PRESIDENT'S UPDATE May - June 2021
After a year’s delay, a pivot to a virtual delivery, and last-minute complications due to the continuing impact of the COVID pandemic on Japan, the INORMS 2021 Congress was held in the final week of May. Our colleagues at RMAN-J have managed these challenges admirably and had assembled a global set of speakers who delivered a series of highly engaging and informative presentations, posters, and panel discussions to research management professionals attending from over 40 countries.
The event was a great success, and my thanks and congratulations go out to the organising and program committees.
Amongst the many memorable moments, the Conference had two specific highlights for me. The first was the publication of the Hiroshima Statement. Developed by the INORMS Council, this document outlines the essential practices of research managers and administrators. It was a privilege to sign the Statement on behalf of ARMS, encapsulating a shared vision of the key principles and responsibilities of members of our profession: collegiality, inclusivity, professionalism, innovation, and accountability.
The second aspect I wanted to feature occurred at the closing ceremony – the conferral of the INORMS Award for Excellence in Research Management Leadership to Professor Ren Yi from the University of Southern Queensland. Ren is an expert on internationalisation in the higher education sector and is actively involved with the research management profession. He is a former President of the ARMS and his keen interest in the effective management of international programs and partnerships has kept him active in discussions across the globe. Congratulations, Ren, on this well-deserved recognition.
With the conclusion of the INORMS Conference, I now look forward to the ARMS Virtual Conference in November 2021. This will be another fabulous opportunity to showcase recent developments in our field and to connect with colleagues from across the sector.
In the meantime, ARMS will continue to support our Communities of Practice to provide for members to come together to learn about and discuss topical issues. In addition, as I announced in the last newsletter and was formally launched recently, the INORMS Sister Association Reciprocal Benefit Scheme (ISARBS) allows all members of ARMS to access events and programs of the global network of societies.
Dr Ross McLennan
ARMS President
WHAT'S UP in ARMS?
Update from the ARMS Board
NEW ACCREDITATION POINTS BASED MODEL ANNOUNCED: HELPING YOU TO CHOOSE YOUR OWN ACCREDITATION PATHWAY
A key strategic priority of ARMS is to support the development of excellent research management professionals by providing a diverse and broadly accessible accreditation program, and other professional development opportunities. With this in mind, the Accreditation Council in late 2020 considered changes to ARMS' current accreditation program structure, namely accreditation at the Foundation and Advanced Levels. While both programs have been well subscribed with over 540 graduates, it was agreed a slightly more flexible framework should be considered to enable members to fulfil their individual learning needs. This approach would help individuals choose their own accreditation pathway by selecting programs either from within the current suite of ARMS’ offerings or approved external programs and provide a meaningful pathway for upskilling and career progression.
I am now very pleased to announce that the Accreditation Council last month officially endorsed the implementation of this "New Points-Based Model of Accreditation". While it is understood that there is still some work operationally and at a policy level to be completed, it is anticipated that the Society will begin to transition and offer members three distinct accreditation pathways over the coming months:
Pathway 1: Foundation Level (25 points) – The Accreditation Council approved a model of assigning 25 points to candidates that had completed the current Foundation Level Accreditation Program (including the final assessment). These points may be used as credit for pathways 2 and 3 and that there will be no impact on individuals currently completing pathway 1: Foundation Level.
Pathway 2: New Established Level (100 points) - The Accreditation Council approved a model where an individual accumulating 100 points would achieve Accreditation at the Established Level. These points may be drawn from the completion of Pathway 1: Foundation Level (25 points) and the remaining 75 points may be drawn from elements of the previous Advanced Level Accreditation (tbc). The Accreditation Council has ruled that overall a minimum of 75 points out of the 100 accumulated points must be drawn from programs that have an assessment component.
Pathway 3: Advanced level (150 points) – The Accreditation Council approved a model where an individual accumulating 150 points would achieve Accreditation at the Advanced Level. Points must be drawn from the completion of Pathway 2 (100 points), with the remaining points drawn from the completion of a workplace based assessment (50 points).
We will keep you informed about the roll-out and provide information to how this will work in practice with avatars and website updates (including Q&As) that enable individuals to navigate through these changes. We are confident this new approach will give members the flexibility to engage with the multiplicity of ARMS offerings; enable better career progression; and create a community which supports research management excellence.
