Abstract

As the RMA profession has slowly emerged in recent years, the diversity of RMA roles has steadily evolved from general to specialized functions, such as impact manager or data steward, to more innovative, albeit often less visible, strategic roles (e.g., strategic alliances or initiatives program manager, science diplomat, challenge programme director).
This study maps the evolution of some of these innovative roles globally, which are quite unique in that they are located at the intersection of professional and academic domains whose tasks and responsibilities often overlap (Poli, Oliveira, & Zsár, 2023). This is because today's spaces of interaction are not mutually exclusive. This phenomenon has led some to use the concept of third space (Whitchurch, 2008a, 2018; Veles 2023).
This concept shows that among the skills of today's RMAs, the ability to adapt and move (quickly) between multiple dimensions is certainly required together with the capacity to catch and share the big picture of what is going on. This means that new non-traditional roles with the ability to combine professional, academic, business, diplomatic and medical fields have become visible and sought after. The presentation aims to describe three cases of these innovative roles in Europe, the UK and the US, complementing them with an analysis of their evolution and of the more contextual or person-related capabilities.
Following the conceptual framework proposed by Graham (2014) with the representation of the traditional academic, non-academic and third space domains, we envisage the creation of a multidimensional matrix that goes beyond the "third space direction" even to enrich or clarify this third space in a field of practice. This further dimension should include the ability to act from a decentral position with a centered approach aimed at supporting, collecting and amplifying the contributions of all, while ensuring that all perspectives are heard. Capabilities of these innovative roles may include, but are not limited to, decenter, a focus beyond entities, liminality, and transformative potential that facilitate collaboration and innovation.
Some of the conclusions from our research suggest that the new roles will be more generalist, more holistic and more cross-cutting than they have ever been before.

References
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