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In 2009, the second largest university in the nation was awarded a grant from NCURA to initiate a new fully-online graduate program in research administration. The Master of Research Administration (MRA) was approved by the institution’s Board of Trustees in March 2011 and the first classes will begin August 2011. Currently the research literature does not offer studies on establishing and developing research administration graduate programs. The purpose of this paper is to describe the planning process followed to establish the graduate program at the University of Central Florida, provide a brief overview of the program, and identify the lessons learned during these initial stages of the process. The University of Central Florida (UCF), founded in 1963, is the second-largest university in the nation. Located in Orlando, Florida, UCF and its 12 colleges provide opportunities to 56,235 students, offering 183 bachelor’s and master’s degrees and 29 doctoral programs. Students come from all 50 states and 140 countries. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classified UCF as a university with “very high research activity” (RU/VH), which is the highest designation for doctorategranting universities. Research Management Review, Volume 18, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2011 2 NEED FOR ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS IN RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION Research administrators help facilitate the development and implementation of research activities within universities, nonprofit and for-profit research organizations, and hospitals. Knowledgeable and skilled research administrators are critical to diminishing the administrative burden placed on researchers so they can do what they were prepared to do—conduct research. Moreover, research administrators help promote a culture of responsible conduct of research, maintain compliance, and contribute to maintaining the public trust in research. Graduate professional programs in research administration are needed to prepare highly skilled research administrators who will help the nation meet its growing demand for research innovation and economic growth. “Graduate professional programs in research administration are needed to prepare highly skilled research administrators who will help the nation meet its growing demand for research innovation and economic growth.” Only recently have any empirical studies been conducted exploring research administration theoretical models or frameworks (Atkinson, Gilleland, & Barrett, 2007). Research administration has continued to evolve in congruence with the progress of science. As the regulatory environment began to expand, it became necessary for research institutions to establish policies and procedures to support the management and administration of sponsored research programs (Beasley, 2006). These trends have included major expansion in regulations in such areas as the protection of human subjects in research, the ownership of intellectual property, the care of animals used in research, research data management, and reporting conflicts of interest. More recently, demands for research and innovation in such areas as energy, healthcare, and technology have increased in an effort to alleviate global problems (Cockburn & Stern, 2010). In sync with the demand for more research development and innovations has been the requirement for increased accountability and transparency of government agencies by the public, resulting in an influx of agency regulations and policies directed toward accounting for and reporting of research activities. With such an ever-changing and complex regulatory environment it is practically impossible for researchers alone to keep up with all the new requirements and compliance issues (Rockwell, 2009; Stanley & McCartney, 2009). The purpose of the Master of Research Administration (MRA) degree is to prepare individuals for employment as mid-level administrators at public and private research universities and Research Management Review, Volume 18, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2011 3 medical centers and related positions at federal agencies. The need for continued professional development from a growing number of research administrators is demonstrated by the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)’ rapid membership growth; from 1983 to 2008 its membership grew 403% (Roberts, Sanders, & Sharp, 2008). One of NCURA’s primary missions is to provide members with education and professional development to help research administrators remain current with the constant changes in the field and to help acclimate those entering the profession. This escalation in NCURA membership affirms that continued education and development is of great importance to research administrators. Subsequently, the need for a graduate program in research administration was clearly described in the NCURA Request for Proposals (2009) calling for institutions of higher education to submit implementation proposals to establish fully online graduate programs for research administrators. In this announcement the necessity for a master’s degree was indicated through a 2009 survey of NCURA members. Eighthundred and eighty five (885) respondents stated an interest in an online graduate degree in research administration. NCURA also gathered anecdotal information from federal government employees with similar interest in such a graduate program (NCURA, 2009). In the same way, UCF distributed a survey in fall 2010 using a research administrator listserv that received 189 responses. Of the 189 surveyed, a total of 74% indicated an interest in taking such a program. The respondents were primarily university research administrators; 80% agreed that a MRA program would be important and fill an educational need for those in research administration. The projection of employment growth for research administrators is difficult to measure. Although the U.S. Department of Labor does not gather employment data for research administrators specifically, it does gather data on those working in research and development who are heavily supported by research administrators. The U.S. Department of Labor reported that wage and salary employment in scientific research and development services was projected to increase by 25% between 2008 and 2018, compared with 11% employment growth for the economy as a whole. Demand for new research and development is expected to continue to grow across all major fields, with growth being particularly strong in biotechnology and other life sciences research as increased demand for medical and pharmaceutical advances are driven by an aging population. This demand will lead to increased research and development spending in these areas and will likely increase the need for research administrators to support the expansion of these national efforts (Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d.). There is evidence suggesting significant employer need for formally trained research administrators. According to Roberts (2005), it is likely that employers would desire Research Management Review, Volume 18, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2011 4 having quality educational and professional development programs available for those new to the profession “since the vast majority of research administrators enter the profession with little or no experience in the field” (p. 100). Institutions wish to avoid penalties for noncompliance and to uphold the reputation of their researchers and institutions. Penalties for research noncompliance can be severe. Potentially, research institutions could be debarred from receiving federal grants and individual researchers could be restricted from applying for any federal research funding. Depending on the authorizing legislation, penalties for noncompliance related to export controls can range between $65,000 and $250,000 for civil violations and criminal penalties for individuals can be up to $1,000,000 and 20 years of imprisonment. Preventing and avoiding such serious penalties is an incentive for an employer to desire quality education programs designed specifically for research administrators and for hiring highly-qualified research administrators. Shambrook’s (2010) study indicates that there has been an increase in the number of professionals obtaining graduate degrees and a significance in the salary levels of those administrators with advanced degrees. These formal studies along with the rapid expansion of the profession provide strong evidence of the need for formally trained individuals.
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