The Catalyst includes many different types of articles of interest to SRAI members. It is helpful to take a look at the past newsletters to get an idea for style and content. You can find them here.
SRAI’s monthly electronic newsletter, the Catalyst, features insights from top professionals in research management and administration, informs readers of SRAI’s extensive conference and educational offerings, recognizes members for their achievements and provides a space to network and learn more about the structure, functions, and people of SRAI. Any member of SRAI may submit a piece of news for the Catalyst.
Possible Topics of Interest and Relevance to SRAI Members:
- Reflections on professional development activities such as conferences, workshops, or participation in a transformative professional learning community. Articles should include who presented, what you learned, and how it has influenced your career.
- Sponsored Project Administration: Pre-award, Proposal Development
- Financial Management: Award acceptance, Post-award, Effort Reporting
- Research Integrity and Compliance: RCR, Research Subject Protections [IRB, IACUC, IBC, ESCRO], Compliance Review
- Professional Development: Leadership, Mentoring, Conflict Resolution, Stress Reduction
- Research Law: Regulations, Contracts, FCOI, Export Control, Information and Data Security
- Management and Operations: Core Facilities, Metrics, Strategic Planning, Training
- Clinical Research Administration
- Technology Transfer: IP, Patents, Commercialization
- Dealing with US and non-US Funding Agencies (Governmental and Private)
- Professional development opportunities: We are happy to include articles that describe professional development opportunities offered at no cost to participants. If participation in the professional development is fee-based, then SRAI charges an advertising fee for including it in the newsletter.
- Blog style articles (i.e. A Day in the Work-life of an SRAI Member series): These short articles share your experiences, challenges and successes from every day in research administration. Some possible topics include: How you and your colleagues are implementing new standards, policies; challenges that research administrators face in their careers; or a new technology, resource, or strategy that you are implementing in your office.
- Review of a book, resource, or technology that you think would benefit other research administrators.
Formatting:
- Links to longer stories or more information are acceptable.
- Although we consider articles of any length, 400 – 500 words is optimal.
- Include a specific title that describes the main idea of your article and is attractive to the reader.
- Break longer articles into chunks using descriptive headings to separate them.
- Consider writing 2-part articles to be published in two consecutive issues of the newsletter.
- Pictures and images make your article more eye-catching and engaging. Be sure that you have a photo release for any pictures that include other people.
- Be sure to cite any sources you used in preparation of your article. It is also important to give credit to the original author(s). If you are not sure who the original author is, you may note that it was “an unknown source.”
- Use a conversational tone and avoid jargon.
How to Submit:
You can send your article to catalyst@srainternational.org or use the online platform to submit your article here.
When to Submit:
- Submission deadline is 2 weeks before the e-newsletter launches each month.
- The e-newsletter is sent out on the 4th Thursday of every month (or earlier due to an upcoming holiday).
Right to Publish Agreement:
All newsletter contributors must agree to a "Right to Publish" agreement (through the online submission platform), granting the association permission to publish the material in the SRAI newsletter.
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