Volume LVI, Number 1
From the Editor's Desk
Author
Jennifer E. Taylor, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Rush Medical Center and University
The Journal of Research Administration (JRA) is the premier scholarly publication in research administration and management. We publish timely, essential work that enhances the knowledge base for research administration and supports research administrators worldwide, making JRA a crucial resource for career development. Our contributors share best practices and innovative strategies to help research administrators navigate challenges and seize opportunities in our fast-paced, ever-evolving field. By publishing peer-reviewed scholarly articles, contributors also advance their own careers while elevating our profession.
The ongoing excellence and breadth of contributions we receive reflect the continuous growth of the field that so many in SRAI, and our profession more broadly, have nurtured over the more than 50-year history of JRA and SRAI. On behalf of JRA, I encourage you to submit manuscripts related to your research administration and management work to our journal. I would also like to highlight that JRA continues not to have any publication charges for authors who wish to contribute. We hope this will be an added incentive for you to submit your relevant and important work.
This issue showcases the contributions of research administrators from diverse countries and settings, the key issues and challenges they encounter, and the innovative solutions they bring to bear as they carry out their vital efforts. We thank the authors for choosing JRA as a preferred outlet for their work and a source of critical conceptual and practical scholarship to guide both their efforts and those of their colleagues.
The manuscripts in this issue focus on enhancing the understanding of the various challenges faced by research administrators, faculty, and broader institutional components as they strive to improve faculty collaboration within multidisciplinary teams and centers. They also explore the growing problem of predatory publishing, the roles and career pathways of Canadian research administrators, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on faculty satisfaction with the work of research administrators. Furthermore, one group of authors adds to JRA’s expanding collection of articles to improve support for developing countries seeking external funding. Our authors tackle these issues across research-intensive institutions and in countries where research and external funding are still in the early stages of development.
The first article, “Expanding Roles for Research Administration and Research Development Professionals: A Team Science Coaching Program,” comes from a team of authors representing various institutions and roles. Melanie Bauer from Nova Southeastern University, Phillip Reeves from Johns Hopkins University, and Joshua Roney and Stephen Fiore at the University of Central Florida discuss their efforts to address challenges often encountered when establishing successful interdisciplinary research teams. Such teams frequently face problems like goal alignment, leadership, and communication. The authors discuss the rationale and implementation of a team science program designed to expand the role of Research Administration (RA) and Research Development (RD) professionals as team coaches to meet these challenges and enhance team effectiveness. The team science program was created to train RA and RD staff in coaching through in-person and virtual activities. Coaches supported teams in tackling issues ranging from formation to developing and implementing research products. The application of team science-informed tools and activities assisted these coaching roles. Findings indicate that these innovative efforts benefited faculty by providing logistical support and non-technical perspectives. The authors argue that the project demonstrates the potential for RA and RD staff to elevate their support for research teams facing challenges in integrating diverse perspectives and collaborating virtually over extended periods.
Our next article focuses on fostering productive collaboration among academics and stakeholders across various disciplines and sectors. Such collaboration is increasingly essential for addressing the “Grand Challenges” and other critical questions facing researchers. Jay Akride and Thomas Hertel from Purdue University present a case report detailing their efforts to establish these collaborations in their manuscript, “Building and Sustaining Successful Complex Research, Education, and Engagement Collaborations.” The authors examine the experiences of two university-based centers that have made a sustained impact for over three decades. They emphasize key success factors for cross-mission, cross-disciplinary, and disciplinary convening structures that may help establish new entities or revitalize existing centers. Specific examples illustrate how each emphasized element has been operationalized in the Purdue entities, forming the foundation of the cases discussed in this manuscript.
Our third article shifts the focus from enhancing interdisciplinary collaborations to analyzing the various roles and career paths available to Canadian research administrators in higher education. A team from across Canada, representing a range of institutions, examines these issues in their manuscript, “Evaluation of the Role and Career Path of Canadian Research Administrators in Higher Education.” Jyoti Kotecha and Sophie Felleiter from Queen’s University, Alisha Seguin from the CARA Career Task Force, Kristen Korberg from KLK Research Consulting, and Erica Conte from Unity Health Toronto collaborated to provide this important article for current research administrators, organizations that employ them, and individuals considering a career as a research administrator. This study examined the various job requirements and hiring practices in the Canadian research management and administrator (RMA) workforce through a quantitative and qualitative assessment of career paths, job skills, and hiring practices to develop recommendations that support the professional development needs of Canadian RMAs. More specifically, the authors employed a three-phase approach that included (1) quantitative data collected via an environmental scan of publicly available job postings, (2) an online survey of Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) members, and (3) the collection of qualitative data through virtual semi-structured interviews with RMA members of CARA at various career levels. The authors provide a thoughtful and comprehensive discussion of their findings concerning duties, salaries, skills, educational levels, experience requirements, and other factors essential for career advancement considerations for Canadian research administrators. Although focused on colleagues in Canada, many findings appear relevant to most countries developing research administration as a profession.
