Hi Friends!
I hope you are doing well despite this shutdown we find ourselves in. Here are the week's reminders and what's going on in the RAC.
🗨️Community Chit-Chat
The RAAAP-4 Survey Is Now Live
The fourth Research Administration as a Profession (RAAAP) global survey is now open. This initiative aims to better understand the roles, skills, values, and challenges of Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) worldwide. Your input will help strengthen global understanding and advocacy for the profession.
Please share with your colleagues and networks to help broaden participation. (Thanks Melinda!)
🌟 Events & Calendar: reminders
👉 Community Login: optimumdept.com/login
Monday Mornings with Minessa Konecky
Join Minessa for Office Hours—a dedicated space for research administrators at all levels to get expert advice on navigating challenges, understanding policies, and managing daily tasks in research administration.
➡️ Direct sign up page: here
Events Calendar
Our events calendar highlights webinars, training, and networking opportunities hosted by institutions, federal agencies, and partner organizations—resources we think RAs will find useful. You can also add events you know about.
- 📅 Submit an event
- Coming up: our next networking event is on November 5, 2025. Registration details are on the events calendar. The format it a little different for the 4th edition. To make sure this is a valuable use of everyone’s time, we’re adding more structure: you’ll select two topic areas that interest you the most (described in the registration). Each group will have clear prompts to keep discussion focused, engaging, and worthwhile.
- Highlighted event series: Career Conversations for Research Administrators with Minessa and Saira. Details are on LinkedIn and in the Optimum Department Event Calendar. Their first session on October 2nd on using LinkedIn was so, so good. With professional development budgets being slashed this is an amazing opportunity to connect and get some pretty valuable content. Take the time to do something for YOU!
🚀 Call to Action
Bueller...Bueller. We would like to host a Proposal-Palooza: a 1-hour show-and-tell where members share how they approach pre-award workflow and budget development. Three presenters will have 20 minutes to demo their system and procceses and inspire ideas for other community members.
👉 We’re still looking for 1–2 pre-award heros to share their setup—interested? Reply to this email or drop a note in the community.
More to come.
Sincerely,
RAC Admin Team
Lacey Rhea
Minessa Konecky
Sarah Trimmer
Responses