Research administrators are responsible for funding research divisions in educational institutions and non-profit organizations, among others. They support their research teams to secure funds by finding funding sources, planning the required forms and recommendations to seek funding, and dispersing this funding to various parties in need.
To decide which parties are eligible for funding, research administrators may need to do objective analyses, review applications, and consult with other researchers to determine how much funding is required and for what reasons, such as materials, personnel, and travel. They also monitor the budgets of the research divisions to ensure that they conform to the restrictions and regulations.
This is typically a full-time job in the office setting, although some travel can be required to collaborate with different sponsors. A bachelor's degree may be a prerequisite qualification for this position, and previous academic experience may also be required. Some employers may favor applicants with a master's degree and work experience.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a Research Administrator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.47 an hour? That's $50,899 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 3,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
There are certain skills that many Research Administrators have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed Communication skills, Interpersonal skills and Leadership skills.
If you're interested in becoming a Research Administrator, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 62.5% of Research Administrators have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 18.2% of Research Administrators have master's degrees. Even though most Research Administrators have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a Research Administrator. When we researched the most common majors for a Research Administrator, we found that they most commonly earn Bachelor's Degree degrees or Master's Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Research Administrator resumes include Associate Degree degrees or Doctoral Degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a Research Administrator. In fact, many Research Administrator jobs require experience in a role such as Administrative Assistant. Meanwhile, many Research Administrators also have previous career experience in roles such as Research Assistant or Internship.