Annual Meeting

Breaking Barriers: Together Towards Tomorrow

The tracks represent the major subject and topic areas for research administration. Each track needs a minimum of 3 track leaders and at least 1 leader with previous track chair experience. 

Track leaders are responsible for reviewing all their tracks proposals/abstracts and identifying the sessions and workshops for their track. In some cases, they will need to create and identify speakers for a session or workshop. The track leaders should pay careful attention to the quality of the speakers as well as the quality of the session and how it is presented.  The track leader oversees and is responsible for the educational content of their assigned track.  The track leaders review submissions, propose sessions/workshops and report to the Annual Meeting Co-chairs, the planning committee and SRAI headquarters staff.

1. Professional Development. 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.
2. Sponsored Programs Planning, Development & Deliveries. This track relates to the development and delivery of sponsored programs. Topics may include: how to develop collaborative partnerships with industry, government and non-profit sectors; identifying strategies in developing public-private partnerships; institutional capacity building, including supply-side partnerships; faculty, positioning; effective grant writing techniques; the role of the research administrator in sponsored programs development; diversifying funding sources;  communication strategies in sponsored programs development; and organizational and team structures to support successful program development.
3. Management & Operations. Focus is on: delivery of operational services and research and financial compliance programs; facilities management; research infrastructure such as capital programs and building and managing of science and technology parks; human resources and international personnel management; and supporting collaborations with international organizations.
4. Financial & Post-award Administration. Topics include: research cost accounting; auditing; OMB requirements for universities, hospitals, private sector; matching funds issues/cost sharing; financial conflict of interest issues; facilities and administration costs; purchasing; salaries, compensation, honoraria;  and travel allocability and allowability; working with sponsoring agencies and subrecipient monitoring. 
5. Research Ethics. Applies to attendees involved or interested in issues such as: human research; animal research; peer review; mentor/trainee responsibility and development; publications; collaborative research ethics; scientific misconduct; standards for the responsible conduct of research; and research ethics education programs, curricula, requirements, and approaches.
6. Research Impact & Communications. Topics include: identifying, measuring, and communicating on the impact and outcomes of research and scholarly activity; bibliometrics; altmetrics; developing community partnerships & engagement; research/science outreach activities; knowledge mobilization; uses of social media for research communications; and global best-practices for maximizing research impact.
7. Research Law & Regulations. Courses center around: patents; copyrights; intellectual property; technology transfer; undue influence and conflict of interest; Stark, Safe Harbors, Anti Kickback, HIPAA; institutional liability assessment and corrective action planning; FAR/DFAR; OMB Circulars and CFR’s; emerging regulations and statutes; interrelationship of federal, state and local law; international issues; import/export and licensing issues; data sharing, monitoring, management, and ownership.
8. Sponsors & Agencies. Covers: the nature of “sponsorship”; defining roles and responsibilities between sponsors, grantors, awardees; private sector sponsors: technology, foundations; state sponsorship issues; federal agency updates; new initiatives in research; international agency relations;  working with program officer leadership; and sponsoring agency rules.
9. Technology Solutions in Research Administration. Technology solutions are available to monitor and facilitate operations associated with the multiple regulations and requirements research administrators face while managing financial operations (pre-award and post-award), contracts, training, and protection of human and animal subjects. This track offers topics, experiences gained, and best practices to identify and maintain technology solutions in research administration.