Designed for new (and seasoned) research administrators looking to upgrade their professional toolkit, we will share our tales of success and failure (including times we didn't quite hit the mark). This is more than just tales from the trenches, we will share practical advice about how our mistakes made us better research administrators and how that hard‑earned knowledge informed and improved our processes.

Speaker(s): Salley Rowe, William & Mary; Latrice Butler, William & Mary

This session will summarize current research security initiatives and disclosure requirements for pre/post-award and how the legal landscape may be changing around liability.

Speaker(s): Ann Bell, Virginia Commonwealth University

It feels like the NIH is changing their requirements so rapidly that it is hard to keep up.  There is no need to fear, though, your NIH “wizards” are here to help you navigate the current landscape with insights about some of the most pertinent recent announcements. Join this engaging discussion to find out the latest on NIH and you won’t miss a thing!

Speaker(s): Lauren Armstrong, University of Virginia; Angela Behrend, University of Virginia

Research careers often begin in areas discovered during an employee's education or through applying for a position within a department without fully understanding the range of opportunities available. Once established in a role, employees may not be aware of other career paths within research or even within their own department. This talk will highlight a systematic way for employees to have career information available to inform their career path, possibilities, and promotion strategies.

Speaker(s): Carolyn Frey, Virginia Commonwealth University

This session will highlight the relationship between major discoveries in research and the research administration team behind the headlines. The discussion will also focus on how important it is to be the "back stage crew" supporting major innovations.

Speaker(s): Alantis Johnson, Virginia Commonwealth University