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Research Development as a Separate Profession and Function Across Diverse Academic Settings

On June 22, 2023, the SRAI Canadian Section hosted a Coffee Talk with a panel of experts from Canada and the United States to discuss the growing field of Research Development and if it is evolving as a separate profession or a research administration function across diverse academic settings. Thanks to Terry Campbell (University of Ottawa) for her encouragement in organizing a discussion on this emerging and opportune topic, the Coffee Talk has been honored with the SRAI Best Coffee Talk Award by participants. 

What is research development? 
Research development is a multifaceted and broad area with the central goal of fostering and expanding research capacity. According to the National Organization of Research Development Professionals, research development activities span four domains:

1. Strategic research advancement: alignment with institutional strategies and priorities, aiming to accelerate research both institutionally and in advancing researchers' careers
2. Communication of science and research opportunities: seeking funding opportunities and understanding sponsor priorities
3. Enhancement of collaboration and team science: early phase of forming research teams and identifying collaborators
4. Proposal development: including single or multiple Principal Investigators (PIs) and complex projects

Additionally, a fifth domain which is well established in the UK, Investigator development: includes the development of researchers themselves spanning their entire research career.

The level of research development support can vary across institutions, with some placing it primarily at the faculty and department levels. However, there is a growing trend toward increasing research development support at the central unit level while maintaining a strong partnership with faculty departments to strike a balance between efficiency and effectiveness.

Is research development a separate profession or a function?
Research development was highlighted as a social construct, spanning a spectrum of roles with potential overlap with research administration responsibilities. Thus, whether research development is a distinct profession or a function of research administration, may depend upon the institution's infrastructure, culture, size, priorities, and available resources. At smaller organizations, individuals may perform both research administrative and research development tasks, blurring the lines between the two. At bigger or research-intensive organizations, dedicated research development offices are becoming more common, with professionals focusing on research development functions at greater depth and breadth, emphasizing research development as a separate profession. In the latter case, both areas work in tandem, research administrators handling components required for application submission, and research development professionals addressing proposal content and finding ways to give faculty a competitive edge, encompassing a broad framework within above mentioned five domains for success. Moreover, research development is emerging with its own scholarly body of work, and its distinctiveness and importance are contextual, adapting to the diverse needs and structures of different institutions.

In the realm of research support, both research development and administration play distinct yet complementary roles. Integrating these two functions within an institution can significantly bolster support for the institutional research strategy, fostering a collaborative culture that prioritizes collective success. This synergistic approach to research support establishes a framework that nurtures a symbiotic relationship between researchers, research development professionals, and research administrators. As faculty members thrive and attain research excellence, the institution, as a whole, prospers.

What is the role of research development professionals in contributing to strategic planning and building research capacity?
Research development professionals play crucial roles in supporting the institutional research strategy. As ‘boots on the ground’ personnel, they possess invaluable knowledge of faculty interests, strengths, and areas of critical mass. This information allows them to identify and pursue funding opportunities that align with the institution's strategic objectives. By keeping track of funding trends and legislative developments, they can help position the institution favorably to seize upcoming opportunities and promptly respond to emerging challenges.

Research development professionals can be instrumental in supporting capacity building across different stages of faculty research careers. For instance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) has specialized programs tailored to build leadership and research capacity among its faculty at different career stages. Additional capacity building functions discussed include program development, team science, stakeholder engagement, building organizational support infrastructure, complex proposal support and training programs. 

When research development is integrated into every aspect of interaction with faculty, it fosters a holistic view of the research ecosystem, from individual researchers to programs, centers, and institutes. This holistic approach leads to a ‘white glove customer service’ model, where the needs and interests of faculty are thoroughly understood and catered to, resulting in a seamless and supportive research environment.

How to build research development skills?
Research development is a value-added function. Research development professionals provide competitive research intelligence both within and external to their institution, whether in the form of potential collaborators, institutional resources, funding opportunities, or sponsor priorities, to name a few. 

An important first step to building research development skills and knowledge is understanding the specific needs and priorities of their institution, sponsors, and targeted groups, such as junior faculty. After developing this base knowledge, the next step is to delve into what makes proposals successful and in alignment with the sponsor's mission. With this research intelligence, research development professionals are positioned as valuable assets to provide guidance to investigators on how to make a proposal more competitive and to the institution on potential areas of strength and opportunity. 

In Summary: So, is research development a separate profession or a function of research administration? As is often the answer in research support: It depends. Panelists agreed that research development is certainly growing as a separate profession, but there is also room for research development activities within a research administration role. Regardless, these functions support researchers and institutions in enhancing their research capacity and competitiveness for external funding.

Special thanks to Coffee Talk Panelists:

• Genevieve Clark, Research Facilitator, University of Saskatchewan
• Courtney Hunt, Program Director, Strategic Initiatives, Houston Methodist Academic Institute
• Katie Pelland, Senior Proposal Development Coordinator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Nicholas Prieur, Research Administration Senior Manager, University of Michigan
• Sharon Wu, Managing Director, Research Support Services, The University of British Columbia
• Anita Sharma, Director of Research Services (Acting), Thompson Rivers University (moderator)

Authored by

Courtney Hunt, Program Director, Strategic initiatives
Houston Methodist Academic Institute

Anita Sharma, Director of Research Services (Acting)
Thompson Rivers University