Research Administration Careers| Cradle to Grave
Our 2022 series on Research Administration (RA) Careers concludes this month with a reflection on the lifecycle of a research administrator. Much has changed in this field over the past generation. Emerging trends point to RA as a viable and rewarding life-long career choice with varied career possibilities.
It has often been said that no one enters an undergraduate program thinking, “I’ll be a research administrator when I graduate!” However, research administration is a valid and worthwhile career option. Many of us fell into the field, either by chance, interest, or default. As we have discussed in previous articles, RA is a more insular field due to the unique nature of academic research funding. Yet, it is the core skills that individuals bring with them that promote success and allow RA practitioners to thrive. These include an appreciation for research, an interest in the world of academia, great organizational skills, good mathematical ability, skillful multitasking, working in a fast-paced environment, and the ability to deal with ambiguity. As with other occupations that have significant learning curves, it may take 18 to 24 months to comprehend how research is administered and how the policies, procedures, and financial issues are laid out. Training is very much an essential function, perhaps more so than in many other careers. Without a strong foundation of fundamental understanding, further knowledge may be based on a house of cards. Therefore, it is key for any new research administrator to spend time on the basics and absorb as much as possible in the initial period, including such repetitive tasks as proposal submission, accounting, and closing out awards.
As individuals gain RA experience, they may lean toward content generalization or develop expertise as a subject matter specialist. Many do become generalists, i.e. those who have a cradle-to-grave responsibility for awards under a certain investigator or unit. Others become specialists based on interest or concentration in one area. For example, those who hold a small portfolio of clinical trials may wish to spend more time in this arena. Others may dabble in IRB (human subject research) or IACUC (vertebrate animal research) activities, going on to explore full-time opportunities. Some have an affinity for compliance or export control activities, while others may naturally delve into pre- or post-award exclusively. Additional career prospects exist in departments or in central offices. All these options are preferences based on interests, skills, and taking on growth opportunities within research administration. That we are a big tent field creates diverse possibilities for career development.
Additional RA experience affords tremendous avenues for learning and further education. As the field continues to evolve with frequent new and/or changing policies, maintaining an up-to-date knowledge base becomes more critical. An emphasis on continued education is a hallmark and strength of research administration. RA education is wondrously plentiful, with a wealth of choices. Through classes, on-site training, conferences, professional certification, and even attaining additional degrees, an extended understanding of the depth and breadth of the field enhances one’s ability to remain current.
Another educational asset is us! Research administrators are an unusually sharing bunch, willing to help out colleagues from other institutions and fields. National research administration listservs offer great opportunities for situational sharing of solutions. Finally, there are also mentoring programs both local and national that can guide developing research administrators in navigating this discipline.
As research administrators evolve over the years, the transactional nature of many components will remain, while a broader understanding of compliance requirements and training becomes the focus. One may advance to a supervisory or managerial position overseeing others who handle daily operational functions. This does not necessarily mean that one has mastered the field, more so that a research administrator has successfully learned how to manage a unit and administer the workload, as well as serve as a reference point. Additionally, as a lead or supervisor, training others in the unit becomes a larger part of the position, ensuring that information is passed down and training resources are shared. Much of this involved one-to-one apprenticing and often implementing development tools and other training resources. The trainee has become the trainer!
In the twilight years of one’s career, looking back upon its trajectory, research administrators will have a larger and longer-term view of how research functions – at their institution, from sponsors, and from the national viewpoint. Ideally, they will understand the grants cycle and the career lifecycle and will enact practices to improve these. They will have added to institutional knowledge, trained a cohort of future RA leaders, and facilitated efforts to improve our knowledge of the world by making their investigators’ lives easier, allowing them to focus on research rather than compulsory administrative tasks.
Overall, research administration can be a very rewarding field, allowing one to spend a career expanding health and knowledge for future generations. RA offers wonderful challenges and puzzles for those who enjoy rewarding work. The ability to continue to learn throughout one’s career is an added benefit to staying invested. Looking through a rear-view mirror, research administrators can validate their careers, from the individuals they have worked with, to the projects they helped administer, and especially to the investment in themselves and the field across a career lifetime.
Research Administration Careers will be an ongoing column this year. The Catalyst wants to hear your thoughts and articles on all of our topics throughout the year:
- Hiring
- Onboarding
- Training
- Education/Certification
- Office Structures
- Career Ladders/Tracks
Submit article or requests for collaboration to catalyst@srainternational.org.
Heather Brown, Grants and Contracts Administrator
Duke Human Vaccine Institute
Mark Lucas, Chief Administrative Officer
University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Neurobiology
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