PRC PRC Research Project Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Gantt chart is used in research project management primarily to:
- Display statistical results
- Visualize project tasks, timelines, and dependencies (Correct answer)
- Recruit participants
- Track literature citations
Correct answer: Visualize project tasks, timelines, and dependencies
A Gantt chart is a bar-chart-style timeline tool that displays project tasks, their durations, start/end dates, and dependencies, helping teams track progress.
Question 2: Which document formally authorizes a research project and defines its scope, objectives, and key stakeholders?
- IRB protocol
- Project charter (Correct answer)
- Budget justification
- Literature matrix
Correct answer: Project charter
A project charter is a formal document that officially initiates a research project, outlining its purpose, scope, deliverables, stakeholders, and authority.
Question 3: In research budget management, 'indirect costs' (also called F&A costs) refer to:
- Participant incentive payments
- Overhead expenses charged by the institution to support the research infrastructure (Correct answer)
- Direct salary of the principal investigator
- Cost of statistical software licenses
Correct answer: Overhead expenses charged by the institution to support the research infrastructure
Indirect costs (Facilities and Administrative costs) are overhead expenses—such as utilities, administration, and building maintenance—that institutions charge on top of direct project costs.
Question 4: A RACI matrix in research project management identifies:
- Random assignment of control and intervention groups
- Who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task (Correct answer)
- Risk assessment, compliance, and integrity scores
- Research, analysis, communication, and implementation phases
Correct answer: Who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task
A RACI matrix maps out roles and responsibilities by identifying who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for every task or decision in a project.
Question 5: When a funded research project needs to shift budget between approved line items, the researcher typically must:
- Immediately spend the funds before the period ends
- Submit a budget modification or rebudgeting request to the sponsor (Correct answer)
- Return unused funds to the funder
- Issue a no-cost extension
Correct answer: Submit a budget modification or rebudgeting request to the sponsor
Most funders require prior approval through a formal rebudgeting or budget modification request before significant funds can be moved between approved categories.
Question 6: A 'no-cost extension' in grant management allows a researcher to:
- Add new co-investigators without additional funding
- Extend the project period without additional funds to complete project objectives (Correct answer)
- Increase the total budget of the award
- Transfer the grant to a different institution
Correct answer: Extend the project period without additional funds to complete project objectives
A no-cost extension extends the project's end date without providing additional funds, giving researchers more time to complete approved activities using remaining budget.
PRC PRC Research Project Management 1
A Gantt chart is used in research project management primarily to: