Catalyst

Note from the Editor | "It’s Gonna be May" To start with a pun popularized from boy band *NSYNC, this issue…” it’s gonna be May .” Jokes aside, it really is our May issue, and we have some excellent articles that I’m happy to share with you. This month’s spotlight, the second exploring Hot Topics in Research Law , was written in part by Gemini, read more

Spotlight: Hot Topics in Research Law | The Legal Labyrinth: AI in Research and its Unforeseen Challenges This month the Spotlight continues exploring the implications of emerging legal issues when using artificial intelligence (AI) in the research arena. To illustrate this dilemma, an AI-generated article is presented here first, followed by an author-generated read more

View from the Top | Fostering Collaboration and Growth: The Role of Research Administrators in Building Supportive Environments As Research Administrators, our role is not just about managing research projects. We are the architects of an environment that fosters collaboration, networking, discussion, sharing, and training. These elements are not read more

Managing Portfolios from Different Ends of the Spectrum | Part 2: Managing Underfunded Principal Investigators This three-part series delves into best practices for managing principal investigators (PI’s) with either too little or too much contract and grant funding. In Part I we learned the 5-step process to determine the root causes of under- read more

Research Administration: Early Career and Key Skills to Development There are key skills found in many research administrators, critical to success in the field. These skills centre around a passion for self-development, a desire for process improvement, and teamwork. Passion and Self-Development Passion is important in whatever role we are in. read more

Your Questions Answered | Preventing Communication Failures Each month, the Catalyst will feature a question posed to our panel of SRAI Distinguished Faculty members to get their take on all sorts of topics encompassing research administration. Do you have a research administration question for our experts? Send your questions to catalyst@srainternational.org read more

VICRA Experience 2024 Attending the Virtual International Convention for Research Administrators (VICRA) conference organized by the Society for Research Administrators International (SRAI) was an enriching experience that provided a deep dive into the evolving landscape of research management and administration. The conference equipped me with fresh read more

My Journey in the Research Administration “Game of Life” | Part 2 At a crossroads in my career, I rolled the dice and entered into a new game of life – the research administration version! Last month I shared how I started playing the game of research administration . Jump back in the car with me as I start to ease the car back on the highway of read more

Schooled by Pre-Schoolers Before joining the pre-award team at Virginia Tech, I spent nine years as the office manager for a prek-8 private school in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Because it was a small school, we all pitched in where needed and it wasn’t unusual to find me helping with nap time or out on the playground for recess duty. When COVID temporarily read more

SRAI in Your Country: Up Close and Personal | Africa Thanks to SRAI’s extensive international scope (over 40 countries around the world), SRAI members literally have the world at their fingertips. Wouldn’t it be great to spend a few days or months, submerged in the life of a fellow research administrator in another part of the world, to walk in their read more

Congratulations to the Recipients of the RMS Certificate! Congratulations to the inaugural recipients of the Research Management Specialist (RMS) Certificate ! Through SRAI’s LevelUP online modules and mGuides, research administrators gain essential knowledge and critical thinking skills needed in pre-award administration, post award finance, and read more