Dr Ross McLennan
ARMS President
CALL FOR ARMS TRAINING FELLOWS FOR DELIVERY OF TWO NEW MASTER CLASSES ON:
COSTING AND PRICING OF RESEARCH AND FUNDAMENTALS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Expressions of Interest due COB 09 July 2021
ARMS Training Fellow is a title given to an individual recognised by the ARMS Accreditation Council as having the knowledge and skills to present education and training programs.
The Society will be shortly announcing the release of two new master classes on Costing and Pricing of Research and Fundamentals of Project Management.
Our Accreditation Council is now seeking expressions of interest from members across the broad remit of ARMS including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore to deliver these new master classes. While it is intended that these programs are to be delivered in-person, in the current pandemic climate, these programs may be delivered via video conferencing initially and eventually in-person, when safe to do so.
Do you have:
✔ An undergraduate degree?
✔ A minimum of five year' experience in research administration/management at a University or other post secondary educational setting such as a hospital, NFP research organisation, industry research laboratory or government research laboratory?
✔ Demonstrated theoretical and practical knowledge on these topics?
✔ Demonstrated quality instructional/presentation skills?
✔ The willingness to actively contribute to the Society?
If you answer yes to all these points, then this is the professional development opportunity for you!
Interested? Below is a brief summary of the program:
Costing and Pricing of Research Master Class
The program provides researchers, research administrators and commercial managers with an advanced understanding of research project and costing across Australian and International funding schemes. The target audience includes researchers, research administrators and research commercial managers involved in the costing and pricing of research projects.
Fundamentals of Project Management Master Class
The program provides participants with an introduction to the fundamentals of project management, and how these are implemented in a research organisation. The program takes an approach of describing project management activities for research administrators but also provides information which is specific for the management of research projects and programs.
ARMS Training Fellow is a voluntary position providing a service to the Society. The Society will provide reimbursement for approved expenses when the programs are delivered “in-person”.
Expressions of interest are due 09 July 2021 - visit the ARMS website for more details.
DEMONSTRATING THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS
Case Studies due 2 August 2021
Strategic Priority 2 of the ARMS Strategic Plan is the Promotion of the Profession of Research Management. One way to achieve this priority is to capture, document and share stories that demonstrate the valuable contributions made by Research Management Professionals to the research enterprise.
To facilitate this aim, we are very pleased to announce the release of a template that has been developed to assist in capturing a range of Research Management Professionals impact case studies.
We now invite ARMS members to share stories of situations, actions and outcomes that describe how the skills and expertise of Research Management Professionals have benefited the research enterprise.
The overall aim is to produce a collection of impact case studies that will help to identify lessons to share with research management professionals and to demonstrate the value of the profession of research management to key stakeholders and influencers.
It is anticipated that this collection will be released at the virtual conference of ARMS in November 2021.
For a copy of the template click here.
RE-LAUNCH OF THE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
The Society is pleased to announce the official re-launch of ARMS’ Research Development SIG and welcome all interested ARMS members to register.
Feedback to our March survey crystallised into three key themes which we have now developed into three streams of activities. These streams will enable us to focus in depth on key aspects within the broad umbrella that is “research development”. The streams are:
Research strategy, planning and implementation
Researcher development
Grant development
For further details about each stream, please visit the Research Development SIG webpage.
In the following months, we are planning to run events to bring this SIG community together. If you are passionate about a particular stream and would like to suggest or run an event, please contact us at arms.adminofficer@flinders.edu.au
- Dr Marina Delpin from the University of South Australia
- Dr Dora Horvath from Swinburne University of Technology
- Dr Kirsten Lawrie from the University of Queensland Dora Horvath and Marina Delpin
Research Development SIG Co-Convenors
BIENNIAL MEMBER'S SURVEY - WE INVITE YOU TO HAVE YOUR SAY!
The ARMS Member Services Committee (MSC) now invites all members to participate in a voluntary survey to identify how we can grow to allow you to benefit most from the Society's activities and professional development opportunities. Your responses will enable ARMS to continue embedding our vision, mission and values in all aspects of our operations and will support us in meeting our strategic priorities
At the end of the survey you will be given the opportunity to enter a draw for a $30 gift card. The ARMS Executive Office will randomly select one winner from each chapter.
