STAIR Curriculum
About the Curriculum
The STAIR curriculum—Collaborative Administration for Research Excellence Series (CARES) is a professional development initiative designed to build capacity in research administration, especially at universities with limited resources in the United States such as Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs).
The curriculum has 8 independent modules focusing on different aspects of research administration. Learners receive a certificate for each individual module they complete.
Target Audience
-
Early- to mid-career research administrators (RAs)
-
Early- to mid-career faculty members interested in pursuing grants
-
Senior RAs and faculty needing a refresher in research administration
-
People interested in exploring research administration as a future career
Curriculum Trailer
CARES Curriculum Trailer Transcript
Welcome to CARES, the Collaborative Administration for Research Excellence Series.
CARES goes beyond the basics, building the knowledge and confidence research professionals need for real world research administration.
Eight focused modules show how proposal work actually happens, shaped by experts for research administrators and faculty across career stages. You’ll receive a certificate for each module you complete.
You’ll learn through concise, focused instruction that breaks down key concepts clearly.
You’ll engage with realistic research administration scenarios, involving judgment and ethics.
You’ll use knowledge checks and reflections to build confidence.
CARES helps you do your work with greater clarity and confidence; within the research ecosystem you support every day.
Learn. Lead. Excel. Enroll in the CARES course and get certified today!
Curriculum Background
CARES builds on the success of Penn State’s long-standing ACES (ACOR Certification and Education Series) program, which has trained nearly 1,000 research administrators (RAs) over the past two decades. Developed by the ACOR leadership and administered by the Office for Research Protections (ORP), ACES has become a trusted internal training program for Penn State RAs, offering a comprehensive, semester-long curriculum covering the full research support process.
CARES adapts and expands the ACES model into a flexible, inclusive, and open-access curriculum designed to meet the needs of institutions with fewer resources and limited RA staffing. The curriculum is restructured into eight distinct modules (As shown in Figure 1), each focusing on a core area of research administration. Each module can be taken independently over a self-paced three-week period (or longer) to accommodate the scheduling constraints frequently faced by RAs. Topics such as contracting, negotiations, and Uniform Guidance are further divided into two tracks to support deeper understanding.
The STAIR CARES aims to strengthen the national pipeline of skilled research administrators by offering a universally adapted curriculum that addresses the needs of under-resourced institutions and provides a path toward professional certification in research administration.