Presented on behalf of the International Section of SRAI. 

The research management and administration profession is changing rapidly as institutions across diverse global contexts adapt to new technologies, expanding research portfolios, evolving sponsor expectations, and increasing pressure to support research more strategically. These shifts are unfolding within a wide range of research environments shaped by different regulatory frameworks, funding landscapes, and institutional priorities.

This one-hour panel will explore how the role of research management professionals is evolving from primarily compliance-focused support to a broader, lifecycle-based partnership with investigators, institutional leaders, and external collaborators across varied settings.

Panelists will discuss the impact of new tools, systems, and data-driven approaches on daily practice in different research environments; the skills and competencies that will be most important for future professionals working across this diversity; and how research management teams can position themselves as strategic contributors to institutional research success. The Coffee Talk will offer practical perspectives on preparing for change, supporting professional growth, and strengthening the value of research management across the global research enterprise.

Content Level: All Levels

Discussion Leaders:

Moderator: Silke BLohm, SRAI Distinguished Faculty, Director, 4Sciences Group Ltd

Click here to register by June 23

Registration is free for both SRAI Members and Non-Members. You need to register to receive the login information. 

*This event will take place at 2:00 pm Gulf Standard Time (GST) / 6:00 am Eastern Time (ET).

Submit questions for the panel in advance

The federal grant landscape is being rewritten. On May 29, 2026, OMB released its most sweeping proposed revision to 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance since its inception. The proposed Uniform Grants Regulation (UGR) is not a minor update. It introduces sweeping new prohibitions, expands agency termination authority, eliminates fixed-amount awards, embeds executive order mandates into grant conditions, and reshapes how federal financial assistance will be administered across every institution type. The clock is ticking: the public comment period closes July 13, 2026. Join SRAI's expert panel as we break down what changed, what it means for your institution, and how to make your voice heard before the window closes.

Content Level: All Levels

Discussion Leaders:

Moderator: Dara C. Little, MPA, SRAI Distinguished Faculty, Associate VP for Research and Sponsored Programs, Northern Illinois University

Click here to register by June 24

Registration is free for SRAI Members. You need to register to receive the login information. 

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Review benefits and become a member  

Submit questions for the panel in advance

The hand-off of a proposal that has been selected for funding from pre-award to post-award can make a research administrator feel like a wary tourist in the London tube surrounded by impatient commuters as a train approaches—they have to step from the platform (pre-award) into the waiting train car (post-award), crossing that chasm where the tracks (and potential compliance risks) lie—with the only advice being a shout of “mind the gap” in an unfamiliar accent. 

During this Coffee Talk, the panelists will provide their experience and perspectives on how they mind the gap—that is, how the transition from a funded proposal to an active award is implemented operationally at emerging research institutions (ERIs). The discussion will move beyond the basics of roles and responsibilities, systems, and documentation to examine the real-world approaches that our peers employ, and the reasons behind those choices. 

Join us to get a clearer understanding of ways to “mind the gap” between pre-award and post-award, as well as practical considerations for what might work for your institution and how to make it happen.

Content Level: All Levels

Discussion Leaders:

Moderator: Liz Haney, Sc.M, MSM, CRA, CFRA, SHRM-CP, Director of Post-Award, Compliance, and Operations, Sponsored Projects Administration, Ball State University

Click here to register by July 14

Registration is free for SRAI Members. You need to register to receive the login information. 

Not an SRAI Member?
Review benefits and become a member  

Submit questions for the panel in advance

Research Administration is about adapting and changing processes and workflows to incorporate the next new policy change or software update. The transfer of institutional knowledge sometimes falls to the side when shifting to digital or a hybrid/remote work environment or as institutions deal with training a new workforce amid an influx of retirements. Where this unwritten knowledge was typically picked up through conversations, experience, and learning from others, it is now harder to pass along given these changes in the working environment.

Join us for this Coffee Talk as we discuss how podcasts can be incorporated as a new training opportunity, helping fill the gap left by those missed conversations.   

Content Level: All Levels

Discussion Leaders:

Moderator: Julie Swaringim-Griffin, PhD, Assistant Vice President, Central Sponsored Programs Administration, Division of the Vice President for Research, Oklahoma State University, SRAI Communications Co-Chair

Click here to register by August 4

Registration is free for SRAI Members. You need to register to receive the login information. 

Not an SRAI Member?
Review benefits and become a member  

Submit questions for the panel in advance