Overview
Although Research Administrator (RA) was only first classified as a career path in the 1950s [1], its current importance in the day-to-day operations of research facilities, universities, hospitals, and other knowledge-focused enterprises cannot be overstated. In this article, we will show that professional development is not only important for RAs as a way of staying current in one’s role but can also facilitate career growth and promotion.
Why Professional Development Matters for Research Administrators
To understand why professional development is important for RAs, one must have an appreciation for what the job entails. Although the specific elements of any RA’s function can vary, Zink and colleagues identified five core job functions of Research Administrators [2]:
- Understanding: This captures the panoramic level of knowledge required by RAs. This includes not only the identification of grant or funding opportunities but also their administration and financial management.
- Innovation: Successfully obtaining research funding requires the ability to communicate how proposed research can disrupt our current understanding of phenomena and/or add novel findings to the corpus of knowledge. Many RAs assist in the pre-award/proposal stages of research by advising on how to convey this information.
- Safety: This refers to financial and legal safety (and minimization of risk) as well as physical. Thus, depending on the circumstances, RAs may need to exercise knowledge in technical compliance, ethical regulations related to the use of animal or human subjects, and even specific health guidelines related to the usage of particular research tools (e.g., radiation).
- Service: This can be thought of as the advisory capacity that RAs provide to principal investigators. For example, knowing the best way to manage internal political environments.
- Structure: As de facto project managers, RAs must ensure that projects and reporting meet short- and long-term deadlines and that data are properly and securely maintained.
These five areas show that Research Administrators must have a wide array of knowledge because on any given day they may need to utilize expertise in fields as diverse finance, bookkeeping, vendor management, ethics and Institutional Review Board navigation, and even coaching and counseling (for example, of PIs and researchers, [3]). And the expertise that is required is also constantly changing and evolving. Thus, in order to be effective, Research Administrators must stay abreast of [4]:
- rapidly changing scientific landscapes
- politically motivated changes in federal regulatory environments
- shifts in institutional and organizational priorities and needs
- macroeconomic conditions that can impact research funding and financing opportunities
Given these complexities, it should be plain to see why continuing education is critical for Research Administrators.
Continuing Education and Training Opportunities
According to Shaklee [5]:
“Research administration has been a profession that most entered with training in some other field such as accounting, business administration, management, procurement, law, or even as trained researchers.”
Indeed, there are not many academic programs specializing in Research Administration ([6], with the majority focused on graduate or master’s-level training). This is why CITI Program has created the Research Administration Series, which begins with the essential skills needed and builds to the more advanced course. As will be discussed below, there are also opportunities for training and development available through professional organizations.
Benefits of Certification for Career Advancement and Credibility
As with other professions (e.g. public accounting), Research Administrators benefit from being able to demonstrate their knowledge of the field. For RAs this demonstration comes in the form of certifications administered by professional bodies of experts in the field. The non-profit, independent Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) administers the Certified Research Administrator exam (CRA; [6]). The CRA examination provides PIs and employers with a litmus of whether individuals from backgrounds as diverse as law and physics possess the necessary knowledge and skills to be research administrators. It also provides candidates without advanced degrees an opportunity to showcase their job-specific skills, which can be helpful given that according to a recent survey, two-thirds of RAs hold at least a master’s degree and approximately one-fourth have a doctorate [7].
Best Practices for Staying Updated in a Rapidly Changing Field
“Unlike certificates or academic programmes, a certification is a time-limited credential that has a specific expiration date. In order to maintain the certification, the certificant must remain professionally active in the field and must document a minimum number of contact hours, which are similar to some degree to CEUs within a prescribed period. The advantage is that the certification proves that the certification holder’s knowledge is always up to date, but the disadvantage is that they must continually work to maintain their certification.” [6]
One of the best ways to stay up-to-date with one’s training is through trainings and continuing education offered by professional bodies. In the United States, the two main organizations are the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) and the Society for Research Administration International (SRAI; [7]), both of which provide ongoing training on current topics germane to the profession of research administration. Comparable organizations in other countries, such as the United Kingdom Association of Research Managers and Administrators and the Australasian Research Management Society, offer similar trainings for their members.
Other opportunities exist through organizations such as CITI Program, which offers webinars tailored to current issues germane to Research Administration, for example
- Webinar – How to Effectively Manage a Research Administration Team
- Webinar – Tips for Research Administrators Working with Faculty and Research Teams
Summary
Although Research Administration is a relatively new field, its central role in sponsored research endeavors requires that RAs remain up to date on new developments and develop broad expertise across domains. Programs offered through CITI Program as well as professional organizations can provide an excellent foundation for the aspiring Research Administrator as well as opportunities for professional development for more senior members of the profession.
References
[1] Ritchie, Jeff, Emma Lythgoe, and John Donovan. “RMA education, training and professional development in North America and Europe.” In The Emerald handbook of research management and administration around the world, pp. 177-186. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2023.
[2] Zink, Holly R., Dorothy Hughes, and Nathan L. Vanderford. “Reconfiguring the Research Administration Workforce: A Qualitative Study Explaining the Increasingly Diverse Professional Roles in Research Administration.” Journal of Research Administration 53, no. 2 (2022): 119-140.
[3] Acker, Sandra, Michelle K. McGinn, and Caitlin Campisi. “The work of university research administrators: Praxis and professionalization.” Journal of Praxis in Higher Education 1, no. 1 (2019): 61-85.
[4] Tabakakis, Kosta, Kate Sloane, Janice Besch, and Quyen G. To. “Burnout and Its Correlates in Research Administrators.” Research Management Review 24, no. 1 (2020): n1.
[5] Shaklee, Toni. “Research administration in the United States.” In The Emerald handbook of research management and administration around the world, pp. 473-481. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2023.
[6] Ritchie, Jeff, Emma Lythgoe, and John Donovan. “RMA education, training and professional development in North America and Europe.” In The Emerald handbook of research management and administration around the world, pp. 177-186. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2023.
[7] Kerridge, Simon, and Stephanie F. Scott. “Research administration around the world.” Research Management Review 23, no. 1 (2018): 1-34.
