IREX is currently receiving applications for approximately 22 competitively awarded places in the next cohort of its Research Management Fellowship.

Overview

IREX believes that research management capacity is essential to research excellence. The University Administration Support Program (UASP) Fellowships in Research Management, developed and implemented by IREX and kindly supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, assist mid- to senior-level university leaders (managers, administrators, and faculty) from across Africa to develop their capacity to manage research and knowledge transfer through a three-stage program that includes:

• A 70-hour online research management course alongside colleagues from across Africa
• A virtual fellowship experience comprised of 8-10 online activities centered around research management and learning in partnership with a U.S. university.
• An in-person fellowship in the United States, comprised of a 4-week stay at a U.S. institution and six days of intensive engagement and training, split between the start of the placement (3 days) and the end (3 days).

The program supports participants to develop insights and reform plans on approaches, activities, policies, procedures, organizational arrangements, and professional development to advance their universities into leading research institutions that have real impact in their communities.

What is the program trying to achieve? At its core, the UASP aims to grow the new generation of university leaders who understand and can adapt international trends and best practices in research and knowledge transfer management, who actively disseminate their knowledge within and beyond their institutions, and who apply their ideas, skills and networks to drive improvement to institutional performance, either at unit- or systems- level.

Who does the fellowship target? The UASP Research Management Fellowship is relevant to a variety of roles in the research ecosystem. Prior UASP alumni include rectors, deputy vice chancellors, heads of departments or research institutes, deans and deputy principals, principal investigators, research officers, administrators and managers. Participants must hold a full-time staff position of a member institution of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) network.

The UASP fellowship program model includes:

Phase 1: Online research management course (expected July 2024 to February 2025)

This is a fairly rigorous 70-hour course, split into two semesters of 36 and 34 contact hours that qualify as Continuing Education Units with George Mason University in the U.S. (Participants that successfully complete the program will receive a George Mason University-issued certificate).

In Semester 1 (10 modules, 36 contact hours), learners will:

• Use IREX’s Research Management 360 tool to analyze their institution’s research management capacity against international best practice.
• Complete the following content modules: The Role of the 21st Century Research University; Research Governance and Organization; Research Ethics and Integrity; Researcher Development and Career Support; Enhancing Reputation and Visibility; Finding, Winning, and Managing Sponsored Research; Crowdfunding; Research Management Data; Transfer of Knowledge; and Intellectual Property.
• Understand the changing role of university research in the global knowledge economy.
• Attend at least two professional webinars where they may engage with experts in a field of research management.
• Begin to identify ways to improve research management and impact.

In Semester 2 (5 modules, 34 contact hours), focusing on application, learners will:

• Complete the following content modules: Developing an Implementation Plan; Emotionally Intelligent Change Management; Understand Your Environment; Designing Change; Data-Informed Decision Making in Research Management.
• Use IREX’s Implementation Plan template to strategically plan performance improvements within their own unit and sphere of influence.

The course blends asynchronous and synchronous elements: Mostly self-paced, it is designed to fit flexibly within the schedule of the learner (with a few exceptions of real-time webinars and group work). Content is structured around biweekly assignments that require participants to work independently or with colleagues before making discussion posts in forums.

Interactive peer-to-peer learning opportunities with colleagues from across Africa: Learners will be prompted to regularly engage with cohort members (administrative and academic staff across ARUA member universities), and periodically with guest speakers (research management and higher education experts from the United States and Europe), via discussion boards, group assignments, and webinars.

Assignments are due approximately every 2-3 weeks. Participants must be willing and able to commit at least 1-2 hours per week to coursework to be successful.

IREX provides templates for assignments, including an Implementation Plan tool for a performance improvement initiative that will be ready to present to colleagues and university leadership at the culmination of the program.

Phase 2: Virtual Fellowship Placements (October 2024 to February 2025)

Fellows will be connected with research management and knowledge transfer departments of universities across the United States appropriate to their research management objectives. They will be matched with a mentor who will introduce them to the system of research management at their university. IREX will identify an appropriate U.S. institution based on each fellow’s background and their selected research management focus area (according to information provided in the fellow’s application). Where possible, multiple fellows that share a common focus area will be placed with the same U.S. host institution.

