When looking at the lifecycle of a grant from project concept to application preparation, submission, and review, to scientific and financial reporting and management of the award, multiple institutional offices provide essential, unique, yet complementary services.
Research Administration as a field is long-standing and many researchers have a general sense of the responsibilities of their institution’s pre-award and post-award wings of their sponsored projects office. However, the appearance of the new field of Research Development over the last 20 years has added some uncertainty about the what and why of reaching out to a research administrator vs. a research developer. Re-visiting the general focuses of these two offices may provide clarity and simplify the search for the content owner when questions arise close to the grant deadline.
Research administration focuses on the operational and administrative aspects of research projects. Research administrators are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of research funding portfolio management and ensuring compliance with institutional and funding agency policies. They handle tasks such as budget management, contract negotiation, grant administration, and regulatory compliance. Research administrators also play a crucial role in facilitating communication between researchers, funding agencies, and other stakeholders.
In the RA field, a grants manager (pre-award through post-award) is primarily responsible for overseeing the entire grants process, from compiling and submitting the application, and managing the application, award negotiation, and reporting processes. Among the operational aspects of managing grants are ensuring compliance with funding guidelines and overseeing the financial aspects of funded projects. They work closely with researchers and principal investigators to ensure that grant proposals are well prepared and meet all the necessary requirements, and they steward them through the peer-review and award negotiation process as the institutional representative to sponsors. After an award notice is received, post-award grants managers are responsible for budgeting and financial management, ensuring that funds are allocated appropriately and used in accordance with grant guidelines. Additionally, they may be involved in monitoring and evaluating the progress of funded projects, ensuring that they are on track and meeting their objectives.
Research Development, which only began as a field in the mid-aughts, involves the strategic planning and coordination of research activities. Often nicknamed the pre-Pre-Award office, it encompasses activities that aim to enhance the quality, impact, and competitiveness of research projects. Research development professionals work closely with researchers to identify funding opportunities, develop competitive research proposals, enhance the overall quality of research projects, and build collaborations and large teams.
A research development manager focuses on the concept-to-execution of research initiatives within an organization or institution. They work closely with researchers, faculty, and administrators to identify research priorities and opportunities for collaboration. Research development managers play a crucial role in building partnerships and securing external funding for research projects. With these goals, they are responsible for conducting market research and identifying potential funding sources, such as government agencies, foundations, and industry partners. They also assist researchers in developing strong grant proposals, providing guidance on writing, budgeting, and compliance requirements. Additionally, research development managers may be involved in promoting research outcomes and facilitating knowledge transfer and commercialization activities. The dedicated members of both the RA and RD fields can be invaluable allies in securing and managing research funding and identifying and building relationships with these offices and individuals early is crucial.
