Blogs

The Role of Research Administrators in Supporting Diverse Faculty

By SRAI JRA
Volume LIV, Number 2 The Role of Research Administrators in Supporting Diverse Faculty Robert Nobles, Ph.D. Emory University  The responsibility of research administrators to support faculty within institutions of higher education is both a virtue and practice, but how does this change for faculty of diverse backgrounds? On the surface, one could think the service and support we provide are exactly what we do for all faculty. Early in my career, I thought the same, with emphasis on all faculty being the same and attempting not to provide preferential treatment to any but striving for excellence for all. Many of you can likely identify with this philosophy, ...
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Note from the Editor | Living Fully in the Present While Looking to the Future

By SRAI News
Note from the Editor | Living Fully in the Present While Looking to the Future As the academic year winds down in many parts of the world, our work lives become (hopefully) a bit less frantic and this creates space for reflection. This month’s Catalyst provides food for thought on living fully in the present while looking to the future. In the second part of our Spotlight series on Engagement – Sabrina Cerezo and Mark Lucas discuss the benefits of engagement and in learning to love your job. Carol Volker outlines her personal experience in creating boundaries , and Jason Claes writes about mutual respect in the workplace .  In Gloria Greene’s View ...
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View from the Top | WOW, I Thought 2023 Was Going to be Calmer – Silly Me!

By SRAI News
View from the Top | WOW, I Thought 2023 Was Going to be Calmer – Silly Me! "One day, for no particular reason, nothing was going right. Absolutely positively, nothing was going right. So, I decided to go left..." These are the words in Marc Colagiovanni's book When Things Aren't Going Right – Go Left . The children's book is an enduring message of strength and perseverance. The book reminds readers that they are in control of their own path. I usually buy books to send to my granddaughters (yes, I said granddaughters) that will help them love who they are, embrace their worth, and understand that they are not on an island regarding everyday life challenges. ...
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Engagement - Learn to Love Your Job | Part 2: Benefits of Engagement

By SRAI News
Engagement - Learn to Love Your Job | Part 2: Benefits of Engagement The Spotlight is examining engagement at work amid the new normal of remote- ready, hybrid and on-site environments. Last month, we looked at what happens when employee enthusiasm wanes , causing organizations to experience a decrease in employee engagement. In Part 2 of our series, strategies to keep employees engaged and fulfilled are explored . Employee engagement is essential to an organization’s success, linked to job satisfaction and high morale. Engaged employees are more productive employees. More productive employees help improve the quality and value of a department or unit. ...
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Creating Boundaries Provides the Freedom to Fully Engage

By SRAI News
Creating Boundaries Provides the Freedom to Fully Engage On my very first day of my very first job, I worked through lunch. No, I wasn’t employed in a sweatshop. I worked at the local library, and I just couldn’t help myself. I was 16 years old and earning my first paycheck and quite likely overcaffeinated. There was no stopping me until Ms. Tai, my lovely supervisor, invited me into her office and said, “Don’t skip lunch.” I’m a wee bit older now, and while the imagined “cha-ching” of biweekly paycheck deposits into my bank account still gives me a small thrill, I save the caffeine for the weekends and rarely ever work through lunch. It’s not that I don’t ...
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Leadership Nugget – Mutual Respect

By SRAI News
Leadership Nugget – Mutual Respect As leaders we continually grow. I wanted to share a recent experience that continually allows me to grow… painfully… but still grow personally and professionally. I call this recent experience the Mutual Respect factor. The experience actually started a little under two years ago and I got a thought in my head about a colleague that is supposed to be equal in title and responsibility. I know I shouldn’t have but I started to evaluate them from the get-go. Though I do not have any right myself to evaluate, it’s natural that we do ( it is unnatural to act on the ill will of those thoughts ). The notion that I had was “I’m ...
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Why New Research Administrators Quit in the First Year

