Purple Sheep CPE™

PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION

Purple Sheep CPE™
Institutional Funding & Proposal Development (Pre-Award) Series™
6.0 CPE Contact Hours | Self-Paced Professional Education

---

SERIES OVERVIEW

Pre-award activity is not administrative preparation. It is the point at which institutional commitments are established, financial exposure is defined, and compliance obligations are embedded into the research lifecycle.

Institutions operating within sponsored environments are accountable for interpreting sponsor requirements, translating those requirements into enforceable internal obligations, and sustaining control systems that withstand audit, review, and operational stress.

This series provides a structured, risk-based examination of institutional practices across proposal development, award interpretation, financial stewardship, documentation systems, third-party governance, and closeout readiness.

Institutional exposure rises when pre-award decisions are treated as transactional rather than structural. Weak interpretation, undocumented assumptions, and fragmented oversight create recurring risk that surfaces during audit, financial review, or sponsor inquiry.

---

KEY AREAS OF FOCUS

Across six modules, this series examines:

• Award interpretation and institutional obligation analysis
• Financial stewardship systems and accountability structures
• Cost allowability, allocability, and defensible financial judgment
• Subrecipient governance and third-party accountability
• Documentation systems and financial compliance controls
• Award closeout governance and institutional exposure

These areas reflect the points at which institutional risk is most frequently introduced and least consistently controlled.

---

PROGRAM EMPHASIS

This series emphasizes:

• Institutional exposure identification and mitigation
• Internal control systems design and sustainability
• Governance accountability across decentralized environments
• Documentation defensibility under audit conditions
• Regulatory and operational alignment

These weaknesses create recurring risk because they are often embedded in process assumptions rather than formally governed systems.

---

PROGRAM STRUCTURE & INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

This series is structured as six standalone modules that function as an integrated system of institutional oversight.

Each module includes:

• Governance-level instructional content aligned to institutional operations
• Scenario-based analysis reflecting real institutional risk conditions
• Applied learning activities designed to test control system thinking
• Knowledge validation through structured assessment

Topic structure is standardized across all modules to reinforce continuity and audit defensibility, including required engagement activities and formal knowledge checks.

Each module is designed to stand alone while contributing to a comprehensive institutional control framework.

---

REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE ALIGNMENT

This series aligns with established regulatory and control frameworks, including:

• 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance)
• ICH Good Clinical Practice (E6)
• Applicable FDA regulations for sponsored and clinical environments
• COSO Internal Control Framework principles

Content reflects both regulatory requirements and operational realities within higher education, academic medical centers, and research-intensive institutions.

---

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this series, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate institutional exposure introduced during pre-award activities
• Assess the strength and sustainability of internal control systems
• Identify breakdowns in governance accountability across roles and units
• Determine whether documentation practices meet audit defensibility standards
• Analyze financial and compliance risk embedded in proposal and award structures
• Apply structured decision-making aligned with regulatory expectations

---

COMPLETION & AUDIT VERIFICATION

Completion of this series requires:

• Full review of all instructional content across six modules
• Completion of required engagement activities within each module
• Successful completion of knowledge check assessments

Participant activity, progression, and completion records are maintained to support audit verification and institutional documentation requirements.

---

SERIES CONTINUITY

The Institutional Funding & Proposal Development (Pre-Award) Series™ functions as a foundational component within the Purple Sheep CPE™ ecosystem.

It establishes the structural baseline for:

• Post-award financial management and compliance oversight
• Institutional audit readiness and control system validation
• Advanced governance and operational risk frameworks

Participants may complete modules individually or as a full series depending on institutional need and role alignment.

---

APPROPRIATE FOR

This series is designed for:

• Experienced research administrators
• Departmental and central office leaders
• Sponsored programs professionals
• Institutional compliance and audit personnel
• Individuals responsible for financial stewardship and regulatory alignment

It is structured for professionals operating within complex institutional environments where accountability, documentation, and control systems are critical.

---

CREDENTIAL ALIGNMENT

This series is designed to support continuing education and professional development aligned with:

• Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) expectations (CRA, CPRA, CFRA)
• Clinical research compliance and certification domains, including the Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) credential administered by the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA)
• Clinical research competencies aligned with ACRP certification frameworks
• Internal audit and compliance competencies aligned with CIA principles

---

CPE DOCUMENTATION STATEMENT

This half-series, when completed, represents 6.0 CPE contact hours.

Access & Content Standards

Access to this program is provided for 12 months from the date of enrollment.

Purple Sheep CPE™ content is reviewed and updated annually to reflect evolving federal regulations, institutional requirements, and compliance expectations. This ensures all learning remains current, relevant, and audit-defensible.

Access beyond the initial 12-month period requires continued enrollment to maintain alignment with updated content and compliance standards.

Purple Sheep CPE™ programs are designed to meet the expectations of institutions operating within regulated and compliance-driven environments.