Research Administration Initiative. Unlocking Potential (UP). February 2025 - Present
The UP pathway is available to all staff upon successful completion of either STARS, or their probationary period with Rice (whichever comes first). It comprises three areas of investment that Rice will make in all participating staff.
| Rice UP | Level UP | RAMP UP |
|---|---|---|
| Rice-specific systems, policy, and process training courses provided by subject matter experts (e.g. “Dollars Making Sense”). | Research Administration-specific knowledge training courses. Culminates in Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI) accreditation. | Research Administration Mentoring Program to foster professional development and career growth for Research Administration staff. |
| Ongoing | Begins Spring 2025 | First cohort begins April 2025 |
Research Administration Initiative. June 2023 - Present
The Research Administration Initiative was conceived to establish a streamlined organizational model with clearly defined roles and equitable support systems to enhance the research of faculty's work at Rice.
The Research Administration Initiative had the following Project Goals.
Over the course of approximately one year, the Initiative moved through the four phases below, and culminated in the development and implementation of the Skills Training for Administrative Research Support (STARS) program.
Following the completion of the pilot run of the program in December 2023, the mature version of the STARS program has become a training staple for all new administrative staff. Administrators from across campus participate in 10 classes which provide a thorough introduction to the research enterprise at Rice. These 10-class cohorts are run twice a year and STARS will continue to form a part of the onboarding sequence for all new administrative staff at Rice.
Executive Sponsors
Provost Amy Dittmar, Executive Vice President for Operations, Finance & Support Kelly Fox, and Executive Vice President for Research Ramaroorthy Ramesh are the executive sponsors. The three executive sponsors convene, oversee, and provide parameters for the working groups and consider the recommendations provided to them to make final research administration decisions.
| Name | Campus Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Amy Dittmar | Howard R. Hughes Provost |
| Kelly Fox | Executive Vice President Operations, Finance & Support |
| Ramamoorthy Ramesh | Executive Vice President for Research |
Project Leads
Senior Associate Vice President, CFO and Treasurer Katrina Spencer and Associate Vice President for Research Operations and Administration Carlos Garcia are the Project Leads.
| Name | Campus Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Katrina Spencer |
Senior Associate Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
| Carlos Garcia | Associate Vice President for Research Operations and Administration |
Future State Working Group
Working groups consist of subject matter experts from across the Rice community and are being convened to implement the transition roadmap for research administration training effectively.
| Name | Campus Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Aaron Parvis | Assistant Vice President for Sponsored Projects |
| Mickey Stevenson | Assistant Vice President for Research Integrity and Compliance |
| Brad Fralic | Associate Vice President and University Controller |
| Teia Wright | Assistant Controller for Research and Cost Accounting |
| James Hayward | Administrative Director, Interdisciplinary Research Support Office |
| Mauricio Benitez | Associate Vice Provost and Senior Advisor |
| Vicky Nielsen Armstrong | Executive Administrator, Chemistry |
| Caroline Griffin | Research Administrator, Rice Neuroengineering Initiative |
| Chris Rodriguez | Direct of Research Administration, School of Social Sciences |
| Patricia DeLucia | Associate Dean for Research, School of Social Sciences |
| Marcia O’Malley | Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| Toni Green | Assistant Dean of Finance & Research Administration, George R. Brown School of Engineering |
| Anita Norwig | Assistant Dean of Humanities |