INORMS2018 recap

INORMS2018 recap

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  Recent challenges inresearch administration Research is increasingly becoming a global endeavor. Academics from around the world are working together to tackle global challenges society is facing today. This has resulted in the rapid increase of international research collaborations in recent years. This in turn has led to unique challenges for research managers including navigating funding systems for international research, addressing customs laws to support the exchange of research samples and specimens, and providing language support for scholars worldwide. These issues will become increasingly complex as new technologies change the fundamental ways in which research is managed today. Thus, it is necessary for research administrators from around the globe to come together in a forum to discuss these challenges. INORMS 2018: Supporting Global Research Challenges By Irina Filonova and Sarah Wong 16 NCURA Magazine I August 2018 Research Administration in Asia Pacific A A successful research enterprise often rests on shoulders of those who work behind the scenes making sure universities run as well-oiled machines. These people are frequently called research management administrators (RMAs), and there is no better place to become acquainted with this diverse professional tribe than to attend an International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) congress. The 7th INORMS congress themed Promoting Global Research Management, Supporting Global Research Challenges was hosted in June 2018 by the Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) in the historical city of Edinburgh, Scotland. In this article, we’d like to share our first-hand experience and personal impressions of this remarkable event. Bagpipes make an appearance at the opening ceremony. inorms 2018 Edinburgh
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  INORMS 2018 isthe place to be In 2001, INORMS was created for RMAs to help internationalize the paradigm of research man- agement. INORMS member associations are represented by multinational research manage- ment societies including the Australasian Re- search Management Society (ARMS), the Brazilian Association of Research Managers and Administrators (BRAMA), the West African Research and Innovation Management Associa- tion (WARIMA), and of course NCURA. If you’ve never been to an INORMS meeting, simply imagine hundreds of highly-skilled RMAs com- ing together to share their experiences and best practices of running research enterprises around the world, all while having a great deal of fun. The 7th INORMS congress (IN- ORMS2018) was not an exception. Hosted by ARMA, it was the largest INORMS congress to date, with more than 1,100 participants repre- senting 55 different countries and 17 research management societies. Needless to say, this congress truly represented the “I” in INORMS. This year’s conference perfectly blended both professional and social activities, resulting a truly memorable, enjoyable and enlightening experience that featured a ceilidh, whittling Harry Potter-style wands, and singing along with the INORMS choir. Being newbies to the congress, we were pleasantly surprised with the variety and depth of the three-day program that consisted of four plenary sessions with world-renounced experts and multiple workshops covering 11 sub-themes. Coming from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University in Okinawa, Japan, we represent two different areas of research management: Irina is a post- doctoral career development specialist, while, Sarah is a science administrator in the Presi- dent’s Office. Our unique identities within the University allowed us to both experience and learn from the conference differently. As much as we wanted to share all our newly- learned knowledge with the NCURA audience, we decided to distill our lessons learned to three topics that cover use of impact, research development issues, and development of new skills to be successful in our profession. Assessing your impact Sessions on public trust and engagement revealed the tenuous relationship between the public and scientists in terms of trust. This volatility was displayed in Japan following the Fukushima nuclear disaster when public trust of scientists was nearly halved. While polls suggest 17NCURA Magazine I August 2018 A successful research enterprise often rests on shoulders of those who work behind the scenes. WITH NCURA PUBLICATIONS Expand your knowledge with these easily readable, concise and affordable resources. ORDER YOUR COPIES TODAY! • A Primer on Clinical Trials • Compensation – Personal Services: Managing and Reporting Effort • Cost Sharing: An Overview • Facilities and Administrative Costs in Higher Education • Establishing and Managing an Office of Sponsored Programs at Non-Research Intensive Colleges and Universities • A Primer on Intellectual Property • The Role of Research Administration • Writing and Negotiating Subawards • OMB Uniform Guidance Desk Reference FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ORDER THESE PUBLICATIONS VISIT THE NCURA STORE: www.ncura.edu/PublicationsStore.aspx © National Council of University Research Administrators | Phone: 202.466.3894 | Fax: 202.223.5573 | info@ncura.edu ~ A PRIMER ON CLINICAL TRIALS FOR THE RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR 2 CFR 200 (Effective 12/26/14) Office of Management and Budget Uniform Adm inistrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
