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  • 1.  Advice for New/Small Research Offices on "Quick Wins" for Research Administration

    Posted Fri September 23, 2016 16:42

    All -

    NCURA will be participating in a workshop on Tuesday, 9/27/16, with university officials from Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.  

    What is common to the workshop participants is the relative newness of research administration / management as a profession and questions as to its importance in helping a university to excel in research.  

    From your perspective & institution's history, how would you answer the following questions:

    1. With relatively low investments, what are some "quick wins" that an institution can have in setting up a new office of research and/or designating someone to serve as a research administrator?  

    2. What are some common barriers that you have seen to professionalizing the role of research administrators, and how have you seen these barriers overcome?  

    3. If you were starting from scratch, what would be the first few things that you would do to get a research office up and running?  

    Thanks for any input & help,

    Jesse

    ------------------------------
    Jesse Szeto
    Director of NCURA Global
    National Council of University Research Administrators
    Washington, DC
    202-466-3894
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Advice for New/Small Research Offices on "Quick Wins" for Research Administration

    Posted Sat September 24, 2016 18:00
    Hello Jesse,

    I would strongly recommend among other things identifying the services they will be offering and developing SOPS. accordingly. While these will go through many changes, having a bullet point version of what the office offers, or will be offering,  the names and contact information of the Point/s of Contact and a mission statement (small) are most crucial. Having experience in setting up new RA offices, I have found these to be most effective in introducing the new RA office and/or services.

    All the best,

    Sreemoti  


    Sreemoti Mukerjee-Roy
    cell: 617-851-0092
    email:  smr107@...
    Skype: smr107



    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Advice for New/Small Research Offices on "Quick Wins" for Research Administration

    Posted Sun September 25, 2016 07:38

    In my experience, when setting up a new office the most important thing along with offering what your clients (academic staff… and their managers…) want is to have a credible offering.

    Being able to say things like "the last time I applied successfully to this funder" … "when I am peering reviewing applications like this" gives yous academics the confidence that yo have something to offer rather than getting in the way.  This of course is not always possible.  But it doesn't have to be you… you can bring in "academic champions" (even from other institutions if need be) to help with your researcher development program.

    After a while (many months) when you have been successful in helping academic staff in winning funding, by adding value to their proposal or of the process of development or submission, they will become your advocates and will tell their colleagues how useful/crucial your help was.  This is of course not a "quick win" but it is what you should be aiming for.

    So always knows the funder rules and understand (as far as you can) the academic's research – be the "middle man" translate what they want to do into the funder forms and rules… there is always room to add value.

     

    I hope that makes sense/is useful

     

    Good luck!

    Simon

    ==

     

    Dr Simon Kerridge

    Director of Research Services

    University of Kent

    s.r.kerridge@...

    +44 1227 82 3229

    ===

    Past Chair, Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA)

    www.arma.ac.uk

    +44 1223 370052

     




    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Advice for New/Small Research Offices on "Quick Wins" for Research Administration

    Posted Fri December 16, 2016 13:59

    I know this was 3 months ago, but I just want to thank everyone for your ideas and input!  They were tremendous, and I was able to share them with the 20 university officials from southern and West Africa and CIS countries.  Some of the attendees immediately joined NCURA on the spot!  

    You are all the best!!

    Jesse

    ------------------------------
    Jesse Szeto
    Director of NCURA Global
    National Council of University Research Administrators
    Washington, DC
    202-466-3894

    Original Message