Abstract

How do research managers and administrators (RMAs) contribute to the creation and sharing of knowledge in their workplaces and communities, relevant to the advancement of their collective professional identity?
Based on a qualitative study involving ‘ambassadors’ of the RM_Roadmap project, led by EARMA, the authors intend to show how individuals see themselves and their career trajectories, their relationships with their professional associations, and the formation of identities individually and collectively. This aimed to explore the current knowledge base of RMAs and the ways in which they disseminate this knowledge among their communities.
Moreover, RMAs move between academic and professional activities and communities to create new, hybrid communities, and engage with new lines of research into the profession. Their contribution to the professionalisation of the RMA community is likely to be facilitated by the recognition of their academic credentials and expertise, together with more fluid institutional structures and roles, and a softening of internal and external boundaries. However, their contribution to the development of the profession as an arena for third space activity, identities, and knowledge has not been explored in detail.
The presentation will report on a qualitative study consisting of in-depth interviews conducted on a purposive sample of selected ambassadors as insider researchers. This study aims to shed light on RMAs’ pathways to identity formation, supported by professional associations and networks, nationally and internationally, as well as the advancement of research management and administration as a field of study and a profession.