REACH-SC

A newly published REACH-SC study, “Strengthening the Research Enterprise Workforce in Higher Education: Identifying Adjacent Talent for Research Support Roles,” offers a data-driven approach to tackling research enterprise staffing challenges. This research highlights a promising, practical strategy: identifying “adjacent occupations” — jobs with comparable knowledge and skills requirements— as new sources of talent for the research support workforce.

A Data-Driven Look at Adjacent Talent

The focus was on three key research roles within higher education research enterprises:

• Research Development and Policy Support
• Research Administration (Pre- and Post-Award)
• Research Integrity and Compliance

Using data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), adjacent occupations were identified and compared to the research support roles based on knowledge, skills, vocational interests, and work values.

Key Findings

• Adjacent occupations have objectively similar knowledge, skills, vocational interests, and work values to all three research support roles.
• Based on shared knowledge and skills, workers who transition to research integrity and compliance roles may require the least additional training.
• Workers who transition into research administration roles may require greater preparation.
• Research development and policy support roles may face recruitment challenges due to lower income and fewer job openings compared to adjacent occupations. 

Implications for Higher Education Leaders

This study provides actionable insights for university administrators, HR professionals, and research leaders seeking to stabilize and grow their research enterprise workforce. By broadening recruitment strategies to include adjacent professions, institutions can:

• Expand their candidate pool beyond traditional pathways.
• Design targeted onboarding and training based on skill overlap.
• Build resilient research infrastructures that can adapt to changing workforce demands.

Citation

Signorelli, J., Van Fossen, J. A., Schuster, A. M., Fischer, M., & Cotten, S. R. (2025). Strengthening the Research Enterprise Workforce in Higher Education: Identifying Adjacent Talent for Research Support Roles. Higher Education Policy. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-025-00426-y

Understanding the drivers of research support: a study of the personal values and personality traits of research managers and administrators

Melinda Fischer and colleagues examined the values and traits of 1,095 Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) using Schwartz’s universal values framework and the Big Five personality model. Results show that RMAs prioritize values associated with self-transcendence, like benevolence, concern for others, and tolerance, with less importance placed on values related to power, tradition, and personal gain. RMAs exhibit high levels of conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness, and lower levels of extraversion and neuroticism. These results can be used to support professional development and improve performance.

Santos, J. M. R. C. A., Fischer, M., & Kerridge, S. (2025). Understanding the drivers of research support: a study of the personal values and personality traits of research managers and administrators. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2025.2525120

REACH-SC partnered with the University of South Carolina to co-host the inaugural South Carolina Research Administration Conference, September 25th - 26th, 2025, Columbia, SC.

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to connect with a statewide network of research administration professionals, including research leadership, research administrators, and research staff. Attendees will hear from a range of professionals on topics including AI and its uses in research administration; growing research capacity in ERIs; best practices for working with faculty; unique research challenges experienced at ERIs and the creative ways to overcome them; and the importance of research capacity for economic development, innovation, and education. 

Check out the conference website to learn more!

KnowNet is a place where those working to support research at South Carolina colleges and universities can discuss best practices; share resources and relevant information about changing federal guidelines; and expand their social networks.

Do you need help figuring out the most effective way to monitor grant activity at your college/university? Do you have any questions about federal changes to research policies? Do you want to connect with the research community working at colleges and universities in South Carolina? You may use the KnowNet Listserv for this and more. 

To join the KnowNet listserv go to KnowNet’s homepage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to click on the “+Apply for Membership in This Group” button and follow the prompts to create a membership for the group. You can also send a blank email (no subject line, no message) to the automated subscription address, KnowNet+subscribe@groups.io. You will receive a welcome message by email and then your profile will be activated.