ARA Professional Development Travel Award
Fiscal Year 2021 – 2022
Request For Applications
The Association of Research Administrator’s (ARA) Professional Development Travel Award supports the professional development of one eligible research administrator. The award is sponsored by The University of Texas at Austin’s Associate Deans for Research and is administered by the Association of Research Administrators.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The ARA Professional Development Travel Award is open to any full-time staff member with primary responsibilities in research administration and employed by any unit, center, department, or office of The University of Texas at Austin. Applicants must be employed by the University in a research administration role for at least 24 months when the award recipient for 2021-2022 is announced on September 28, 2021. Faculty, graduate students, research scientists, or other research personnel who are major contributors to the conduct of research are not eligible for this award. Current committee chairs are not eligible for this award. Outgoing and past ARA Committee Chairs are eligible to apply as of the first award cycle following the end of their term regardless of when the term ended. ARA reserves the right to confirm eligibility.
WHAT ARE THE SELECTION CRITERIA?
The criteria for selection are as follows:
- Demonstrated contribution and involvement in the Association of Research Administrators at UT Austin. See FAQ for more information.
- The anticipated benefit that attending the conference/meeting will have on the applicant’s professional development and his/her research administration responsibilities and their role in research administration at the University. See FAQ for more information.
HOW DO I APPLY?
Any eligible research administrator can apply for the award. Applications are due by 5:00 pm CST on July 30, 2021. Follow this two-step process to apply:
- Complete and submit the application form online via Qualtrics: Here
- Your Supervisor must submit a signed letter of support in pdf format via email to the ARA Resource and Professional Development Chair (RPDC), Jennifer Bindel.
The letter of support should include the following and be emailed to Association of Research Administrators (ara@austin.utexas.edu) by 5:00 PM CST on July 30, 2021:
- Brief description of the applicant’s job duties;
- Confirmation that the applicant is a full-time staff member;
- Confirmation that the applicant will have been employed by The University of Texas at Austin for at least 24 months as of September 28, 2021;
- Confirmation that the applicant is approved to attend a research administration conference/meeting in the event that s/he is selected as the award recipient; and
- Signature of the applicant’s supervisor.
WHAT IS REQUIRED OF ME AFTER I RECEIVE THE TRAVEL AWARD?
Make an appointment to meet with a representative from the ARA Leadership Committee to review the travel award guidance document before initiating travel arrangements to attend professional development event.
As the award recipient, you must prepare a written summary of your experience at the professional development event that you attend with travel award funds. The written summary should not exceed 2 pages and should include an overview of the conference/meeting, points of interest or sessions attended, benefits of attendance, and plans to apply new knowledge to your current position. The written summary will be made available to ARA membership and portions of the summary may be included in the annual expenditure report submitted to the Associate Deans for Research.
Additionally, you must provide a brief update (maximum of 10 minutes) during an ARA monthly meeting within 60 days of your return from the conference/meeting. Accommodations will be made for variations in the ARA meeting schedule.
Award recipients may be asked to serve on a review panel for future travel award competitions administered by the ARA.
WHEN WILL THE AWARD RECIPIENT BE ANNOUNCED?
The award recipient will be announced at ARA’s National Research Administrator’s Day Celebration scheduled for September 24, 2019.
WHAT IS THE REVIEW AND AWARD SELECTION PROCESS?
The ARA RPDC Chair will collect and review all nominations to confirm eligibility, then appoint a review committee comprised of ARA members and other campus personnel who are: (1) familiar with the field of research administration and the professional development opportunities available to research administrators and (2) declare no conflict of interest with the applicants. The review committee will evaluate the applications according to the selection criteria described above and will select a recipient.
TIMELINE
June 22, 2021 Application window opens
July 30, 2021 Deadline to submit application
August 2021 ARA RPDC Chair confirms eligibility of applicants and receipt of complete application package and recruits review committee members
August thru
September 2021 Review committee reviews applications and convenes in person to select the travel award recipient
September 28, 2021 ARA RPDC Chair announces award recipient at National Research Administrator’s Day Celebration
After Award Announcement Awardee (1) works with ARA to coordinate travel arrangements and reimbursement for attending the selected professional development event to occur prior to August 31, 2022; (2) submits a written summary to ARA RPDC Chair within 30 days of travel; and (3) provides a brief update during an ARA monthly meeting.
See FAQ for more information.