Designed for new (and seasoned) research administrators looking to upgrade their professional toolkit, we will share our tales of success and failure (including times we didn't quite hit the mark). This is more than just tales from the trenches, we will share practical advice about how our mistakes made us better research administrators and how that hard‑earned knowledge informed and improved our processes.

Speaker(s): Salley Rowe, William & Mary; Latrice Butler, William & Mary

This session will summarize current research security initiatives and disclosure requirements for pre/post-award and how the legal landscape may be changing around liability.

Speaker(s): Ann Bell, Virginia Commonwealth University

Research careers often begin in areas discovered during an employee's education or through applying for a position within a department without fully understanding the range of opportunities available. Once established in a role, employees may not be aware of other career paths within research or even within their own department. This talk will highlight a systematic way for employees to have career information available to inform their career path, possibilities, and promotion strategies.

Speaker(s): Carolyn Frey, Virginia Commonwealth University

This session will highlight the relationship between major discoveries in research and the research administration team behind the headlines. The discussion will also focus on how important it is to be the "back stage crew" supporting major innovations.

Speaker(s): Alantis Johnson, Virginia Commonwealth University