ADVANCED LEVEL ACCREDITATION PROGRAM (ALAP)

Accreditation at the Advanced Level is the highest level of accreditation offered by ARMS. It indicates that graduates are both knowledgeable in their research management role and skilled in applying research management principles in their workplace. Attaining the Advanced Level Accreditation allows graduates to use the post-nominal ARM(A). It is awarded to candidates who attain 150 points through professional development programs including 100 ELAP points and an additional 50 points from a capstone workplace-based assignment.

WORKPLACE-BASED STUDY

The workplace-based assignment is a written body of work based on an agreed project/activity in the participant’s workplace.  It may be a freestanding work purely for the purpose of the Accreditation Program, or more beneficially, it may also be a document produced for consideration within the participant’s institutional research governance structures. Candidates may also be required to present their project at a relevant ARMS meeting, i.e. Chapter meeting or at the Annual Conference.

The project will be agreed with the ARMS Accreditation Council prior to commencement and may comprise an individual project or a group project.  Whilst the workplace assignment can be completed at any time during the candidate’s enrolment it is not able to be submitted till the candidate has completed the 100 points required under the ELAP program. 

The workplace-based assignment is expected to be a significant body of work approximately 5,000-10,000 words and will be assessed by reviewers approved by the Accreditation Council.

Examples of workplace projects include, but are not limited to: 

  • Development and/or review of strategies to support research at the participant’s institution; 
  • A review of institutional, national and or international practice in a specific area of research management, design; or 
  • Implementation of a workplace change activity.

Assessment of this assignment will be against broad criteria including the:

  • Significance of the work within the candidate’s workplace;  
  • Quality of contextual discussion for the work; and
  • Attention paid to how this body of work could be/is being implemented within the candidate’s organisation.

ENROLLING IN THE ALAP

To enrol in the ALAP program, registrants must contact the ARMS Executive office (ARMSAccreditation@researchmanagement.org.au) to lodge an Expressions of Interest (EOI). 

All EOIs are reviewed by a sub-committee of the ARMS Accreditation Council and will be formally acknowledged by the Executive Office. If an EOI has been approved by the sub-committee, the Executive Office will write formally to the individual, clearly articulating the terms and conditions associated with this program and re-iterating the time commitments necessary for its successful completion

If the EOI has not been approved by the sub-committee, the Executive Office will write to the individual stating that the applicant did not have the relevant skills and experience necessary for successful completion of this program.

ALAP participants will be granted one (1) year to successfully complete the program.