Career Growth & Leadership
Unlocking Hidden Value: Why Research Administration and Compliance Professionals Should Consider the PMP
Mila Babaev, CIP, reveals how everyday tasks in research administration and compliance are really project management in action and why pursuing the PMP® credential is worthwhile. Discover why it's worth the investment.
If you work in research administration or compliance, chances are you have managed more projects than you realize. Whether you have led an audit process, updated SOP’s, coordinated grant or contract workflows, overseen quality assurance activities or organized educational outreach for researchers, you’re not just supporting compliance and operations; You are managing projects!
Yet many of us in research administration and compliance roles don’t think of ourselves as project managers. That title tends to conjure up images of construction sites or software teams. In reality, project management is everywhere, and in research administration and compliance, it’s foundational.
This realization changed how I viewed my own work and ultimately led me to pursue the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification—a globally recognized credential from the Project Management Institute (PMI). I wanted to formalize the skills I had already been using and learn new ways to approach the complex initiatives we encounter across the research enterprise.
From Compliance to Coordination
At its core, project management is the application of knowledge, tools, and techniques to meet a goal within scope, time, and budget. That definition fits a wide range of activities we undertake in IRB offices and research administration every day.
Some examples of "hidden" project management in research administration and compliance roles include:
- Developing new SOP frameworks - planning, stakeholder analysis, process mapping
- Creating tools or checklists for investigators - risk management, quality control
- Training new staff on policies and systems - resource planning, knowledge transfer
- Leading a compliance audit or internal review - monitoring, metrics, closure
All of these require the same core competencies: communication, scheduling, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to manage competing priorities, all of which are emphasized in formal project management training.
Why PMP?
While discipline-specific credentials such as the CIP, CRA, or CHRC demonstrate expertise in particular areas of research administration and compliance, the PMP provides a complementary and transferable skillset focused on managing work effectively across disciplines.
The PMP offered by the PMI is recognized globally across industries. For research administration and compliance professionals, it offers:
- A structured framework for managing initiatives
- A shared language for cross-functional projects
- Increased confidence in leading complex tasks
- Greater credibility when collaborating across the institution
How to Get PMP Certified
To sit for the PMP exam, you’ll need:
- A four-year degree and 36 months of unique, non-overlapping professional project management experience
OR
A high school diploma/associate’s degree with at least 60 months of project management experience
- 35 hours of project management education (available through PMI, university-based programs, and/or prep providers)
- Completion of the PMP exam application and passing a 180-question test that covers three key areas: People, Process, and Business Environment
If you’re not sure you meet the experience requirements, PMI also offers the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®)—a strong entry-level option. I recommend submitting the PMP exam application first. It’s free to apply, and the worst outcome is you will be told you don’t yet qualify.
Benefits for Research Administration and Compliance Professionals
Some additional benefits include:
- Career mobility: Opens doors to leadership, quality improvement, or research operations roles
- Professional growth: Builds confidence when working across departments or leading institutional initiatives
- Broader perspective: Enhances your ability to frame research administration and compliance contributions in terms of institutional impact
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever managed a process improvement, led a staff training, developed guidance materials, or implemented a new system—you’ve been practicing project management, whether you called it that or not. Recognizing this is powerful. It affirms the complexity of your work and opens the door to new opportunities.
The next time someone asks what you do, don’t just say “I work in research administration” or “I work in research compliance.” Try:
“I manage projects that improve the quality, efficiency and compliance of research.”
Because chances are, that’s exactly what you do.
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