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  that public trustin science in the United States has remained relatively stable over the past few decades, the increasingly vocal anti-science movement may threaten this. As taxpayer money funds a large portion of research, it is important to retain public trust in science. This can be achieved by properly engaging the com- munity through communication, outreach, and inclusion. It is important to remember that communication goes beyond the simple dis- semination of information, it requires both conversing with and listening to the public. As this conference was held in the United Kingdom, the Research Excellent Framework (REF) mandated by U.K. funding bodies, was a hot topic amongst many conference participants. Part of REF’s purpose is “to provide accountabil- ity for public investment and produce evidence of benefits of this investment,” which includes providing data that demonstrates the quality of research being produced. However, as some ses- sions uncovered, one must use research metrics with caution. While it is important for institutes to be aware of the relative quality of their re- search, it is also important to keep the mission, vision, and purpose of the institute in mind when assessing impact. Achieving the mission should be given a higher priority than climbing the rankings for universities. News from the researcher development world Regarding researcher development, multiple speakers recommended that scientists should be rigorously trained to adapt to the rapid in- ternationalization of research. In the past, much of the professional training was aimed to deepen a discipline knowledge, enhance intel- lectual abilities and personal effectiveness (Vitae RDF, Domains A and B; see References); however, going global requires a different, more business-like skillset that also includes understanding research governance and organ- ization (Vitae RDF, Domain C). This means pro- ducing excellent research results no longer meets the threshold for international success. Therefore, research leaders also need to be well equipped to understand the different legal re- quirements, finance management, and institu- tional infrastructures in collaborating countries. In addition to these competencies, a comprehen- sive knowledge of cultural diversity is necessary to initiate a global collaboration and successfully conclude it. As a result, research developers should create tools and provide resources to help investigators establish cultural alignments and navigate through the unspoken rules and expec- tation of another culture. The evolution of the profession The expanding scope of research and the increase in governmental oversight brought several challenges to the RMA profession. Many of these revolved around the complexity of the tasks, requirement to achieve new goals, and the need to support both local and global part- nerships. As a consequence, an interesting phenomenon – the emergence of “blended professionals (BP)” – has been observed on many campuses worldwide. While this term might be new to some readers, many of us may fall into this category. To simplify, BPs are PhDs who chose to join research administration, yet, they combine administrative work with aca- demic practices. These professionals are called by different names such as impact/engagement specialists, researcher developers, science and policy advisors, etc. and are found in various spaces at universities. Interestingly, despite their unusual job duties and relative freedom, many BPs experience a lack of managerial sup- port and vague career prospects that may cause decreased job satisfaction and an unclear pro- fessional identity. This suggests that institutions should create special mechanisms to support these individuals in their professional develop- ment to retain this valuable human resource. The emergence of “blended-ness” serves as ad- ditional evidence that past skills are insufficient to accommodate the ever-changing research landscape. Thus, similarly to the academics, RMAs must develop their professional identify and expand their skill set by adding cultural intelligence, critical thinking, and leadership. Moreover, we (they) should be more proactive when it comes down to proposing novel solu- tions to complex problems because, chances are, we (they) might be the only ones in the room with expertise in both research support and administration. Recent challenges in research administration Research is increasingly becoming a global en- deavor. Academics from around the world are working together to tackle global challenges society is facing today. This has resulted in the rapid increase of international research collab- orations in recent years. This in turn has led to unique challenges for research managers in- cluding navigating funding systems for interna- tional research, addressing customs laws to support the exchange of research samples and specimens, and providing language support for scholars worldwide. These issues will become increasingly complex as new technologies change the fundamental ways in which research is managed today. Thus, it is necessary for research administrators from around the globe to come together in a forum to discuss these challenges. and administration. What’s next? In the face of disruptive technologies and rap- idly-evolving research landscapes, one has to wonder what the field of research management will look like in upcoming years. The “future of work” sessions highlighted potential changes the field may face, such as the automation of administrative tasks through the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and other tech- nologies. This leads to the increased impor- tance of soft skills, such as communication, leadership, and development of interpersonal relationships. It will be especially interesting to listen to the new challenges at the next INORMS congress, which will be hosted by the Research Manager and Administrator Network Japan (RMAN-J) in Hiroshima in 2020. We are looking forward to welcoming you in Japan! N 18 References Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) 2011 (page 2), www.vitae.ac.uk/vitae-publications/rdf-related/re- searcher-development-framework-rdf-vitae.pdf Irina Filonova, PhD, is the Postdoc- toral Development Specialist in Oki- nawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). She is a neuroscientist and has worked at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She can be reached at irina.filonova@oist.jp Sarah Junco Wong, PhD, is the Sci- ence Administrator in the President’s Office at the Okinawa Institute of Sci- ence and Technology Graduate Uni- versity (OIST). She is a biochemist and has worked at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of Texas at Austin. She can be reached at sarah.wong@oist.jp Japanese delegation introducing INORMS 2020. NCURA Magazine I August 2018