This survey closes 11.59pm AEST, 16 July 2021. The survey is completely confidential and your responses will not be linked to your personal details at any stage, including when registering for the voucher prize.
Our prize winners will be drawn and notified by the ARMS Executive Office by 23rd of July 2021.
We value your feedback and encourage you to participate in the survey.
Latest News and Member Updates
WHAT'S COMING UP? CHAPTERS, SIGS & PD SESSIONS @ ZOOM
ARMS/CASE JOINT EVENT: 24 - 25 June
Maximising Partnerships Between Research and Advancement To Increase Funding
Join us and discover how research offices and advancement offices can collaborate effectively to increase research funding through talks, panel sessions, and case studies. Keep an eye out for the full program release next week!
ARMS VIRTUAL EVENT 2021: 3 - 5 November
Disrupting the status quo: Challenging the research and innovation culture
The Call for Abstracts if officially OPEN! Submissions close Monday 30 August, with a view to review and release a preliminary program in September.
ARMS MEMBER PROFILE
ARMS recognises the important contributions of our members from across the Australasia region including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore as well as members from our Global Chapter.
As a new feature, a member will be profiled in each edition of our newsletter.
We introduce...NSW Chapter Co-Convenor and Member James Walsh.
James is a member of the Research Capability and Development (RCD) team in the UTS Research Office. Prior to joining UTS in late 2016 James worked in the University of Wollongong central research office, where he gained broad experience in pre- and post-award grants processes and in curating and delivering researcher development initiatives. Before that he held various positions in the academic, professional, and music publishing sectors, and as a freelance technical writer.
Since July 2018, James has sat on the ARMS NSW Chapter Committee, and has held the co-convenor role with Stephanie Macmillan since August 2020. He is keen to facilitate professional development opportunities for all ARMS members, and is particularly keen on learning opportunities that enable research administrators to reflect on their roles, how they can be most effective, and offer a means to contextualise process-oriented work in a way that enables staff to see the bigger picture in what they do so they are more motivated to deliver optimal research support regardless of their role, and further their own careers in and beyond the sector.
What do you find most rewarding and most challenging about working in research management?
Rewarding - collaborating with academics on the development, facilitation and delivery of research development initiatives.
Challenging - Understanding what drives academics to achieve success, and locating ways to best to support those endeavours, is something James sees as a central challenge for any research administrator. I see it as critical to reflect on whether and to what extent academics are aware of, use and benefit from research support services and resources. To this end, the RCD team and I are in the process of carefully developing holistic monitoring and evaluation tools, and plan to draw on the insights they provide to better tailor these services and resources, and how they are delivered.
What words would you use to best describe research management? Juggling and prioritising, managing expectations, communicating clearly, showing empathy.
Funniest ARMS conference experience? Participating in the ARMS choir at the 2019 Adelaide conference. Initially, I was well out of my comfort zone (particularly with the choice of musical material!) but warmed to it through the course of several rehearsals with the group, and the final performance has apparently prompted calls from across the membership for the choir to become a staple at future conferences!
If you would like to be profiled for our next UP in ARMS Newsletter, or have a publication you wish to share with other members, please contact: grace.mulraney@flinders.edu.au
2021 FOUNDATION LEVEL ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
The 2021 Foundation Level Accreditation program is well under way.
Click the accreditation icon for further information on modules being delivered from 01 July 2021.
2021 WINTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
ARMS is currently accepting registrations for the following Winter School electives:
From the ARMS Executive Office
ARMS acknowledges the generous support of our corporate partners:
ARMS Executive Office Contacts
ARMS Chief Operating Officer
Phone: +61 8 8201 2525
ARMS Management Accountant
Phone: +61 8 8201 2610
Workdays: Tuesday - Friday only
ARMS Conference and Major Events Coordinator
Phone: +61 8 8201 2911 Workdays: Tuesday - Friday only
ARMS Accreditation Program Administrator
Phone: +61 8 8201 5592
Email the ARMS Executive Office
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