Must take six.
Must take one session within each category. Session titles may vary from meeting to meeting.
Change Management
Must take one session within each category. Session titles may vary from meeting to meeting. Change is the only constant. Change can come from both the internal and the external environment. This session will focus on equipping research administrators with the skills to lead and adapt to change by leveraging evidence-based management metrics, data analytics, and effective data reporting. Participants will explore strategies for empowering employees through delegation, streamlining processes with lean operations, and integrating technology to enhance efficiency in decision-making. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
- Metrics (Evidence Based Management)
- Data Analytics and Reporting
- Empowerment (Delegation of Work)
- Lean Operations
- Technology Integration
Team Building
This session will emphasize building high-impact and high-performing teams by fostering leadership and followership dynamics, managing conflicts constructively, and setting clear expectations. Participants will also develop skills in organizing and facilitating effective meetings to enhance collaboration and team cohesion. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
- Leadership and Followership
- Conflict Management
- Effective Meeting Management
- Setting Expectations
Diversity in the Workforce
This session will address the complexities of workforce diversity, focusing on communication skills for navigating an intergenerational workforce and the globalization of research administration. Participants will learn strategies for perspective-taking and overcoming resistance to change to foster inclusive and adaptable work environments. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
- Communication Skills (Intergenerational Workforce)
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Globalization of Research Administration
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Understanding Other Perspectives and Empathy
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Overcoming Resistance to Change
Recruitment and Retention
This session will explore effective strategies for recruitment and retention, including designing impactful onboarding programs for both in-person and remote work environments. Participants will gain insights into optimizing the interview and selection process, fostering employee recognition, and implementing feedback mechanisms to enhance workplace satisfaction and ultimately, employee retention. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
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On-Boarding (In-Person and Remote)
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Employee Recognition (Celebrating Success)
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Interview and Selection Process
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Feedback Mechanisms
Leadership Theory and Practice
This session covers leadership theory and practice, examining diverse learning and leadership styles to effectively guide teams and organizations. Participants will explore resilience and innovation in leadership while considering the interplay of individual, group, and organizational characteristics. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
a. Understanding various Learning Styles
b. Understanding various Leadership Styles
i. Servant Leadership
ii. Transformational Leadership
iii. Transactional Leadership
iv. Resonant Leadership
c. Design & Innovation in Research Administration
d. Individual, Group and Organizational Characteristics
Professional Development
This session focuses on professional development, emphasizing the cultivation of emotional and social intelligence to enhance workplace relationships and performance. Participants will explore training opportunities, executive coaching, mentoring, and succession planning strategies, including research administration job families and cross-training, to support long-term career growth and organizational continuity. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
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Emotional and Social Intelligence
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Training Opportunities (Internal and External)
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Executive Coaching and Mentoring
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Succession planning (job families and cross-training)
Employee Engagement (Culture)
This session highlights strategies for fostering employee engagement by promoting workplace well-being, managing stress, and supporting work-life balance. Participants will delve into self-reflection, intentional behavior change, and the ethical dimensions of business management within research administration to cultivate a positive organizational culture. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
- Managing workplace stress and well-being
- Supporting Work-life balance
- Self-Reflection and Intentional change
- Business Management Ethics of Research Administration
Risk Management and Compliance
This session provides a comprehensive overview of risk management and compliance in research, focusing on identifying and mitigating risks while ensuring adherence to regulations. Participants will learn to reduce regulatory burdens, navigate federal, state, and institutional policies, and develop effective policies and procedures to support ethical and compliant research practices. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
- Identifying and mitigating risks of conducting research
- Ensuring regulatory compliance
- Reducing regulatory burden
- Understanding federal, state and local (institutional) policies
- Policy and procedure development
Ethical Decision-Making
This session examines ethical decision-making in research administration, emphasizing the development of a personal leadership code of ethics and strategies for navigating ethical challenges. Participants will explore approaches to building trust and integrity in research leadership to foster an ethical and accountable organizational culture. Specifically, items to be covered include the following:
- Developing a Personal Leadership Code of Ethics
- Navigating Ethical Challenges in Research Administration
- Building Trust and Integrity in Research Leadership