About the Project

harvard library with trees in the foregound

Team Mission

To provide robust, agile, and up-to-date training that meets the needs of Harvard’s sponsored research community.​


Training Philosophy

University-wide sponsored research training will be provided and categorized into four primary buckets based on content, delivery method, and level of content. The buckets, intended audiences, and sample courses are outlined below. 

Over the next 15-18 months, all training content will be assessed, refreshed, and redesigned to align with these buckets. Schools and departments will still be responsible for school-specific processes and tool training.  


Training “Bucket” Organization

Image Summary: Onboarding is University-wide research administration onboarding modules. Foundational is interactive eLearning Introductory courses (requires Onboarding prerequisites). Advancement is live-virtual training offerings and other resources for continued education (requires Foundational prerequisites)​. Refreshers are on-the-spot resources to aid in the completion of a task or as a reminder of information​.

Training Development

The Training Development team collected data from virtual interviews with members of the research community, survey results from over 100 participants across the university, outside experts and consultants, and peer benchmarking observations. The table below outlines the four main training buckets, as well as their target pupils, some sample courses for each bucket, and the intended delivery method.

Image Summary: Onboarding training is recommended, but schools can decide to mandate it for all new employees. Foundational training is optional or manager-assigned. Advancement courses and refresher materials are the employee’s choice for use.