Behind every world-changing discovery made at The University of Texas at Austin is a research administrator who navigated administrative complexities and hurdles required of a sponsored research project.
Two exemplary research administrators were honored Tuesday at the National Research Administration Day Celebration. The event is held annually by the UT Austin Association of Research Administrators and the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors
The Outstanding Research Administrator Award was presented to Lindy Aleshire, manager of award services in the College of Liberal Arts’ Research Support Office. Sean Schaffer, administrative manager for the College of Natural Sciences’ Department of Integrative Biology, was named Rookie Research Administrator.
Research administrators are essential to UT’s research enterprise. They prepare, review and submit proposals; process awards; navigate controlled and classified data; and manage budgets. They also play an invaluable role in cultivating and maintaining relationships with principal investigators, University administrators and funding agencies.
"Research that changes our lives and expands our knowledge is possible because of the support, expertise and dedication of research administrators at UT," said Dan Jaffe, vice president for research. "They are a foundation of our research enterprise."
This past year, UT research administrators facilitated the submission of almost 3,000 award proposals, and helped researchers and scholars manage more than 4,600 active sponsored projects valued at more than $1.1 billion.
Aleshire and Schaffer were nominated by their colleagues who praised them for demystifying the processes associated with the business side of research.
Aleshire frequently goes above and beyond to share her extensive knowledge and even created a training website to support and empower researchers in the College of Liberal Arts. Rebecca Torres, professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment, said Aleshire is currently learning Spanish to help improve collaborations with international research institutions.
"She’s by far the most dedicated and gifted research administrator I have worked with over my 24-year-career as a professor," Torres said. "She’s an outstanding collaborator whose proactive approach and deep knowledge of international processes and grant-writing requirements helps ensure the success of research projects."
Adam Clulow, professor in the Department of History, also lauded Aleshire for being the finest in her field.
“I’ve worked on around a dozen grants at multiple universities and in both the arts and the sciences. Lindy is the best research administrator I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “She is exceptionally knowledgeable, superbly efficient and wonderful to work with. She solves every problem and her knowledge of grants and grant infrastructure is unparalleled. She is utterly dedicated and is always ready to help. Lindy is an excellent communicator and I’ve come to rely absolutely on her expertise.”
Schaffer’s colleagues said that even though he is a new research administrator, he has quickly learned the ins and outs of the role and established himself as an invaluable – and highly organized – resource for the Department of Integrative Biology.
"We've never had fewer than 10 grants at a time and are almost continuously applying for new grants," said Becky Wilson, the managing director for the Center for Pandemic Decision Science. "Sean has shown himself to be dedicated to successful research awards, resourceful in finding answers, engaged and committed to ensuring grants and research run smoothly, and great at communicating throughout it all."
Speaking at Tuesday’s ceremony, Yvette Cañedo, chair of the Association of Research Administrators’ networking committee, said the work of research administrators makes a difference in the world.
"UT is a top research institution, and this accolade is possible because of the work you do every day," said Cañedo, senior grants and contracts specialist in the Department of Molecular Biosciences in the College of Natural Sciences. "The University can have amazing researchers, but it needs a strong infrastructure made up of equally amazing research administrators to support that research."