Professional Development (PD)
Hosts workshops and sessions geared towards: continuing education commitment; building on personal growth and development; leadership; quality of life development; self-assessment; supervisor/staff relations; industrial/workplace psychology; emerging role of research administrators within the culture of research.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Content level: Intermediate
This interactive workshop will provide information on the necessary skills set for today's leaders. Participants will learn how to identify their strengths and weaknesses and fulfill their own leadership capabilities in today's highly complex workplace. Further, the workshop will help participants identify everyday opportunities that can be used to help them grow in their current jobs.
Learning objectives:
- Identify key leadership attributes for individuals involved in research administration.
- Be able to identify proven methods that will allow you to develop leadership competencies within and on your current job.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Debra Schaller-Demers, MSOM, Director, Research Outreach & Compliance, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Content level: Intermediate
Change is the only constant. That statement certainly holds true for research administration. Whether it is dealing with large scale transformations such as implementation of the Uniform Guidance, or an enterprise grants management or financial system, or the more incremental process of adjusting our policies, procedures and practices to the iterative regulatory environment that has become commonplace in our profession, the challenges can be daunting. Being adept at managing change can make or break a leader. Considerations that will be specifically explored are identification of stakeholders, cultural and human aspects and preparing for the unexpected. This workshop will use an interactive approach to illustrate good practices as evidenced in current literature and the collective experience of both the facilitators and participants.
Learning objectives:
- Identify the stakeholders for change management and the roles different types of stakeholders play.
- Formulate a change management plan.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Susan Wyatt Sedwick, PhD, CRA, CSM, Consultant, Attain LLC; Andrea Deaton, Associate Vice President and Executive Director, Office of Research Services, University of Oklahoma
Monday, February 29, 2016
Content level: Basic
We currently have four different generations working side-by-side in the workplace. Each has their own differing attitudes toward managing one’s own time, texting, social media, organizational structure and, of course, clothing preferences. We must identify the common ground to avoid wasting a lot of time fighting each other instead of working as productive teams.
Learning objectives:
- Identify the four generations in the workplace and their defining experiences and events.
- Understand the values and potential outcomes of generational interactions in the workplace.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Christy Taylor Bray, CRA, Assistant Director of Research Training and Development, Medical Branch University of Texas
Content level: Basic
Assuming a leadership role brings with it a change to the balance of power within a professional community, which makes relationships with those around you complicated and entails employing a specialized management strategy. Whether you are a newly promoted manager or have recently assumed a leadership position in a new institution, navigating these relationships requires self-awareness, an understanding of human behaviors and motivations and a cognizance of multifaceted hierarchical relationships. In this session we will discuss the complexities of managing former peers, engaging with prior managers as contemporaries, establishing yourself as a leader in a new institution and highlight how people’s perceptions of you will ultimately construct your leadership profile. Attendees will learn how to leverage management tools to influence those perceptions to ensure a successful transition into a leadership role.
Learning objectives:
- Be able to identify how relationships change when a former peer is promoted to a leadership position, and how new leaders coming into an institution are received.
- Possess the tools necessary to influence behaviors of those around them to ensure that their transition into leadership is successful.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Minessa Konecky, BA, Director of Operations Curadel, LLC
Content level: Basic
In the field of Research Administration, "change" is the only thing that’s guaranteed. Growing, downsizing, restructuring, transforming – in some way or form, departments are constantly evolving and shifting. This session is for everyone in hopes that an open and honest exchange of information and experiences can be mutually beneficial for all participants. We will discuss different types of change and provide insights into how change may affect people, the best methods for implementing voluntary and imposed changes, and how to embrace change and grow from it. The presenters have worked in more than ten different positions over the past seven years, and will discuss how various changes affected them and what they learned from these changes. As Charles Darwin said, "It is not the strongest of the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change."
Learning objectives:
- Use creative approaches to navigate change for yourself and others around you.
- Openly discuss issues and concerns they have about their own department and offices.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Hana Kabashi, Senior Coordinator, University of Maryland, College Park; Mariah M.L. Bauer, PhD, Director of Research Strategy and Management, University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language (CASL); Kate McCormick, Senior Grant Administrator, Suffolk University
Content level: Basic
This session will take the research administrator one step further than the knowledge all research administrators are expected to have. While research administrators may be proficient in the body of knowledge necessary to do the job, if they do not build and maintain relationships and communication skills they are unlikely to be successful. The purpose of this session is to provide attendees with the skills necessary to build and maintain positive relationships and communication skills with upper administration, colleagues, faculty and staff. Attendees will also use skits to practice their new-found skills.
