Colleagues,

National Research Administrator Day is observed annually on September 25 and recognizes working professionals who assist faculty and researchers at institutions like ours and other organizations that conduct research.

Over the last several years we have had much to celebrate in the area of research administration at CSU. Through the Vice President for Research office, with the support of CSU leadership and our colleges, we have built a talented network of 160 research managers and administrators across campus who provide support and administer research grants and contracts for our researchers.   

Research administrators play a critical role in the success of our research enterprise and their work enables us to dedicate a greater focus to scholarship that directly impacts the learning experience for our students; leads to discovery, innovation, knowledge gain; and ultimately the advancement of society culturally, economically and environmentally.

These vital staff help guide us through the often murky world of proposal submission, revision, resubmission, compliance, and award spending. They help us navigate through effort reporting, purchasing, payroll, small business subcontract reporting, IRB and IACUC protocols, export controls, data use, and so much more. They help us remain compliant with myriads of federal and state rules that we could not keep up with on our own. They make our research possible in significant ways.

Please join me in giving our research administration staff a special thanks on September 25. They support our high standards of research integrity and compliance, and help sustain us as a world-class research institution.

Best,

Alan Rudolph, Vice President for Research

Christa Johnson, Associate Vice President for Research