Engagement with the U.S. institution will begin virtually, concurrent to Semester 2 coursework. IREX will support the UASP fellow(s) and U.S. host(s) to co-design a collaborative virtual engagement program of 8-10 research management learning and knowledge sharing activities.

Across these meetings, fellows will have opportunities to introduce the U.S. institution to the research management challenges faced by their institution and to seek feedback on their UASP coursework. Meanwhile, U.S. partners will orient fellows to the research management systems and structures of the U.S. host institution and begin to plan an itinerary of activities for the fellow’s U.S. campus visit. By the time fellows arrive to the United States, they should already have a good foundation for what research management offices and activities are available to observe and feel prepared to maximize their trip.

Phase 3: In-Person U.S. Fellowship Placements (March to April 2025)

Visa Support and Pre-Departure Orientation: Fellows will receive documents to apply for their U.S. visa several months ahead of the in-person visit. Closer to departure, IREX will facilitate a pre-departure orientation that introduces them to the U.S. higher education system, trends and considerations for research management, and the basics of traveling and staying abroad in the United States.

Opening and Closing Workshops: Fellows will start and end the in-person UASP experience at IREX offices in Washington, DC, participating as a group in rigorous training, discussion with their Cohort, and strategic planning to refine their "implementation plan.” Group interaction during the workshops encourages a strong professional network for fellows, becoming a source of collaboration and support during and following the program.

U.S. Host Institution Placement: The cornerstone of the U.S. visit is a four-week placement observing and analyzing research management operations at a respected U.S. university, where a tailored program will be developed in partnership between each fellow and their host mentors. Mentors will help secure meetings and dialogue sessions with relevant university faculty and administrators, and provide technical and topical guidance on fellows’ projects. The workplan for the in-person visit should be developed over the course of the virtual exchange.

Fellowship Assignments: To maximize the experience, UASP requires fellows to complete several guided remote learning activities leading up to and during the fellowship. These include a workplan, two reflective blogs, and a presentation that reports on their experience and will be delivered to their peers at the closing workshop. Fellows will receive coaching and templates for their assignments and have time to complete these during the fellowship. The presentation is a tool that can be presented to colleagues and university leadership upon fellows' return to the home country.

Implementation Plan: Throughout Semester 2, fellows will all be working on development of an Implementation Plan that guides a research management performance improvement initiative they intend to implement at their institution following UASP. At the conclusion of the U.S. placement, fellows will update their implementation plan to incorporate key learning from their peers and the U.S. research administration frameworks they have observed, recommendations for how their learning can be adapted and applied in their home institution, and a workplan to guide the implementation of a management reform project. Fellows will have a polished product they can present to university leadership upon return home.

Financial Provisions

The UASP provides the following to all research management fellows:

• An IT Stipend of $250 to offset data or other IT costs to participate in the online course
• Travel expenses for the U.S. visit (these include roundtrip airfare, visa fees, accident and sickness insurance, housing, daily allowance to cover basic meals and incidentals, baggage allowance)
• Financial support to become a member of a research management professional association and/or to be certified as a Research Administration Professional or a Research Management Professional by the International Professional Recognition Council (IPRC).

Post-Fellowship Grants and Engagement

The UASP experience does not end with fellows’ departure. IREX facilitates alumni engagement through an online forum, scheduled webinars, and periodic in-person alumni events to network and exchange lessons learned. Upon program completion, fellows will also be eligible to compete for research management small grant funding opportunities to put learning into action (e.g. to kickstart a reform proposed in their implementation plan), and support fellows' further professional development. Please note that small grant funds are competitive and not awarded to all alumni. 

• Read all eligibility requirements and instructions embedded within this application carefully. Your application score can be reduced if you do not follow instructions. Some essay questions are multi-pronged. Be sure you answer each component of each essay question.
• To save your application and come back to it, the application system will provide you with a link. You should either copy the link and keep in a safe place or enter your email address to have the link sent to your email (this is recommended). If you lose the link, you will lose the data you entered.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. 
• You will be asked to prepare and upload the following support documents with your application on or before the application deadline (note there are instructions for the format of each support document in the Support Documents section further down in this application).
  • Curriculum Vitae (Resume)
  • Letter of support from immediate supervisor (access template for the letter at this link)
  • Letter of support from home institution Deputy Vice Chancellor Research (or equivalent post)
  • Home institution organizational chart
• If there are UASP alumni at your institution, IREX recommends you contact them to learn about their experience with the program.
• Remember the main purpose of UASP is institutional reform, for which the buy-in of senior management is always essential. Fellows whose research management focus areas (the topic they will explore during the fellowship) align with institutional priorities are most likely to be successful implementing lessons learned after the fellowship. Therefore, to be a competitive applicant, before submitting your application, meet with your supervisor (and ideally other key decision-makers like the DVC Research or Vice Chancellor, if appropriate) to identify research management topics that align to the University's strategic priorities, and for which there would be support for administrative reform. Demonstrate these discussions in your answers.

