Events

Research Administrators’ Network meetings

Research Administrators’ Network meetings are held three times a year to provide continuing education on U-M research administration topics and to hear from unit administrators and leaders in central administration. RAN meetings are hosted by the Research Administration Advisory Council.

2026 RAN Meetings

The 2026 RAN Meetings will be held on the following dates:

• Thursday, February 19, 2026 – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. (Zoom Webinar)
• Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Zoom Webinar)
• Friday, September 25, 2026 – Time TBD (In person and Zoom)

Prior RAN Meetings

Prior RAN Meeting Slides and Recordings are available for U-M employees. Please note that you may need to login to access the materials.

National Research Administrator Day

Each year on Sept. 25 is National Research Administrator Day. The celebration day, created by the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) in 2015, is an opportunity to honor the crucial work of research administrators in supporting research at institutions worldwide. 

Over the years, U-M has recognized National Research Administrator Day in various ways, including at events. Watch this thank-you video from 2025 – Happy Research Administrator’s Day from the U-M Medical School.

How to get involved

• If you work with a research administrator, recognize their contributions with a personal thank you note or treat them to lunch or coffee.
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• If you are an administrator, take a moment to recognize your own accomplishments and all the ways in which you provide valuable support to the University of Michigan research community.
• Use the hashtag #ResearchAdministratorDay on social media to share your research administrator pride and celebrate others in the profession.
• Attend the fall Research Administrators’ Network (RAN) Meeting, which coincides with National Research Administrator Day. 

RAxMI Conference

The U-M Research Administration Conference is a one-day event for everyone who plays a role in research administration — research administrators, faculty, research staff, and central office staff — across U-M campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint. Learn more about the inaugural event taking place April 28, 2026: RAxMI: Renewed. United. Ready!

Workshops and networking sessions

The Research Administration Advisory Council hosts virtual networking sessions for the research administration community to discuss various topics and share best practices. In addition, the Navigate training team offers various workshops throughout the year. Look for upcoming sessions in the Featured Events section below.