The Association of Research Administrators (ARA) at The University of Texas at Austin’s (UT Austin) has a core mission to provide research administrators with professional development opportunities. ARA is pleased to announce the launching of its 2023 ARA Professional Development Award, which is made possible through the generous support of UT Austin’s Associate Deans for Research.
Description
The ARA Professional Development Award funds up to $5,000 for UT research administration staff to engage in professional development opportunities related to the field of research administration. A successful Professional Development Award application will provide opportunities for research administrator(s) to engage in advancing their knowledge, networking, and/or advancing their professional skills in the field of research administration.
Important Dates
| August 31, 2023 |
Proposal Submission Deadline |
| August 2023 |
ARA Resource and Professional Development Chair confirms the eligibility of applicants and receipt of the complete application package and recruits review committee members |
| September 2023 |
ARA Resource and Professional Development Chair announces award recipient at the 2023 National Research Administrator’s Day Celebration
|
| 60 days from professional development event attendance | Awardee Report Deadline |
Applicant Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be full-time staff members whose primary responsibilities are in research administration and be employed by any unit, center, department, or office of UT Austin for a minimum of one year as of the proposal’s due date. Example responsibilities of a research administrator include but are not limited to:
- Identify research funding opportunities.
- Participate in proposal development, internal review processes, and submission to a funding agency.
- Negotiate terms and conditions of awards and participate in the administration of an award.
- Assist with contract modifications, extensions, progress reports, or effort certification.
- Participate in the administration of a research account, centrally or departmentally, from account set-up to account management to close-out.
- Provide support in the form of compliance review for export controls, animal use, human subject research, biosafety matters, etc.
- Manage invention disclosures and intellectual property generated by sponsored research.
Faculty, research assistants, and other research personnel who are major contributors to the conduct of research are not eligible to apply. Current and incoming ARA Committee Chairs are not eligible to apply until the end of their term. Review committee members are only eligible to apply in proposal cycles where they are not reviewing ARA Professional Development proposals.
Eligible Funds and Expenses
Award(s) up to a total of $5,000 will be made to eligible staff members following the University’s Handbook of Business Procedures depending on the application amounts and the number of applications received. Award amounts may vary depending on the availability of funds. Funds must be spent on research administration professional development. Membership dues and costs for lodging, transportation, and meal per diem that are not affiliated with conference or meeting travel are ineligible expenses. Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to:
- Expenses (i.e., conference/meeting registration, airfare, lodging expenses, transportation, and mileage expenses, meal per diem) associated with a research administration conference
- Certified Research Administrator (CRA) Examination fees or recertification fees
- Certified Pre-Award Research Administration Examination fees or recertification fees
- Certified Financial Research Administration Examination fees or recertification fees
Some professional organizations offering research administration educational opportunities include, but are not limited to:
- National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)
- Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI)
- Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)
- University-Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP)
- Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP)
- National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP)
- Council on Governmental Relations (COGR)
- National Contract Management Association (NCMA)
Proposal Contents and Submission Instructions
Proposals must be submitted via this Qualtrics form no later than August 31, 2023, at 5 pm CT. Professional development opportunities must be completed and funds must be used within the fiscal year. Proposals for the ARA Professional Development Award must include:
- The applicant’s name and contact information
- A budget and budget justification, including any cost-sharing information (if available)
- A letter of support from the applicant’s supervisor that includes:
- A brief description of the applicants job duties
- Confirmation that the applicant is a full-time staff member
- Confirmation that the applicant has been employed by The University of Texas for at least 12 months
- Confirmation that the applicant is approved to attend or engage in a research administration professional development activity as proposed in the application.
- Signature of the applicant’s supervisor.
Proposal Review Process and Required Award Deliverables
Proposals will be reviewed by a committee recruited and identified by the ARA Resource and Professional Development Committee (RPDC) Chair. If you are interested in volunteering to be on the review committee for the ARA Professional Development Award please complete an application through this Qualtrics form. Review members should be familiar with the field of research administration and the professional development opportunities available to research administrators and declare no conflict of interest with applicants.
The criteria used for proposal review will be as follows:
- Impact: To include the impact of attending the professional development event on the applicant, his/her research administration responsibilities and role, and the impact on the University.
- Opportunity: Does the opportunity advance the applicant’s current knowledge, provide them with networking opportunities, and/or provide them with an opportunity to advance their current professional skills?
- Contribution: Does the opportunity contribute to the field of research administration, the research administrator, or the research administrator community at UT Austin?
- Standards: Was the budget reasonable, allocable, and allowable based on UT policy? Was every budget line item properly and thoroughly justified?
Award recipients are required to prepare a short report on their experience at the professional development event. The report should be no longer than two (2) pages in length and is due within sixty (60) days from the date of their professional development event. The report or portions of the report may be provided to ARA leadership, committee members, and to the Associate Deans for Research. ARA reserves the right to decline a proposal and to select another recipient from the original applicant pool if the awardee fails to attend the proposed professional development opportunity.
With the generous support of UT Austin’s Associate Deans for Research we are excited to offer the ARA Professional Development Award. Through an application and selection process this award is granted to one eligible research administrator. The awardee will be reimbursed up to $5,000 in allowable travel and/or registration costs to attend one professional development meeting, conference, workshop, or training relevant to research administration.
If you have any questions about the Professional Development Award please reach out to Rebecca Leamon.