Our fourth manuscript, titled “What Research Administrators Need to Know About Recognizing Predatory Publishing: Guidance and Best Practices” by William Gannon and John Barnes from the University of New Mexico, provides a vital overview of the challenges faced by investigators and research administrators as they work to distinguish between outlets that meet professional standards and those that do not. Although the title suggests a focus on predatory publishing, the authors address a broader array of related issues, including fake conferences, misleading or fabricated research, and publishers with minimal ethical standards, including excessive page charges. In addition to an integrative discussion, the authors provide important resources concerning positive and negative indicators related to journals and publishers, along with recommended best practices. This article serves as a crucial resource for research administrators supporting investigators in identifying appropriate outlets for their work.
Katherine Bui from Stanford University and Keith Berry from the University of Arkansas present the next manuscript, “Understanding How COVID-19 Impacted the Collection and Use of Faculty Satisfaction Metrics by Research Administration Offices.” The authors share the findings of a comprehensive survey conducted with research administrators (RAs) across the United States at two points: initially in 2019 and again three years later, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second survey was distributed to RAs to compare results and understand how COVID-19 affected the collection of faculty satisfaction metrics. Results indicated no increase in metric collection during the peak of the pandemic; however, three years later, as RA offices anticipated a new permanent normal, there was a surge. The pandemic altered “where” faculty support was provided; with the initial need for remote work, data revealed permanent changes to the RA work environments, including the maintenance of hybrid and fully remote work after the shutdown ended, across various office types and sizes of Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs).
Our final article is another international manuscript providing insights into developed and developing countries. This work examines the current levels of foreign research funding for developing countries and explores ways to enhance those levels, specifically through the lens of Egypt. Abeer Mahgoub and ElHassan ElSabry, both from Nile University, along with Amr Radwan from the Egyptian Center for Innovation & Technology Development (ECITD), present a comprehensive analysis in their manuscript, “Unlocking Opportunities of Foreign Research Funding in Developing Countries: The Case Study of Egypt.” They offer an extensive review of the absolute and relative levels of financial support received by Egypt from the European Union, along with considerations for potential increases. The authors emphasize the significance of research and development (R&D) for economic growth, highlighting the crucial role of external funding for developing countries like Egypt to compete globally. Central to this study is an examination of Egypt’s participation in EU FP funding, specifically the challenges faced by academic institutions and how to identify areas for improvement. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines an analysis of funding distribution with a survey of Egyptian faculty who have applied for or expressed interest in EU FP funding. Their findings indicate that Egypt’s share of EU FP funding is modest, with a low success rate in securing projects. They identify key barriers researchers face in Egypt, including limited institutional support and the need for improved project management skills. The authors conclude by suggesting concrete steps that developing countries (including Egypt) and their research institutions can take to enhance their success in securing research funding.
In summary, the current issue features high-quality and significant manuscripts from an exceptional group of authors that will enhance the work of those in research administration and those who depend on that work. I hope you will find the articles in this issue as fascinating and valuable as I did.
Important Notices and Acknowledgements
I want to draw your attention to several significant changes in how we process submissions and reviews for the JRA.
- As discussed in prior issues and reflected on our webpage, there has been a significant advancement in the infrastructure of JRA to facilitate and enhance the Journal’s operation. JRA has “gone live” in its move to using ScholarOne software to aid in submitting, reviewing, and managing manuscripts. This will lead to a significant increase in efficiency, speed of review, and ease of communication. The information necessary to use this system, including the process for creating an account to sign in, is available at https://www.srainternational.org/resources/journal/become-a-journal-author.
- With the implementation of the Scholar One system, updated author guidelines have also taken effect. Please refer to the JRA webpage at https://www.srainternational.org/resources/journal/become-a-journal-author to ensure you are using the guidelines in effect if you are submitting a manuscript or intending to do so in the future.
As the current Editor-in-Chief of JRA, I want to thank all those who have contributed their hard work and dedication to the journal’s success over an incredible 50+ years of growth. This group includes those who have previously served as editors, deputy and associate editors, and members of the SRAI Communication Committee. The Editorial Board members are essential partners in ensuring that the manuscripts published in the Journal are exceptional and make valuable contributions to our readers’ work, as well as to the broader field of research administration. They dedicate countless hours without compensation beyond the substantial demands of their formal roles at their home institutions. JRA maintains its high level of quality and continues to grow thanks to the invaluable work of the SRAI staff. Gina Snyder is critical to our success as she collaborates with me, reviewers, and authors, always quickly, thoughtfully, and kindly. She deserves special recognition and appreciation. As I have noted previously, she ensures that the Journal’s production meets the highest professional standards. I also want to express my gratitude to our Deputy Editor, Holly Zink, for her hard work, support, and oversight of the Author Fellowship Committee. The Author Fellow Advisors provide essential guidance to the Author Fellows as they develop and publish their first scholarly articles. To learn more about the Author Fellowship program, please visit https://www.srainternational.org/resources/journal/author-fellowship.
As always, I also want to thank our authors for sending us their excellent contributions, which continue to enhance the growth of the knowledge base in the research administration field and allow us to present you with another exceptional issue of JRA. JRA would not exist without your contributions.
As Editor-in-Chief, I am grateful and honored to have the opportunity to read the incredibly diverse and exciting submissions we receive. Please feel free to email me directly with any input, questions, or suggestions at jennifer_taylor522@yahoo.com.
Lastly, if you are a non-SRAI member and wish to have the Journal delivered via email, please sign up through the online system at https://member.srainternational.org/account/login.aspx.