SRAI maintains 10 Certificate programs encompassing every aspect of Research Administration – Hospitals, Universities, Nonprofits, and Commercial Institutions. SRAI Certificate programs offer comprehensive training specific to today’s educational needs of research administrators.
The four (4) Certificates that will be offered in full at the 2026 SRAI Annual Meeting are:
Developed by a team of international experts in the field, the curriculum is designed to provide RMAs with tools and insights to navigate an increasingly complex global research landscape. The certificate covers the whole research lifecycle with emphasis on aspects such as
The Certificate is offered at an intermediary level. It is tailored to those that have a solid foundation in research management and administration with typically at least 5+ years of experience.
The certificate includes content that is relevant for research managers who are generally at a Director or higher-level within an organization and covers the broad range of activities comprising research operations.
The best preparation for a successful funding decision is driven by strategic planning and management of complex issues that shape competitive proposal development and submission. The work of pre-award research administrators plays a critical role in aligning sponsor requirements, institutional policy, and investigator goals to prepare the way for successful implementation of the funded project. The Pre-Award (PA) certificate provides instruction in the broad scope of responsibility for research administrators who support proposal development and who trouble-shoot with various agency personnel, institutional administrators, and investigators to ensure all issues are clarified before an award is made. The program features workshops and sessions on finding and disseminating funding opportunity information, fostering collaborations, framing research narratives, proposal development and submission, budget preparation, award review and acceptance, post-submission communications, the responsible and ethical conduct of research, electronic research administration (eRA) systems, and other relevant topics.
The law related to the administration and management of research is incredibly broad, diverse and dynamic. While research administrators frequently work with in-house counsel and sometimes with outside counsel, the Research Law Certificate is designed to give research administrators an overview of the magnitude of the multiple legal issues associated with research. Research administrators taking this Certificate will be provided with sufficient information and substance to effectively identify legal issues and communicate effectively regarding potential solutions to such issues. Lawyers working with research institutions work on cases and policy relating to a broad range of topics that include access to artificial intelligence, confidential information, insurance coverage, conflicts of interest and other ethical issues, drugs safety and international relations. In part because of the breadth of the field, the law related to research activities also cuts across and involves doctrine and practice from an even wider area ranging from tax law, criminal law and even issues that involve freedom of speech implications.
Law related to research administration is practiced in multiple settings: federal, state and local government; mediation; universities, health care, business, and legal services organizations; advocacy nonprofits; and private law firms, to name a few. Some research administrators may hold a juris doctor (JD) although they may not serve as lawyers for their organization. They may serve in roles such as compliance, contract negotiation, policy drafting or advocacy work. This diversity makes the law related to research a field where almost anyone can find an area of interest, and where those working within the field can find new challenges in an ever-changing landscape.
Because of the foregoing, the Research Law Certificate is broadly structured to cover an array of topics with concentrations in those areas of most common concern. The Certificate is based on an intensive workshop survey of the various aspects of the law that will touch almost every research administrator and lawyer working with research institutions.
You are responsible for tracking your attendance at each session through the i-Attend Self Check-In App. You can download the app by searching "i-Attend Self Check-In" in your app store. Track your sessions by logging in using your email address and password SRAIEVENTS.
Each session will have a Certificate Tracking sign in the room. Either scan the QR code or enter the Event Pin in the app with Organization ID: SRAI and your email address. If you have problems using the app, check-in on the website.
To view your scanned sessions click here. Use Organization ID: SRAI, your email address, and password SRAIEVENTS.
Prefer to go low tech? Not a problem! A downloadbale certificate tracking booklet will be made available soon. Track your session by writing "Fall 2026" on the line corresponding to the session or workshops you've completed and return to SRAI Registration. To track your progress and the sessions you attended, you will want to download the iAttend App.