Abstract

Scientists and RMA’s inhabit overlapping niches in the research ecosystem and share common goals and visions. Still, friction occurs and behavior in the “other group” may seem inexplicable, as if they inhabited a different world with its own irrational rules and principles.

Why are scientists—who are arguably selected for their positions because of their intelligence—sometimes surprisingly naïve, not to mention stubborn, when planning projects and collaborations? How come that, for example, the laws of nature and rules set by learned societies are accepted unquestioningly by researchers, but simple rules for financially healthy projects or collaborations may be blatantly ignored? Why are scientists often more loyal to colleagues that they are not dependent on, than to the institution that pays their salary and makes their research possible?

Having worked for many years as an active researcher, my own transition “down the rabbit hole” (to become an RMA) is still very vivid in my memory. It was like entering a Wonderland inhabited by strange characters, following rules that were the familiar, but took on a whole new dimension in my new role. Contrary to what I “knew” as a researcher, I found dedicated, hard-working and ambitious colleagues in the administration, and the deans and rectors behaved very differently than I had ever imagined (in both good, and maybe not so good ways).

One of the fundamental learning points from my own trip down the rabbit hole is the need for a better and deeper understanding by scientists for RMA’s—and vice versa. For RMA’s, a fundamental soft skill is understanding the world that researchers live in; such insights will make your life as an RMA much easier and more pleasant, while also leading to better efficiency and results.

In this short presentation, we will dive head-first into the rabbit hole and explore the Wonderland of RMA, as seen through the eyes of a scientist. When we emerge again, the audience will have a better understanding of seemingly irrational behaviors and thoughts that researchers may express. They may not be so irrational once you understand the world that your scientists live in, but that world just may be more different from your own than you think!