Learning objectives:
- Identify the issues that develop when research administrators do not have strong relationships or communication skills.
- Identify techniques that will build and stimulate successful relationships and communications skills.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Beverly B. Maddox, EdD, Director of Research Administration, Kennesaw State University; Charna K. Howson, Director of Sponsored Programs, Appalachian State University
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Content level: Basic
Positive delegation skills are one of the most effective ways for leaders to enhance their organizational position. However, leaders frequently find themselves at odds when it comes to delegating; after all, what made them a leader was their ability to get the job done and giving their strength away seems counter-intuitive to success. This session will teach you some of the important aspects of effective delegation that will make your office more successful and effective in the current workplace.
Learning objectives:
- Introduce leaders at all levels to the principles of effective delegation and the various forms of delegating.
- Provide attendees with systematic ways to stay on top of delegated activities so that things do not stop just because they are delegate.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Debra Schaller-Demers, MSOM, Director, Research Outreach & Compliance, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Content level: Intermediate
This session will outline how using Jim Kouzes' and Barry Posner's The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® can help build trust and reduce the administrative burden for your faculty. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® will be reviewed and the panelist will give examples of how they have used these practices to build relationships at their institution and improve business processes.
Learning objectives:
- Become familiar with The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership® and learn how to apply these concepts to business practices at one's institution.
- Become familiar with ways to streamline business practices and reduce the administrative burden.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Anita Mills, CRA, Solutions Consultant, Evisions, Inc.; Paula M. Means, MPA, Wake Forest University, Assistant Dean for Research, Biomedical Research Services and Administration; Susan Wyatt Sedwick, PhD, CRA, CSM, Consulting Associate, Attain; Karen D. Mitchell, Senior Director, Temple University, Office of the Vice President for Research Administration
Content level: Basic
Metric reporting is usually driven by upper management seeking information about departmental productivity. However, metrics can be an important tool for Research Administrators seeking to evaluate various aspects of their core responsibilities. Many research administrators find that the collection of data is often cumbersome, time consuming, inaccurate and under-utilized. This session will transform your thinking about metrics.
Learning objectives:
- Identify how to differentiate data versus metrics and identify ways that researcher administrators can benefit from tracking metrics.
- Explore what data to capture and how to transform it into metrics which can express meaningful information.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Paula Bistak, DMH, RN, Executive Director, Human Subject Protection Program and Brian Khaitman, MA, Unit Coordinator, Rutgers University
Content level: Basic
Learning to manage people can be difficult. As a new manager, to be effective you must develop and utilize new skills. However, the majority of new managers and supervisors do not receive any training or coaching prior to beginning their new position. This interactive session will discuss common new manager mistakes and share the experiences of the panelists and their transition to management.
Learning objectives:
- Identify common mistakes.
- Identify resources and coping mechanisms to ease the transition to management.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Jen Crockett, Associate Director, Finance, Grants and Contracts and Tamara Hill, MA, CRA, Director, Research Administration Services, Emory University
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Content level: Basic
Everyone's work day is filled with them: people who frustrate, impede, maneuver, undermine, plot, connive and whine. We often view these individuals as being difficult. The question we must ask ourselves is "Are they difficult, or just different?" This session will help you identify the four personality types you engage each day and understand why they are not often difficult to work with, just different.
Learning objectives:
- Recognize three common mistakes we make when working with others.
- Find a more productive and less stressful method of working with others.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Gloria Greene, CRA, Director, Office of Sponsored Programs, The University of Alabama, Huntsville
Content level: Basic
As funded research becomes more difficult to obtain, institutions scramble to understand the impact of how reduced research dollars will affect their research enterprise. Successful leadership in tough times means creating a sense of urgency, gaining mutual commitment to action and re-examining the leadership model in your organization to be able to do more with less. This session will discuss leadership initiatives to remain proactive, strive for improvement, focus on your people and maintain the right mindset to continue to achieve success.
Learning objectives:
- Learn how to maximize employee engagement.
- Understand the difference between reactive and proactive leadership.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker(s):
Erin Bailey, MSM, CRA, Chief Financial Officer, Clinical Translational Research Award, University at Buffalo; Timothy R. Schailey, MS, Director, Research Administration, Office of Research Administration, Thomas Jefferson University