Jennifer J. Ford, MBA
Jennifer J. Ford, MBA, has spent her research administration career at University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) an academic medical center since 2000. Jennifer’s in-depth knowledge and experience in both research and clinical research administration and processes, including federal and industry requirements and regulations for sponsored research from proposal preparation to contract negotiations through closeout (including financial support and guidance). Extensive knowledge of academic medical centers policies and procedures relating to employee relations, hiring, operationalizing new offices and processes, conflict of interest, contracts and grants, budgeting and financial accounting. Jennifer’s professional activities involves financial, research administration, policies, and contractual experience gained in two different Schools (Engineering and School of Medicine) and three centralized administrative (two SPOs and one compliance) offices at UC San Diego. Jennifer co-teaches, “Project Management and Clinical Research Administration emphasizing Budgeting (CLRE-258)”.
Jennifer is currently the Director of the Conflict of Interest Office at UC San Diego. Jennifer has been working at UC San Diego for over 20 years in various research administration roles. Previously, Jennifer spent five years negotiating and signing sponsor-initiated clinical trials contracts and budgets. During this time-period, Jennifer directed the contracting and budgeting teams. Spent several years, operationalizing the Clinical Trial Policy at UC San Diego to perform coverage analysis including implementing an electronic solution called Velos. Spent eight years as a contract Manager for a central contract and grant office, which handles federal, non-profit, and for-profit research with basic, applied and clinical research (including investigator-initiated clinical trials). As Contract Manager reviewed and approved proposals, budgets and awards for all major federal sponsors. Jennifer has worked on many process analysis and improvement initiatives, such as, UC Office of the President collaboration called UC BRAID under Contracting, which produced one of the publications below. Lastly, Jennifer spent three years as a fund manager in Jacob School of Engineering. Jennifer was responsible for pre and post awards for 25+ Principal Investigators (PIs), 100 different accounts while ensuring compliance with UC and governmental rules, regulations, and policies. Jennifer is a certified change practitioner and yellow belt in lean six sigma. Jennifer received her bachelor’s degree in business and master’s in business administration.
Publications:
1. Fontanesi, J., Magit, A., Ford, J., Nguyen, H., & Firestein, G. (2018). Systems approach to assessing and improving local human research Institutional Review Board performance. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 2(2), 103-109. doi:10.1017/cts.2018.24.
2. Tran, T., Bowman-Carpio, L., Buscher, N., Ford, J. J., Jenkins, E., Kalay, H. N., Nakazono, T., Orescan, H., Sak, R., Shin, I., … Davidson, P. (2017). Collaboration in Action: Measuring and Improving Contracting Performance in the University of California Contracting Network. Research management review, 22(1), 28-41.
Accomplishments
- Co-teaches CLRE-258, “Project Management and Clinical Research Administration emphasizing Budgeting”
- Implemented and launched a new electronic solution for conflict of interest disclosures for sponsored research and other related activities.
- Certified Change Practitioner to execute project Organizational Change Management plans (i.e., communications, training, coaching, resistance management, etc.).
- ean Six Sigma (yellow belt).
- Creation and implementation of a homegrown system called the OCTA Dashboard: System assisted PIs and study team throughout the Clinical Trial life cycle from a CDA request, starting a new study, amending a study, requesting budgeting services, to initial financial accounting set-up and payments.
- Joint Education Development and Team Initiative (JEDTI) initiative: JEDTI’s primary objective is to reduce time to initial subject enrollment while protecting research subjects, researchers, and the University. Effective clinical trial support requires operational coordination between contracting, budgeting, coverage analysis and IRB (see publication).
- Co-creator and leader of first “Human Research Training Symposium” to educate faculty, staff and students involved with biomedical sponsored research.
- Established and implemented a new centralized compliance office for Coverage Analysis with a new electronic solution for coverage analysis determinations to integrate with the electronic medical record system in UC San Diego Health.