Like many services globally, the sudden work-from-home mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted research at Canadian post-secondary and affiliated organizations. Research administration professionals, who are an integral part of the research enterprise at these organizations, and who support and manage research activities were no…

This paper presents findings from interviews with US Research Integrity Officers (RIOs) on their overall responsibilities as well as perspectives on Data Management Plans (DMPs). DMPs are formal documents describing the roles and activities for managing data during and after research. DMPs are now a required research criterion by many funding…

The individual charged with stewarding the academic research and creative activity enterprise (i.e., Chief Research Officer or Vice President/Chancellor for Research), has tremendous responsibility and influence over the institution's ability to achieve its overall mission. Yet, the skills and knowledge required to successfully serve in this role…

In May 2016, the office of Finance and Sponsored Projects at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital conducted a 5-day design sprint session to re-evaluate and redesign a flawed final reporting process within the department. The department sprint was modeled after the design sprint sessions that occur routinely in software…

Three studies were jointly conducted by the Office of Research Administration and Office of Proposal Development at Tufts University to evaluate the services within each respective office. The studies featured assessments that used, respectively, (1) quantitative metrics; (2) a quantitative satisfaction survey with limited qualitative questions;…

Alberta Health Services (AHS) was awarded a grant from the Alberta Ministry of Human Services to promote applied mental health research within areas of interest to the Ministry. The grant funded the "Collaborative Research Grant Initiative: Mental Wellness in Seniors and Persons with Disabilities" (CRGI), designed to collaboratively…

Biological materials oversight in life sciences research in the United States is a challenging endeavor for institutions and the scientific, regulatory compliance, and federal communities. In order to assess biological materials oversight at Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) registered with the United States National Institutes of Health,…

In a world of fast moving technology, pressure cooker work climates and stretched resources, productivity, employee engagement, and talent retention are critical to the success of any organization. Research administration offices are no exception. Psychological contract theory provides insightful illumination on reactions to these environments by…