the alignment of mission, vision, strategies, goals and objectives. The realities of strategic management and ethical leadership are examined through current applications.

The fourteen-week capstone seminar allows students to integrate the management theories and organizational improvement practices mastered throughout earlier courses in the program. It is designed to synthesize these skills with research methods that are appropriate to organizational improvement in a variety of settings, both for-profit and not-for-profit. Student ability to communicate through a variety of methods, including written (as in the statement of problem and recommendations) and visual communication (choosing the appropriate tools to present data collected), will be emphasized throughout the process. The final deliverable of the Capstone Seminar is a report detailing the professional leadership project.