Behind every funded research project at The University of Texas at Austin are a carefully assembled proposal, a budget designed to meet sponsor requirements and years of steady work to keep accounts balanced and deadlines on track.
The research administrators who handle all of it, from the first submission through an award's final report, are the foundation of the TEXAS Research enterprise.
Two of the best were recognized this week by UT’s Association of Research Administrators and the Office of the Vice President for Research. The annual awards ceremony coincides with National Research Administrator Day, which is Sept. 25.
Cindy Taylor, pre-award specialist at the School of Nursing, was named Outstanding Research Administrator of the Year, and Jess Bradford, administrative manager at the Center for Water and the Environment in the Cockrell School of Engineering, received the Rookie Research Administrator of the Year Award.
UT research administrators collectively facilitate the submission of more than 3,000 award proposals each year and help researchers and scholars manage more than 4,400 active sponsored projects valued at more than $1.3 billion.
"Every proposal that goes out the door, every budget that balances, every deadline met on time reflects the careful, expert work of research administrators," said Fernanda Leite, vice president for research, who presented the awards. "The discoveries that are made by UT researchers wouldn't be possible without them."
Outstanding Research Administrator of the Year
The Outstanding Research Administrator of the Year Award honors a seasoned professional with more than three years of service who has demonstrated exceptional contributions beyond day-to-day responsibilities.
As the only pre-award staff member in the School of Nursing, Cindy Taylor has spent more than a decade serving as an expert, educator, problem-solver and trusted partner. She is the person faculty know they can count on at every stage of a submission as she keeps pace with the frequent, complex changes in sponsor requirements, especially at the National Institutes of Health, translating them into clear guidance.
According to her colleagues, Taylor has steadily onboarded and trained new colleagues, held workshops to keep faculty current on shifting regulations, mentored junior researchers, and guided faculty and community partners through unfamiliar requirements.
"Cindy Taylor is one of the most dedicated and exceptional research administrators I have had the privilege of working with,” said Kavita Radhakrishnan, dean of the School of Nursing, who nominated Taylor for the award. “Her expertise, attention to detail, and genuine investment in the success of our faculty and research partners make her extraordinarily deserving of this award."
For Gayle Timmerman, professor at the School of Nursing and another faculty nominator, said no matter the type or size of the grant, Taylor provides a customized checklist to help prevent small mistakes that can lead to disqualifications.
"Cindy Taylor is an amazing research administrator," Timmerman wrote in her nomination. "She truly is the wind beneath the wings of the nursing faculty."
Rookie Research Administrator of the Year
The Rookie Research Administrator of the Year Award recognizes a rising star with at least six months but no more than three years of consecutive service in a research support role.
Over the past year at the Center for Water and the Environment, Jess Bradford has become the heart of the center's operations. After taking over supervision of the center's administrative associates, she reassessed their roles and coached them to take ownership of their work. The administrative associates’ growth led center leadership to recommend expanding their responsibilities. Bradford also brought stability to the center's finances by reallocating funds to the appropriate project accounts and building more efficient and effective systems.
Bradford herself has instilled so much confidence that she’s been asked to co-lead a 1,000-person conference UT will host next year.
"In just over a year, her leadership as administrative manager has transformed the center’s administrative operation," said Lynn Katz, director of the Center for Water and the Environment and professor in the Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering.
Her reputation has earned her praise from colleagues across the center. "She is, without question, the best administrator I have worked with since joining UT," wrote Lina Sela, an associate professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at the center. "When I reach out to Jess with a question or problem, I will get a thoughtful and helpful response, usually remarkably quickly."