2024 Future of the Field

Among the many amazing RAs who have served as my mentors and role models since I started in 2013, I have discovered a wonderful sense of purpose and belonging. They introduced me to SRAI and, subsequently, to all the various avenues for personal and professional advancement, among them the goal of becoming an honoree of the Future of the Field. 
Obtaining my CRA and co-leading the "CRA-Victors" program at the University of Michigan, which assists CRAs in understanding the recertifying process, are two of my proudest achievements. In the future, I hope to advance in the RA field while also giving back and supporting the development and aspirations of other RAs. 

I have worked in research administration at the University of Kentucky since 2019, starting in Clinical Trial Compliance and transitioning into oversight of Conflicts of Interest and Research Security. As UK approaches $500 million in annual awards, I look forward to building an integrated compliance program that supports faculty in their research endeavors, enables productive collaborations, and reflects our core values. I look forward to continuing growing in research administration.

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I joined our central Research Office in 2009 as the office secretary. For fourteen years, I have remained engaged in Research Administration because of continuous opportunities to be challenged and advance. My passion has been operational excellence and reducing the administrative burden on administrators and faculty to allow more meaningful engagement. I am particularly proud of the improvements I have implemented to streamline our subaward process, including simplified templates to reduce turnaround time, and a negotiation toolkit for more efficient, expert contract negotiations. I am now tasked, amongst other things, with creating a comprehensive training program to build on a new hire training program we created during COVID in response to the necessity of remote work.  These improvements have created more efficient workflows, increased productivity, and fostered more knowledgeable staff. I’m honored to receive the Future of the Field recognition and look forward to continuing my contribution to our profession.

I unexpectedly found myself in research administration, and a decade later, I can confidently say it was the best career choice I ever made. I have served as an adjunct faculty member teaching classes in the Master of Research Administration program at the University of Central Florida. In addition, I am a mentor, leader, and dedicated student of research administration.
Currently, I hold positions on the Advisory Boards of both the University of Central Florida and Howard University. I also co-chair the Howard University Task Force, Grants & Subcontract Committee, and a DEI committee for another professional organization. I lead by example, demonstrating integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to the continuous improvement of research administration. My journey in this field has been incredibly rewarding, and I am passionate about contributing to its advancement and supporting the next generation of research administrators.

My journey into the field of research administration began after two decades of working in the educational development sector, where I honed my strategic planning and leadership skills. I transitioned to lead the Central Research Office at Aga Khan University in 2023, inspired by the institution's announcement of its inaugural Vice Provost for Research. My proudest accomplishment is the development and endorsement of a 5-year research strategy, aimed at strengthening research administration and governance at AKU. With over 20 years in the field, my tenure in research administration is marked by strategic management and the implementation of innovative practices. Looking ahead, I aspire to foster a digitally driven professional culture, enhance capacity building, and elevate AKU's research visibility globally.

Ginger first engaged in the field of research administration in 2019 when she joined the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center as a Project Manager. Previously, she had spent over a decade working as a scientist in various types of labs including academic, government, and industry. Ginger’s time as both a project manager and scientist uniquely position her to be a bridge between project management and research administration in the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center. She uses her skills and experience to integrate change in systems, streamline workflows, and build strong communication between the scientists and the research administration team. Bridging these two professional fields, her accomplishments include being named as a SRAI Future of the Field Honoree and obtaining her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. She gratefully acknowledges the contributions of her coworkers and mentors that encouraged her continual growth in research administration and strives to grow others in the profession as well.

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I have worked as a research administrator at the University of Ottawa since 2013. I first started as a data analyst and then moved into my role as a senior business intelligence analyst. I have always been passionate about using my knowledge and skills to build an institutional data culture, to lay the foundation for evidence-based decision-making tool, and to position the organization for long-term success. Looking toward the future, I hope to develop business intelligence capabilities of the university to better support the needs of our research portfolio. Also, I have a particular interest in integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research administration practices and I look forward to working collectively with peers from other higher education organizations.

My journey into research administration began with my deep appreciation for research discoveries and their societal impact. After earning my PhD in neuroscience and completing a postdoctoral fellowship, I transitioned into research administration in 2015, seeking a new way to contribute to research. At the University of Ottawa, my passion for this field was sparked by the encouragement and dedication of leaders around me and the concrete impact of our work on research.

I am particularly proud of my role in developing and implementing a pioneering model for allocating and evaluating the University of Ottawa's externally and internally funded Research Chairs. This model prioritizes transparency and accessibility for all researchers, fostering a culture of inclusion and excellence.

