Introduction

Over the past decades, scholars and practitioners around the world have observed the emergence of professionals who actively engage in supporting research and related activities as research managers and administrators (RMAs). Research projects are becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, involving multiple institutions and often requiring large teams of researchers with different areas of expertise. There is also an increasing focus on research integrity and the need to provide guidance and support on issues such as research ethics, data management, and research governance. In addition, researchers are faced with increasing pressure to demonstrate the impact of their work. RMAs can provide support to ensure that research is conducted efficiently, ethically, and with impact, both in terms of academic outputs and broader societal effects.

Despite the surging interest in the profession and the developments in the field, there has been little effort to investigate RMAs in a comparative manner. An initiative was thus launched to put together observations from around the globe and across disciplines to provide a cross-regional and cross-cultural account of the professionals who actively engage in research support as RMAs. 127 authors contributed their observations on over 50 countries that reside across 7 regions: Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Australasia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the Middle East.

Capturing wide ranging topics to communicate with varying audiences, the book is designed to serve multiple purposes. It is a handbook for individuals who are considering a career in research management and administration (RMA). It also serves as a reference text for those concerned with developing policies to support research. The handbook also provides knowledge for students who are otherwise unfamiliar with RMA as an occupation. Ultimately, the volume aims to offer evidence-based discussion as a foundation to promote not only the visibility and recognition of RMAs, but also social awareness about the profession.

The book was edited by three individuals who have come from diverse backgrounds while sharing a mutual interest in studying the emerging global trends in the field of RMA. Simon Kerridge (University of Kent) has been actively leading the field as principal investigator of the RAAAP surveys, while Susi Poli (Bologna University) has been researching RMAs utilising vast knowledge and experience on the subject. Mariko Yang-Yoshihara (Stanford University) brings in a critical perspective to provide cross-discipline, cross-cultural voices to the project. The Editors have been responsible for instilling and executing the book’s overall vision, creating and providing guidelines for authors, and ensuring intellectual consistency over separate sections that involved both academic and practical knowledge.

The scope and scale of the book necessitated the involvement of ‘Regional Editors’ to assist in author identification and management, assist in the country-specific chapters and chapters within their expertise. Jan Andersen, Melinda Fischer, Mark Hochman, Fernanda Oliveira, Makiko Takahashi, Therina Theron, and Virág Zsár served as the Regional Editors, liaising with authors and keeping them accountable for their contribution to align with the book’s vision.

Structure of the Book

The book is structured in two parts. Part 1 presents the chapters by researchers and practitioners with a goal to provide frameworks to help address the challenges and opportunities that RMA are faced with. We hope that these works will inform future research and help develop the best practices in the field. Part 2 brings together descriptions of the current state of research management and administration across countries. There are over 50 states and regions represented in these chapters, offering a comprehensive global overview of the RMA landscape. Authors from more than 40 countries, primarily practitioners with some scholars, have shared their observations and insights. Typically, the first part is more theoretical and ‘academic’ in nature, while the second part is more discursive and ‘practitioner’ focussed.

The book does not intend to provide a comprehensive understanding of the tasks and responsibilities of an RMA. Instead, it delves into the broader issues of the formation and evolution of these professional groups, which has become an essential part of the research ecosystem. Its focus is on explaining the reasons behind their existence and the significance of their roles in the increasingly globalised research landscape. The rationale, structure, and content of the book are as follows. For those seeking detailed technical information and practical guidance on research management and administration, it is recommended to explore the numerous RMA associations, many of which are discussed in this book, or visit the membership page of the International Network of Research Management Organisations (INORMS, n.d.). Additionally, there are print-based resources available, such as Kulakowksi and Chronister (2011), which has a US focus, and Andersen et al. (2017), which centres on Europe. Moreover, there are four academic journals dedicated to RMA: the Journal of Research Administration,¹ the Research Management Review,² the Journal of Research Management and Governance,³ and the Journal of Research Management and Administration.⁴

Practicalities of the Book

This book is fully Open Access and available online, free of charge to a broader audience. Readers should note that each chapter consists of several parts, each beginning with an abstract to guide them. We intended each chapter to be self-contained, allowing readers to extract and read them as standalone articles. As such, there may be some recurring themes and inevitable repetition of ideas across chapters. Every chapter is provided with its own DOI (Digital Object Identifier), and we have utilized standard author-name citations to facilitate future retrieval. While the entire book boasts a comprehensive reference list with over 1,000 entries, each chapter also includes its own list of references. In general, we have encouraged citations from a variety of sources beyond academic articles, reserving footnotes primarily for straightforward web references. This means that documents from websites or specific web pages would normally be cited, while a website homepage would receive only a footnote.

