Abstract

As Research Managers, we are all aware that regulatory and compliance driven requirements related to research are becoming more and more demanding. The downstream effect of this to pull Researcher’s attention away from the science to address these complex systems of compliance. Higher education and research institutions naturally tackle this challenge by investing and developing a professional body of Research Managers and Administrators with a parallel career path to scientific faculty in academic institutions. RMA is needed at both the central or institutional level as well as the local/department or lab level. Both groups strive to improve institutional conditions for researchers and need to work closely together and with those researchers to successfully manage these programs.

A coordinated approach to research management in an institution can be challenging, especially for leaders in central Research Administration offices of decentralized institutions with high departmental autonomy. As research compliance requirements increase, finding the right balance between central and local support becomes even more important to protect principles of scientific freedom while developing diligence around data protection, open data and/or export controls that could be perceived as impeding research and scientific knowledge.

In this session, we will present these challenges and discuss lateral leading and learning strategies from both the central and local perspectives. How can we best manage and influence departmental development that is key to both researcher and institutional success? What do central research managers need from their departmental colleagues? Similarly, what do departmental research managers require of an institutional office? The objective of this session is to learn from each other.