Community & Member Engagement
It’s a Wonderful Life, Research Administrators Edition
What would the world look like without research and research administrators? Publicly funded, university-based research has long been a hallmark of the U.S. research enterprise — fueling discovery, innovation, economic growth and national security. Let's not take it for granted.
Happy Holidays and Merry New Year! It’s the season to talk about snow, opening presents, holiday closures and winter breaks, or watching classic movies on endless repeats. But with the struggles that universities, researchers, and research administrators are currently facing, it is very easy to grow despondent, get discouraged, and — much like in a famous holiday film — imagine an alternate reality. These challenges bring to mind the timeless story of George Bailey, played by the iconic Jimmy Stewart. Faced with seemingly insurmountable business challenges, ruthless community bosses, and financial ruin, George reaches a point of despair so deep that he wishes he had never existed. Guided by an “Angel”, he is shown a stark alternate world — one in which his absence has profoundly changed the community and the future.
Borrowing from this classic tale, we ask: What would the world look like without research and research administrators?
A World without Research Administrators
In short, chaos.
Before the rise of a dedicated research administration profession, researchers had to manage the administrative side of their projects themselves — or rely on staff already juggling numerous other responsibilities. Sure, it may have “worked” at times (until it didn’t), but at what cost? How many scientific breakthroughs were delayed as researchers were trying to navigate administrative complexities instead of focusing on science?
As the research enterprise expanded, becoming more complex, regulated, and fast-moving, the need for professional research administrators grew just as rapidly. Increasing requirements around compliance, accountability, financial stewardship, and documentation meant researchers needed expert partners to ensure projects ran smoothly, stayed compliant, and remained on budget.
In a world without research administrators, who would expertly navigate federal grant requirements, prepare compliant budget justifications, and ensure personnel were hired correctly and charged to the right account? Who would redline contracts, review FAR and DFAR clauses, reconcile funds and manage deficits, develop accurate spend plans and multiyear projections, manage invoices, collect payments, and close out awards?
A World without Research and Innovation
In a world without research and innovation, would look dramatically different.
There would be no smartphones, social media platforms, global positioning systems (G.P.S.), the internet, polio vaccines, or MRI machines. U.S. combat troops would lack advanced night vision goggles, translation devices, and protective body armor. Everyday life would be missing the microchip-dependent appliances we rely on in our kitchens or cars, along with safety technologies like airbag deployment sensors or more durable bumpers.
Even ubiquitous innovations, like lithium-ion batteries, LCD displays, and current touchscreen devices, exist because of federally funded, university-based research.
As the national research enterprise navigates uncertain funding and sudden award terminations, now is not the time to imagine an alternative reality where this work disappears. Instead, let’s hope that an “Angel” can show us what that would look like and remind us that university-based discoveries, funded by taxpayers, led by world-class researchers, and supported by dedicated research administrators, have undeniably changed the world for the better.
They have saved countless lives.
They have fueled progress.
They have strengthened our society and advanced the public good.
George Bailey would agree.
References
Association of American Universities. (2025). How Basic Research Powers Our World. [Infographic] AAU.edu Why University Research Matters | Association of American Universities (AAU)
Association of American Universities. (2025). Basic Research Saves Lives [Infographic] AAU.edu Why University Research Matters | Association of American Universities (AAU)
Association of American Universities. (2025). Supporting our Troops in Combat [Infographic] AAU.edu Why University Research Matters | Association of American Universities (AAU)
Zarros, A., & Tansey, T. (2019). Editorial: Pharmaceutical Innovation After World War II: From Rational Drug Discovery to Biopharmaceuticals. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10, 834. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.00834
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