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Fig. 0.1

Author Group Photo, EARMA Conference, 25 April 2023, Prague, Czechia.

Left to right: Olaf Svenningsen, Research Lighthouse; Susi Poli, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna; Virág Zsár, HÉTFA Research Institute; Patrizia Rampioni, Erasmus University of Rotterdam (NL); Makiko Takahashi, Kanazawa Institute of Technology; Francesca Mura, University of Padua; Sandra Mereu, Université Paris Cité; Zsuzsanna Angyal, Leiden University; Mirella Collini, Università degli Studi di Trento; Cristina Borras, Agency for Management of University and Research Grants; John Donovan, Technological University Dublin; Susie Cullinane, South East Technological University; Jakob Feldtfos Christensen, DIVERSIunity; Aurelija Povilaike, Research Council of Lithuania; Zygmunt Krasiński, Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences; Eleonora Zuolo, Sorbonne Université; Jan Andersen, University of Southern Denmark; Doris Alexander, Trinity College Dublin; Anna Groeninx van Zoelen, Retired; Kris Monahan, Providence College; Simon Kerridge, University of Kent; Kathleen Larmett. NCURA; Jaroslav Sip, Czech Technical University; Evelina Brännvall, Universities in South, Lund University; Edwin Kanters, Utrecht University; Lachlan Smith, Cloud Chamber; Andri Charalambous, The Cyprus Institute; Primož Petek, Slovenian Forestry Institute; Mark Hochman, Research Management Resources Pty Ltd; Hege Nedberg, The Norwegian Mapping Authority; Vanda Baloh, ZRC SAZU; Bruno Woeran, PMU Innovations Ltd; Tania Tambiah, Swinburne University of Technology; Nichole Elgueta Silva, University of Agder; Elisabeth Denk, University of Natural Resources; José Santos, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança; Teresa Costa, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa; Carolina Varela, European University Association; Valentina Romano, Politecnico di Torino; Emma Lythgoe, Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón.

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Fig. 0.2

Author Group Photo, INORMS Conference, 31 May 2023, Durban, South Africa.

Standing, left to right: Maryke Hunter-Hüsselmann, Stellenbosch University; Cristina Oliveira, NOVA University Lisbon; Madhuri Dutta, George Institute India; Therina Theron, Stellenbosch University; Evelina Brännvall, Universities in South Sweden; Bruno Woeran, Paracelsus Private Medical University; John Kirkland, Retired; Elliott Kulakowski, Research Administration and Management Strategy Group; Jan Andersen, University of Southern Denmark; Les Labuschagne, University of South Africa; Silke Blohm, 4Sciences Group Ltd; Tania Tambiah, Swinburne University of Technology; Paul Winkler, FORTRAMA; Carol Wangui Hunja, South Eastern Kenya University; Patrizia Rampioni, Erasmus University of Rotterdam; Mu Rongping, Chinese Association for Science of Science and S&T Policy; Tan Hsiao Wei, Universiti Malaya; Savita Ayyar, Jaquaranda Tree Consulting; Karin Dyason, SARIMA.

And seated, left to right: Changu Batisani, Botswana Open University; Vanda Baloh, ZRC SAZU; Pamisha Pillay, Wits Commercial Enterprise; Virág Zsár, HÉTFA Research Institute; Mariko Yang-Yoshihara, Stanford University; Susi Poli, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna; Simon Kerridge, University of Kent; Melinda Fischer, Clemson University; Shaliza Ibrahim, Universiti Malaya; Makiko Takahashi, Kanazawa Institute of Technology.

Last but not least, we have adopted the CRediT taxonomy for author contributions to chapters, you can discern which authors contributed to specific aspects of the chapter. Additionally, authors have included their Orcid identifiers where available, enabling you to access more information about them and explore their other works, beyond what they’ve provided in their mini biographies.