The PI-RA Partnership: Critical Skills for Successful Projects

Early- and mid-career research administrators often juggle policies, deadlines, and personalities—but the real superpower is building a partnership with principal investigators that makes the science run smoother. This module that shows RAs how to become trusted allies from the first idea sketch through final closeout. Using contextualized examples, interactive elements, and people-focused tactics, the course reveals how RAs can lighten paperwork, head off compliance hiccups, and keep projects on time without sounding like the “grant police.” By the end, participants will have a simple playbook and fresh confidence for guiding PIs through every stage of the funding journey.

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Explain how strong PI-RA partnerships advance broader institutional goals—such as audit readiness, reputation, and faculty retention—and summarize these points for use in conversations with department leadership.
Describe the complementary roles of RAs and PIs at each major phase of a grant’s life and articulate the value RAs add to faculty success.
Apply practical communication and trust-building techniques (e.g., timely follow-ups, clear meeting rhythms) that foster productive, low-stress collaborations with researchers.
Identify common friction points—such as unrealistic requests, looming deadlines, or policy gaps—and choose constructive strategies to address them while preserving rapport.