South Africa institution uses MUSC as
model for RD program
by Mary
Helen YarboroughPublic Relations
The world grew a bit smaller and heavy tasks became lighter for a diplomatic corps that crossed the Atlantic Ocean to meet with MUSC grant management officials last month.
Three South Africans seeking to establish a research development and grants program for their country’s institution in Cape Town met with about a dozen MUSC officials in late February to learn about grants management, electronic forms, ethics oversight and peer review panels.
Pierre Boshoff,
Philip du Plessis, Andrea Tomboer and Jennifer Shambrook relax at Bubba
Gumps restaurant after a week at MUSC Feb. 20 - 23.The visit was prompted by a presentation by MUSC’s Jennifer Morgan Shambrook about MUSC’s grant writing and review seminar series during the Society of Research Administrators International annual meeting in Quebec City, Ontario last October.
“I talked about the success of young MUSC investigators who have engaged in this (grant writing and review) process,” Shambrook said. “Many well-established faculty members have participated as lecturers for the series or have participated as chairs of the review groups.”
In attendance was Pierre Boshoff, chief financial officer for South African Medical Research Council (MRC). MRC is the largest research organization in South Africa and Africa, and covers a wide range of research areas.
Boshoff wanted to learn more and decided, based on Shambrook’s presentation, that MUSC provided the best example of how to establish similar programs in South Africa.
“I was very inspired with the presentation and how successful MUSC seems to be,” he said. He said that based on his research of MUSC through its Web site, “I am also impressed by the structure of your Sponsored Office and Office of Research Development, among others.”
The Afrikaners, Boshoff, Philip du Plessis, manager of MRC’s Contracts and Budget Management Office, and Andrea Tomboer, an MRC grants and contracts administrator, spent four days at MUSC discussing nearly every aspect of research development at MUSC.
Shambrook, associate chair for Research Administration and co-director of the division of the Public Psychiatry Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, coordinated the visit and set up meetings with MUSC compliance officers, research grant and business managers, asset management and operations directors, and public relations.
“Jennifer (Shambrook) did a wonderful job helping us make contact with so many departments that helped us understand MUSC. And we did learn something,” Boshoff said.
Boshoff said that he and his team were especially impressed with the information derived from a meeting with Peggy Schachte, director of Research Development.
“[That] meeting was outstanding,” Boshoff said, “in that we learned about policies and procedures and the electronic forms. It provided a good basis from which to work.” They also learned how these offices operate, the structures in place and their responsibilities, gained insight into all policies and procedures that have been established, and learned the flow of a proposal from the time it is initiated until finalization when all steps are involved.
Du Plessis said that he was very interested in MUSC’s contact with various areas and divisions, and the communication that exists among the programs. He was interested in MUSC’s pre-approval process for grant seekers. Currently, MRC grant seekers apply for a grant and it is made directly back to them. The team said they sought ways to enhance quality and accountability checks, as well as a better understanding of how its ethics officials operate.
Meanwhile, MRC has a five-year plan that prioritizes research. It enjoys relationships and funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, the British Research Council, the European Union, the U.S. Agency for International Development, local funding, and funding from a number of major private sources and corporations.
With the influx of funds, however, MRC seeks the greatest outcome for incoming resources. Still, with the vast array of funding sources, MRC has an equal number of requirements among benefactors.
The visit was announced as a success by both Shambrook and the South Africans, who said they would seek a return trip to MUSC in the future.
“I am pleased that I spoke so glowingly of MUSC that Pierre wanted to bring the South African delegation to our campus for the study tour,” Shambrook said. “While every institution has room for improvement, I think, when it comes to research, we have a lot going on here that’s right. The main thing is we have an environment that is not afraid to change with growth and try new things. This is due to top level leadership that is willing to take on challenges and solve problems so we can keep moving forward. I am proud of the research that is conducted at MUSC and in my home Institute of Psychiatry, in particular. As a research administrator, it gives me great satisfaction to know that I play a small role in an exercise that will improve the quality of life for present and future generations.”
Friday, March 2, 2007
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