Collaborative Research: Conference: Strategically Engaging Private Institutions at Building Research Infrastructure, Networks and Knowledge (BRINK) in the Emergence of Research

The unique responsibilities of Research Administration and Research Development (RARD) administrators, as professionals who support collaboration across diverse research disciplines, support faculty at all stages of their academic careers, and who engage with external partners and sponsors, make RARDs a critical human resource investment in growing the research enterprise. This project will train RARD professionals to use a strengths-based approach, called SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results) in strategic thinking, planning, leading, and facilitating conversations that spark innovation, collaboration, and support research engagement within and across emerging research institutions to provide mentoring, shared expertise and resources required for growth.

Lawrence Technological University in partnership with University of South Florida and Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities network will host the Building Research Infrastructure, Networks, and Knowledge (BRINK) conferences to provide training over a year-long period via in-person and virtual workshops and will host a symposium to showcase the results of participant’s implemented capacity-building projects within and across emerging research institutions. BRINK addresses emerging research institutional barriers by increasing capacity through a synergistic approach that optimizes training, collective mentoring, and symposia.

The basis of BRINK’s RARD training is the SOAR framework and method of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a practice of asking generative questioning and use of positive framing, to involve all stakeholders in strategic planning and organizational change. Initial workshops will be training in SOAR, individual assessment of strengths (the SOAR Profile), and setting objectives for individual projects.

The project will engage Research Administration and Research Development (RARD) administrators from Michigan’s emerging research institutions who will learn how to use SOAR to think and plan strategically about the practices and processes within their respective research enterprise. Three iterations of follow-on 90-day mentoring sessions will share interim successes on projects and strategies supporting implementation.

The final symposium will provide an opportunity to share successfully practiced strategies that specifically contribute to the research community’s capacity to support all emerging research institutions. The BRINK project activities will promote the development of a sustainable network of emerging research institutions in Michigan. The Florida Research Development Alliance is a partner and model for building this sustainable structure.

The methods and results of the BRINK program will be widely disseminated with the goal of promoting networked approaches to building research development and support capacity within emerging research institutions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.