Collaborative Research: BUILD: Bridging the Unmet Industry Learning Demands for Research Administrators

About This Grant

Collaborative Research: BUILD: Bridging the Unmet Industry Learning Demands for Research Administrators A robust support infrastructure providing responsible stewardship and vigilant oversight for grants is integral to the research enterprise. The future of the field will leverage technology to optimize performance and manage risk to realize operational excellence and improve economic impact for the research enterprise. Skilled research administration professionals are needed to ensure that federal investments are protected. BUILD will design and deliver online curriculum that will bridge the unmet need for this critical workforce. To educate and retain a large student body, BUILD combines the low-cost solution of asynchronous coursework with the effective retention strategies of high impact practices, which include peer support, mentoring, learning cohorts and e-portfolios. Upon completion of all courses, electronic portfolio and passing the comprehensive examination, students receive a Certificate of Foundations of Research Administration and Research Development. BUILD brings together multiple institutions with differing levels of research activity and resources to create effective virtual education that will fit any research support environment. To realize its transformational potential, BUILD will establish a model that can be implemented nationwide, contributing resources that are shareable by design – instructional and empirical – to support effective education. The impact includes the 280 students served and mentors and graduate students trained. Outcomes include asynchronous courses, an online textbook, mentor orientation materials, and an open access repository of curated educational resources. BUILD uses a mixed methods approach, with qualitative measures used primarily for fidelity of implementation, to document the content and quality of materials, instruction, and interaction in the proposed activities. Quantitative assessment includes data on program quality and predictors of successful outcomes. A randomized control trial will assess the impact of mentoring on achievement and retention. Knowledge gained through this project addresses the complexity of pursuing and managing externally supported research, modernizes training activities to expand research capacity, and catalyzes a stronger, more agile workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.