Why is it that even when supposedly fully staffed, our workloads are still so overwhelming? Simply put, because fully staffed is not the same thing as adequately staffed. If there are no vacancies and our employees are still overwhelmed, the problem may be rooted in a miscalculation of the number of positions needed to handle the workload in the current environment. Traditional methods of measuring the staffing needs of a department often neglect significant realities around the cognitive nature of the work we do, the amount of non-transactional activities we engage in, and most importantly the high variability of knowledge and experience within the workforce. A more robust and sustainable model of staffing is possible when we start thinking and talking about our profession and the workforce in a more comprehensive, reality-based way. This workshop presents a bold new way of assessing the needs of research administration offices that will result in more balanced workloads, greater employee retention, and more compliant operations. During this interactive workshop, attendees will apply concepts learned in the context of their own office arrangements. We will assess the composition of their current workforce and determine the capacity FTE (cFTE) of their employees. We will discuss at a high level how to more comprehensively assess the workloads of their offices and strategize ways to advocate for additional positions using data points translated to dollars. Attendees will leave with a foundation from which to build more thoughtful workload assessments and staffing models.

Content Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize the primary staffing challenges facing research administration offices today.
2. Understand the flaws of traditional practices in estimating workloads and staffing needs.
3. Develop a more comprehensive assessment of the human resources required for a successful unit.
4. Advocate for appropriate staffing levels using data-driven evidence and language.

Speaker(s): Lacey Rhea, Duke University

This interactive half-day workshop equips leaders and teams with the skills to recognize, understand, and respond to grief in the workplace. Participants will learn practical strategies to support employees, maintain team resilience, and foster a compassionate, productive culture.

Content Level: Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify at least three forms of workplace grief (e.g., bereavement, role loss, burnout, or identity shifts) and recognize common behavioral indicators that may signal an employee is experiencing grief.
2. Demonstrate appropriate, grief-informed responses by practicing empathetic communication techniques and selecting supportive actions that respect boundaries while maintaining performance expectations.
3. Apply practical strategies to create and sustain a supportive team environment, including normalizing conversations about grief, leveraging available workplace resources, and reinforcing resilience without minimizing loss.

Speaker(s): Denise Y. Wynn, Wynn Essentials, LLC

Research administration is operating in a state of near-constant change. Regulatory expectations continue to expand, institutional priorities shift, technology evolves, and staffing constraints stretch teams thin. Many research administrators are expected to lead these changes without formal authority, clear roadmaps, or additional resources. This interactive workshop focuses on practical leadership strategies for navigating change in today’s research environment. Participants will explore how leadership shows up at every level of research administration, how to influence outcomes without relying on title or position, and how to support teams and faculty through uncertainty. Through guided discussion, reflection, and real-world case examples, attendees will examine what is changing, why it feels relentless, and how to respond in ways that build trust, credibility, and momentum rather than burnout. This session is discussion-driven, experience-informed, and designed to help research administrators lead change thoughtfully while maintaining operational stability and human connection.

Content Level:Intermediate

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze the primary forces driving change in research administration and explain why these shifts create sustained pressure across individuals and units.
2. Apply leadership strategies that build influence, credibility, and trust, particularly when leading without formal authority.
3. Assess when and how to pursue incremental innovation, including deciding when to pilot, pause, or advance change initiatives. 
4. Develop a practical personal leadership action plan that includes communication strategies for navigating uncertainty, resistance, and change fatigue. 

Speaker(s): Erika Cottingham, Auburn University