I have worked in this field for 9.6 years and in the next 5 to 10 years, I aspire to assume more formal leadership roles and to increase collaborations with other institutions.

I began my Research Administration career nine years ago at the Department level. At the time, I had no prior experience and no idea that I had stumbled into a challenging, yet deeply fulfilling career. Over the years, I have worked at three different universities and experienced all facets of Pre-Award Administration from the Department, to the School/Dean’s Office, to the Central Office. While I always appreciated the role that Research Administrators play in facilitating impactful research, assisting PIs during the Covid-19 Pandemic made me extremely proud to work in a field dedicated to helping brilliant Investigators perform research that can literally save lives. As I look to the future, I hope to be a resource for early-career Research Administrators and help them find their way in this exciting and meaningful field. 

After spending several years working for a local non-profit, I was seeking a change and applied for a position in research administration at a state university. Post award management felt perfect with my background in accounting and state funding compliance. Over the past three years, collaborating with our PIs and assisting with adherence to sponsor guidelines has become not just a job, but a passion. I thrive in the “it depends” parts of research administration and love the new challenges that each grant presents. I am currently involved in an initiative to develop a more comprehensive onboarding and training program for new RA, and I can’t wait to get into the details as it develops. In my time in research administration, I am most proud of my CRA certification I earned last year and am looking forward to taking the CFRA exam later this year. 

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Following my PhD, I found myself in a new city, looking for work after having my first child. I always enjoyed scientific writing, so I jumped at an opportunity to cover a sick leave as a Grant Development Assistant and haven't looked back. I have now worked in research administration for nearly ten years.

In my current role at the Cumming School of Medicine, I provide dedicated support to early career researchers. I am also responsible for our faculty’s largest grant competition, the CIHR Project Grant. I am constantly innovating and using the critical thinking skills I gained as a graduate student to help researchers secure external funding. I co-lead a national journal club for grant facilitators through the Canadian Association of Research Administrators, helped to pilot the CIHR mock review toolkit, and am currently running an innovative 12-month grant development training program for early career researchers in our faculty.

I began my career in research administration a decade ago at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. In 2018, I began work with The Ohio State University, and two years ago, I took on my current role. While at Ohio State, I’ve had a chance to build a collaborative network of 400+ administrators, joined for solution-building, learning, and sharing best practices. Research Administrators facilitate research and research has the power to changes lives, to change the world. I am motivated by the chance to contribute to that mission, and it drives my professional decisions. Research happening today makes me hopeful about the future, and I wake up in the morning inspired by the role I get to play in it. I will continue to seek opportunities to make a difference, to support the research mission, and to give my best toward building a better future for us all.  

I have been working in research administration since December 2022. Previously, I was a financial aid counselor and worked in that office for approximately 5.5 years. In search of new opportunities and challenges, I found a job posting for my current position. Despite having limited knowledge of research administration, I was drawn to the idea of assisting PIs in obtaining funding to pursue their research interests and educate students and the public on their passions. I’m dedicated to continuous learning and enjoy contributing to the dissemination of knowledge. Being nominated and selected as a Future of the Field recipient is the most significant milestone in my career, though I also celebrate smaller achievements like submitting proposals ahead of schedule. Currently, I’m studying for the CRA exam and plan to take it in November. I’m grateful for the community of research administrators and look forward to continuing professional growth alongside them.

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Entering Research Administration with no idea what it was, I frantically immersed myself in the field. Because things are constantly changing I didn't find many specifics, but I was assured I was a good fit. Now that I've got a couple years under my belt I feel a little more sure of myself, but I know this is a marathon. Looking back, helping secure an NSF grant to create an undergrad path for future research administrators truly made me feel most proud. Knowing how big of an impact it can have on the research landscape made me realize my goal to get to a position to contribute to the field and mentor future administrators. As my outgoing VP always told me, I'm still learning new things 'till this day, so never stop learning. I'm excited to continue to learn, serve, and advance in the field.     

Like many, I fell into the research administration world with no prior familiarity. I’d previously had a private law practice but found myself dissatisfied as I wanted to do something where I was part of a bigger team that was doing something that I felt was meaningful. When the opportunity came to dive into the research administration world in 2022, I did so without looking back. Having only been in the field a short amount of time, I hope to continue to learn the many complexities that can be found in this field and how to take them on, all the while continuing to grow with the field and to help those I work with on their path to success. While this is the accomplishment I’m most proud of, I am also proud of the professional relationships I’ve formed.