Newly Certified Research Administrators on Campus

Compiled by Sarah Grace Brown

Left to right: Peg Hart, research coordinator for the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Amber Hutchinson, senior grant specialist in the Office of Sponsored Programs; and Molly Throgmorton, research development support specialist in the Division of Research and Innovation.

After undergoing rigorous training and successfully passing a comprehensive exam, three U of A staff members recently qualified as certified research administrators.

Peg Hart, research coordinator for the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Amber Hutchinson, senior grant specialist in the Office of Sponsored Programs; and Molly Throgmorton, research development support specialist in the Division of Research and Innovation, all passed the Certified Research Administrator (CRA) exam last fall.

This certification gives the participants increased credibility in their work with grant proposals. As a form of professional development, the CRA indicates one's expertise in professional research or sponsored programs administration. The body of knowledge covers related topics such as project development, sponsor interface, legal requirements and financial management of awards.

As a research development support specialist, Throgmorton was interested in earning this credential to better serve campus constituents. "I wanted to build a foundation of knowledge for myself," Throgmorton said.

Hart assists biomedical engineering faculty in the pre-award process. "As a department representative, I felt that it would help me be seen as a little more knowledgeable, that I could speak the same language," Hart said. "I wanted to represent the department and the university to the best of my ability. Our department head, Dr. Raj Rao, supported me in this professional development goal. Without his support and encouragement, I wouldn't have tried."

Hutchinson also works with faculty as they apply for and receive grants. She would recommend the CRA to others in a similar occupation. "It is definitely a very comprehensive exam," Hutchinson said. She said that the training and certification increases credibility in grant awards as well as proposals. Earning this credential would be beneficial for others who support proposal development and "who live in that world--day in and day out."

The Research Administrators Certification Council facilitates the certification program. Participants are required to have "three years of professional experience in research or sponsored programs administration" before they are able to take the exam. Members of this cohort recommend the free CRA training program offered by Virginia Tech.

"The Division of Research and Innovation is extremely proud of Molly, Amber and Peg," said Cynthia Sides, assistant vice chancellor and director of research advancement. "They join four other talented individuals on campus who also hold this certification. They each pursued the CRA as part of their own professional development and as a commitment to providing continued excellence in service to our faculty and staff principal investigators." 

If you are a faculty member or postdoctorate student interested in finding funding for a project, consider attending the Proposal Writing Office Hours hosted by the Division of Research and Innovation. Each week this semester, we are offering an in-person session on Mondays and a virtual session on Fridays. Attending one of these sessions will initiate the process of finding and applying for research funding. You might even have the opportunity to work with one of these newly qualified CRAs in the process.

If you are interested in finding funding or becoming more familiar with funding agencies (such as NSF), please visit our video archives hosted on ScholarWorks. Also, check out the upcoming workshops scheduled for this semester.