By SRAI News
Why New Research Administrators Quit in the First Year Research administration is a complex and demanding field. It requires a wide range of skills and knowledge, and it can be difficult to find the right person for the job. As a result, it is not uncommon for new research administrators to quit in the first year. There are a number of reasons why new research administrators might quit their jobs. Some of the most common reasons include: Lack of training and support. New research administrators often lack the training and support they need to succeed in their roles. They may not have the skills or knowledge they need to manage budgets, track effort, and ...
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Where Do You See the Future of Research Administration | Kevin Titus

By SRAI News
Where Do You See the Future of Research Administration | Kevin Titus Members of SRAI’s Distinguished Faculty were recently asked where they see the future of research administration. Over the next few months, we will share their insights and observations.   My very cloudy crystal ball shows that the future of research administration is very bright and moving fast. I see technological advances and a more prevalent use of virtual meetings allowing grant proposal reviews to become quicker and more streamlined. This, in turn, will help agencies make funding decisions more rapidly. I see our industry becoming much more nimble as the world demands faster results ...
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SRAI Off the Clock | Debra Sokalczuk

By SRAI News
SRAI Off the Clock | Debra Sokalczuk Short work changes that lead to more work/life balance .  Two years ago, my husband and I decided to purchase our retirement home, about two hours away from where we were living at the time. This meant a two-hour train ride each day back and forth to work as we transitioned homes just as our jobs were transitioned back to mostly on-site. Six months ago, I decided to take a leap of faith and leave my institution after 37 years and take on a new position closer to home. I am very happy that I took that leap and accepted a new position that focuses on pre-award only. Having come from doing both pre-award and post-award work, ...
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Maximize Your SRAI Experience | How to Post on Connect

By SRAI News
Maximize Your SRAI Experience | How to Post on Connect Welcome to the SRAI website , where you will find everything you need to Maximize Your SRAI Experience . This month we continue to share some tips about how to get the most out of this tool. Check out last month’s tips on Logging in and getting set up . Welcome aboard, and thank you for flying with SRAI, where connecting you to what matters, matters most. (Totally didn’t steal this from Delta.) We are proud to provide you with service to our hub locales, such as the SRAI Open Forum. I am your stewardess today, and I will show you how to post to Connect so that you can have a great time anywhere ...
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Check Out What Members are Saying About SRAI’s LevelUP!

By SRAI News
Check Out What Members are Saying About SRAI’s LevelUP! SRAI’s LevelUP Micro-credentialing Program is a flexible and innovative way for individuals to gain in-demand skills and knowledge in the field of research administration. With courses focusing on Pre-Award, Award Negotiation and Set-Up, Post-Award, and other valuable lessons, LevelUP ensures you have the necessary skills to be an effective research administrator. LevelUP modules are available for institutions to purchase as training and professional development resources. We recently asked some of the institutional users to tell us about their experiences. Lisa Wisdom Wayne State University ...
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Note from the Editor | Spring Cleaning

By SRAI News
Note from the Editor | Spring Cleaning We at the Catalyst have been doing some “spring cleaning” – tidying, rearranging, and bringing out some fresh ideas. These have included revamping Secret Life of a Research Administrator into SRAI Off the Clock , kicking off our three-part disengagement/engagement spotlight series , and introducing Maximize your SRAI Experience to help our members know how to get the most out of their membership with the first article on how to log in and set up your SRAI account. Additionally, we continue with some of our old favorites such as the View from the Top and tips on time management from the SRAI Distinguished Faculty. ...
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View from the Top | DEI: “Strength Lies in Differences, Not in Similarities.”

