The Emerging Excellence in Research Administration Award is designed to honor and celebrate the outstanding contributions and achievements of individuals who are newer to the profession and have demonstrated exceptional promise and innovation in the profession of research administration. This prestigious award acknowledges emerging leaders in the profession who have made a significant impact through their work and have the potential to continue influencing and shaping the future of research administration.

This award aims to inspire and encourage emerging leaders in research administration to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation and excellence in the profession, ultimately contributing to the advancement of research as a whole.

Candidates should demonstrate novel, creative, and impactful contributions in research administration, such as implementing new strategies, developing innovative programs, promoting research administration in their region, resolving a problem through systems or process design, and/or fostering collaboration within the research community.

Professional Growth: Nominees should demonstrate a commitment to their own professional development, showing a continuous pursuit of knowledge and skills that contribute to their interest and effectiveness in research administration.

Impact on Research and/or Research Administration: Candidates should have played a significant role in supporting and advancing research initiatives at their institutions or in their region and have been recognized by the research community at their institutions.

Initiatives that the individual has led, designed, and/or implemented at their institution or within their region can include: 

• Streamlined Administrative Processes
• Creative Collaboration Initiatives
• Ethical and Compliance Innovations
• Mentorship and Training Programs
• Data Management and Analytics
• Building/strengthening the Profession

See FAQ for additional details and examples.

Award Eligibility & Nominations

Nominee must have:

• Five (5) years or less of combined professional experience in the profession of research administration.
• Have contributed to the profession of research administration through actions and initiatives at their own institution or within their NCURA regional or national participation.

Nominee can be an NCURA member, but NCURA membership is not a requirement for nomination. 

Nomination may be self-nomination, institutional nomination, or NCURA regional nomination. A form can be also completed by a supervisor or colleague who can attest to the individual’s contributions to the profession. Nominators do not need to be NCURA members. 

Nominee cannot have previously received this award. 

Up to 8 Emerging Excellence Awards will be given each year.

Submission materials for this award are:

A letter of nomination (300-400 words) written by someone with personal knowledge of the nominee that states: 

• the initiative(s) undertaken by this individual
• the impact of those actions
• past and current individual professional development activities
• future potential in the Research Administration profession.

In the case of a self-nomination, the nominee may submit this statement directly. Nominations should be sent to awards@ncura.edu no later than April 3, 2026.

Inquiries regarding the award may be directed to Emily Ainsworth at (202) 466-3894 or ainsworth@ncura.edu.

FAQs

What counts as “professional experience in the profession of research administration”? 

Having been engaged in the administration of sponsored programs in a college or university, a teaching or not for profit hospital, an independent not for profit research institute, or an organization wholly organized and administered by a college or university or a consortium of colleges and universities, or an association or society with individual or institutional members predominantly from colleges and universities with. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals supporting research development, pre-award, post-award, electronic, or data systems, at the central, college, or departmental levels.

Does time working in Research Administration as a student or in a part-time role count towards the 5 years or less of experience? 

Student positions do not count towards the calculation of experience for this award. Part-time experience qualifies based on the FTE instead of years worked. For example, if you worked half-time for 4 years, that would count as 2 years of experience. 

What are some examples of qualifying initiatives? 

• Streamlined Administrative Processes that have significantly improved administrative processes, making them more efficient and less burdensome for researchers. Examples could include implementation of innovative software solutions, workflow optimizations, or creation of user-friendly portals.
• Creative Collaboration Initiatives that have fostered collaboration among research institutions, departments, or interdisciplinary teams in unique and creative ways. These would include initiatives  leading to new and impactful research outcomes.
• Ethical and Compliance Innovations that have made significant advancements in ensuring ethical research practices and regulatory compliance within the institution, potentially using novel ethical frameworks or compliance strategies.
• Mentorship and Training Programs that have established innovative mentorship or training programs for emerging researchers and research administrators, enhancing their skills and fostering the next generation of leaders in the field.
• Data Management and Analytics that have introduced novel approaches to data management, data analytics, or data sharing, potentially leading to groundbreaking insights or more efficient research processes. 
• Building/strengthening the Profession within a certain region, such as sharing information/best practices and networking with peers, especially in regions where research administration is a new profession.