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The program for the 2026 South Carolina Research Administration Conference is ready! There will be 1 keynote address, 3 plenary sessions, as well as 32 concurrent sessions. Descriptions for each session can be found on the conference website.

REACH-SC has been actively sharing insights gained from the skills mapping and needs assessment efforts, as well as highlighting the development and management of South Carolina’s research administration network. REACH-SC has presented at the 2025 National Sponosored Programs Administrators Alliance (NSPAA) Annual Workshop, 2026 SC EPSCoR State Conference, and the 2026 National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Region III Meeting.

On August 4, 2026, Melinda Fischer and Susan Anderson will present Connecting the Dots: A Systems Perspective of the Research Enterprise at ERIs at the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Annual Meeting.

South Carolina’s research administration community is coming together once again for the 2026 South Carolina Research Administration Conference (SCRAC)! REACH-SC is excited to partner with the University of South Carolina to co-host this year’s conference on September 24–25, 2026, in Columbia, SC.

SCRAC provides an opportunity for research administrators across South Carolina to connect with colleagues, explore emerging trends and best practices, and strengthen their professional network through engaging sessions and meaningful collaboration.

New this year, we’re expanding the conference experience by offering two conference workshops, giving attendees even more opportunities to build skills, deepen their knowledge, and maximize the value of their SCRAC experience.

Check out the 2026 South Carolina Research Administration Conference webpage and register for the conference!

The 2025 South Carolina Research Administration Conference delivered an engaging and impactful experience for attendees.

Since launching in January 2026, the REACH-SC Professional Development Series has brought research enterprise professionals across the state of South Carolina together each month to learn about timely issues and best practices that can be used strengthen their work.

Join us for the next REACH-SC Professional Development Series on Friday, July 17, 2026. Jonathan Smalls, PhD, Associate Vice Provost of Sponsored Programs and Research, Claflin University, will present on Planning for an Audit. Click here to register for Planning for an Audit.

Since December 2025, REACH-SC has hosted monthly virtual networking sessions that bring together research enterprise professionals from higher education institutions across South Carolina. These sessions foster meaningful connections, encourage the exchange of knowledge and best practices, and strengthen social capital across the state’s research community.

Join us for the next REACH-SC virtual networking session on Friday, July 22, 2026. This month we will have an open forum to provide an opportunity for research enterprise professionals to discuss their current challenges, ask questions, exchange ideas, and tap into the collective expertise of colleagues from institutions across South Carolina. Click here to register for REACH-SC Virtual Networking.

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

Last week research enterprise professionals from South Carolina colleges and universities convened at the inaugural South Carolina Research Administration Conference in Columbia, SC. A spectacular event co-hosted by REACH-SC and the University of South Carolina. Check out this story written about the conference!

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