By SRAI News
View from the Top | DEI: “Strength Lies in Differences, Not in Similarities.” DEI: “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen Covey. The concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) started to help us learn how to appreciate our differences and work better together. What would you call it if you had the power to reinvent DEI? DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), DIB (diversity, inclusion, and belonging), D&I (diversity & inclusion), JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion), or EDRI (Equity, Diversity, and Respectful Inclusion). Stephen Covey's quote means that we humans should understand that each individual is ...
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Engagement - Learn to Love Your Job | Part 1: Overcoming Disengagement

By SRAI News
Engagement - Learn to Love Your Job | Part 1: Overcoming Disengagement For the next three months the Spotlight examines engagement at work amid the new normal of remote- ready, hybrid and on-site environments. Engagement – active involvement and commitment – comes with the risk of disengagement in the form of diminished enthusiasm, detachment, and isolation. How can workplace culture reconcile these phenomena to achieve more satisfaction and fulfillment for research administrators? The series begins with a look at the consequences of disengagement fostered from a lack of clear direction and support . While engaged, well-adjusted employees model the standard ...
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All ONBoard – Next Stops: Onboarding and Offboarding

By SRAI News
All ONBoard – Next Stops: Onboarding and Offboarding Last month , we prepared for our journey into a new position and discussed what, as an employer, we need to prepare for the arrival of a new employee. We also discussed things to look for if we are in the role of the new employee. This month we are boarding the train and ready to prepare our new employee for the first 90 days of the journey. We will also briefly discuss what to do when the journey comes to an end . Next Stop: On-board A similar chart could be compared for onboarding regarding good vs. bad experience.  Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Training not identified, goals not met, ...
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The Rookie: Research Administration

By SRAI News
The Rookie: Research Administration Finding yourself in a new role can be challenging, especially in a remote environment. Imposter syndrome, feelings of isolation, and anxiety can creep in. Here is a peek at how a research administrator rookie was able to lean into the discomfort and managing a new environment . One of my favorites shows on air right now is The Rookie on NBC, which follows John Nolan, played by Castle and Firefly star Nathan Fillion, as he embarks on a career change to be a police office in his forties. Like Nolan, my journey as a rookie in research administration hit a few bumps in the road.  For those who have switched jobs before, ...
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Celebrating Employee Turnover

By SRAI News
Celebrating Employee Turnover High turnover in research administration leads to an increased workload for the rest of the team, time and money to hire and train the replacement, and stress for managers everywhere. There are many strategies presented to combat this problem and create a better retention rate. The recommendation is to offer higher wages - which may or may not be possible - provide flexible work options, provide better benefits, employee recognition (rewards), improved training for research administrators, professional certification, and on. But what if the answer is to embrace the culture of job change? Instead of thinking an employee leaving ...
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What is Your Best Tip for Time Management? | Ian Carter

By SRAI News
What is Your Best Tip for Time Management? | Ian Carter Members of SRAI’s Distinguished Faculty were recently asked what their best tip/aid for time management is. Over the next few months, we will share their insights and observations .  Use the triage method, i.e., spend as little time as possible on things that have little or no value. Also, delegate where possible. One of my previous bosses used to do his physical post (in the days when there was much) during university management team meetings. Not something I would advocate…although many people do their email during online meetings.    Authored by Ian Carter , ...
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SRAI Off the Clock

By SRAI News
SRAI Off the Clock We would like to reframe The Secret Life of a Research Administrator column into SRAI Off the Clock .  When we started the Secret Life column, we wanted to hear more about the hobbies and interests of our members. We still want to hear about those things but realize that this might include everyday activities we do that aren't very secret or hidden.  It’s the things that we do outside of work to balance the stress of our careers.   And it is stressful.  At the Florida Research Administrators Conference in 2022 there was a session focused on perceived work stress in our field. Even before the pandemic, we were concerned about burnout ...
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Maximize Your SRAI Experience | Logging In and Setting Up Your Account

By SRAI News
Maximize Your SRAI Experience | Logging In and Setting Up Your Account Welcome to the SRAI website , where you will find everything you need to Maximize Your SRAI Experience . Over the next few months, we will share some tips about how to get the most out of this tool. First up: Logging in and getting set up . To access the login window, click the blue Sign In button in the upper right of the main SRAI page . Here you will also be able to create an account if you are a first timer or reset your password if you are like me and often lose track of which password goes where.  If you do forget your password, you will need to have the email address under ...
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