Events
Explore meetings, conferences, workshops and networking sessions for the research administration community.
Throughout the year, the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects and Finance-Sponsored Programs host a series of events to help build and strengthen the research administration community.
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.
Navigate Webinar: Working with U-M Ironclad Contract Lifecycle Management Tool: Best Practices and Q&A
Join us for an informative webinar for research administrators who support the review, negotiation, and execution of funded and unfunded research agreements through the University’s Ironclad Contract Lifecycle Management Tool (CLM). Integrated with the eResearch platform, Ironclad streamlines contract negotiations, improves transparency, and provides up-to-date visibility into agreement status by centralizing communications, redlines, and negotiation history. This session will address common questions, including how to track contract progress, access key communications and redlines, support principal investigators, and locate important information throughout the negotiation process.
Navigate Webinar: Navigating Human Subjects Protections at U‑M: IRBs and Beyond
This webinar will help U-M research administrators better support human subjects research by providing an overview of the University’s IRB structure, including IRBMED and IRB-HSBS, common submission and application types, amendment considerations, external and single IRB processes, and key administrative touchpoints in eRPM. Participants will also learn about just-in-time submissions, expedited review, clinical trials, umbrella applications, regulatory holds, HSIP payment approvals, PEERRS, MiCORES, and when to contact the IRB for guidance, with the goal of helping administrators anticipate common issues, support investigators effectively, and identify the right resources for successful IRB navigation.
Stay informed on upcoming events
To stay informed on conferences, workshops, meetings and more, sign up for the RAP newsletters.
Looking for courses, eLearning and more?
Find dozens of continuing educations and professional development opportunities in the Training section.