Perceptions Of Research Administrators On The Value Of Certification

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived value of certification to research administration professionals and demographic characteristics. This study sought to determine whether those who have attained the Certificate in Research Administration (CRA) perceive a benefit to their careers and why most research administrators do not attempt certification. The primary research question studied is concerned with the relationship between perceived value of the CRA to research administration professionals and demographic characteristics. The survey instrument, Research Administrator Survey, was electronically distributed to 277 research administrators based in the Southeast region of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). A total of 230 surveys were completed and returned for a usable return rate of 83%. The research revealed that CRAs consistently perceived the value of certification to be greater than non-certified research administrators; however, the majority of both CRAs and non-certified research administrators perception was that becoming certified would, or did, enhance their knowledge as research administrators. Overall, the majority of non-certified research administrators reported that their reason for not attempting certification was that they did not believe there was any benefit to becoming certified, but when all the other reasons for not attempting certification are closely examined, the responses taken as a whole indicate that as many non-certified research administrators may perceive a benefit to becoming certified as those who do not perceive a benefit. In summary, the data indicated that non-certified research administrators do perceive some benefit to certification. It is recommended that the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) attempt to be more closely aligned with the with National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) and the Society of Research Administrators International (SRA) since research administrators report having extremely positive professional development experiences with these organizations. It is further recommended that research be conducted to determine if curriculum at the university level should be developed in research administration management. Finally, it is recommended that NCURA and SRA engage in research to determine how many people are involved in the profession of research administration to help make decisions in regard to continuing adult education