If you have questions about the fellowship opportunity or application submission, please contact UASP program staff directly at uasp@irex.org.

IREX seeks individuals who are prepared to take full advantage of the UASP experience and who have the full support of their university’s senior management to implement suitable reforms upon conclusion of the course. Candidates may range from high-level influencers to core implementing staff, depending on need, and demonstrate the flexibility of mind to appreciate new management approaches. They will be intimately familiar with the needs of their university and have the ability to recommend and implement changes. IREX will take a broad “research ecosystem” approach to identify eligible posts. For example, Deputy Vice Chancellors, research administrators, accountants that work with research grants, principle investigators, and directors of research and/or innovation, all play essential roles in incentivizing and enabling research, and for the effective management of internationally funded grants. To be eligible, applicants must be able to articulate a research management challenge integral to their own position and for which the course could be useful for exploring solutions. They should also demonstrate availability to commit at least 1-2 hours per week to coursework when the semester is in session.

Applicants must:

• Be a citizen or permanent resident of and reside in Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda at the time of application and participation;
• Hold a full-time mid- or senior-level position which includes research management responsibilities at an eligible university (seniority should be sufficient to demonstrate capacity to be an agent for change). Eligible universities are those that are members of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). The list of eligible universities is found in Section 4 of this application in the drop-down menu for "University."
• Have the support of your supervisor as well as personal commitment to spend at least 1-2 hours per week on course assignments, including production of a capstone “implementation plan” on a topic of research management;
• Demonstrate support from your direct supervisor: please ask the supervisor to complete this form and upload the completed form in the final section of your application under supervisor letter of support;
• Demonstrate engagement with the DVC/Director Research or an equivalent post and clearly articulate alignment of the proposed fellowship area of focus with institutional priorities;
• Have a sufficient level of proficiency in written and spoken English to complete assignments and engage colleagues in Africa and the United States;
• Not be a current IREX employee and/or consultant or an immediate family member (spouses, children, parents, siblings) of an IREX employee or consultant.

Submitted applications for the UASP will be reviewed against the following criteria:

• Quality, thoroughness, and relevance of applicant’s answers to application questions;
• Extent to which applicant holds a relevant position and demonstrates a strong track record working in their university’s research ecosystem;
• Extent to which applicant has a clear understanding of the issues facing their institution and a compellingly articulated vision for research management performance improvement;
• Extent to which applicant has the experience and institutional support to fully benefit from the program and drive change after the program (including demonstrated engagement with their DVC/Director Research and a letter of support);
• Alignment of fellowship application with institutional priorities and commitment to creating or expanding systems to support their university’s growth as a recognized and respected research university;
• Extent to which applicant is committed to serving as a resource in the field of university research management, knowledge transfer, and to capacity building for peers in their academic and administrative communities;
• Sufficient proficiency in English to converse and conduct coursework independently.

Other considerations by the selection committee:

• IREX will maximize coverage across the ARUA network by selecting the highest scoring candidate from each participating country and university, if minimum standards are met. Subsequent places will be filled strictly on merit. Although there will not be quotas or restrictions on the number of places per country or institution, placements will be distributed between institutions where application scores are comparable.
• Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. IREX is committed to fairness, equity, and inclusion.
• Applications not meeting the above eligibility requirements will not be forwarded to the selection committee.
• Semi-finalists may be asked to participate in a telephone or videoconference interview (or to submit a video interview recording) to determine final selection decisions.
• IREX reserves the right to verify all of the information indicated in the application. In the event that there is a discrepancy, or information is found to be false, the application will immediately be declared invalid and the applicant ineligible.
• All applicants will receive notification of a selection decision by email, whether they have been selected or not.