2022 was a huge year for research administration. The industry has continued to grow in leaps and bounds since 2020, and despite market setbacks and global complexities, research organizations are poised for continued growth in 2023.
As we look ahead to the new year and new discoveries, let’s pause to celebrate the accomplishments of 2022. Here are the top news highlights from the world of research administration in 2022.
2022 state of research administration: growth
Research administration is growing. Funding is increasing, and discoveries are booming. This also means increased workloads for many researchers and administrators.
Our annual Cayuse Benchmark Report traces the current innovations, technology, challenges, and changes impacting research administration each year. For 2022, we saw some interesting trends:
- 84% of respondents reported an increased workload in 2022
- 57% of them said it was a significant increase
One survey participant noted, “Net 40% activity (proposals and awards) growth over three years, despite a 20% budget reduction.”
Another reported “the highest amount of awards ever for our university” in 2022.
With growth, however, comes increased workloads and more stress on administrative systems. Because of this, some of the year’s biggest highlights came from companies innovating ways to improve workloads, refine administration, and enhance the proposals process.
Top research administration news from 2022
Among all the headlines we saw over the year, here are six of the most interesting or exciting for research administrators.
1. Accelerated work for RA offices
We’ve already mentioned the increase in workload for research administrators. Unprecedented growth over the past few years means an increase in workloads without necessarily an immediate increase in budgets. 82% of our research administration survey respondents said they expect an increase in workload over the next year.
2. Adoption of new technology
Research organizations are responding to increasing workloads by leveraging innovative new software and technology. These tech solutions enable digital transformation and acceleration. They can integrate data into one centralized hub and refine communication and workflows.
Here are a few examples of organizations that adapted to a modernizing world in 2022:
- Middlesex University London became a Cayuse full-suite research technology partner in September 2022.
“Finding a digital solution that would facilitate integration throughout the research lifecycle, increase the visibility of our research initiatives, and do it all with an intuitive user interface was of the utmost importance to us,” said Professor Carole-Anne Upton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Knowledge Exchange & Engagement. - The University of the Virgin Islands deployed Cayuse as a centralized hub for stakeholders and a catalyst for research growth.
“I remember saying, if you want the Office of Sponsored Programs to grow the university research program, I need a robust multi-application system like Cayuse,” said Mindy Solivan, Director of Sponsored Programs. - William and Mary adopted the Cayuse platform to optimize and scale its research program.
“From a technical standpoint, Cayuse checked all of the boxes for us. Their products are at the forefront of the change happening in the industry today,” said Cindy Corbett, Research Compliance Manager.
These are just a few examples of organizations adopting technology at the cutting edge of the industry’s evolution.
3. Cayuse is again the market leader in eRA software for higher education
ListEdTech’s annual Grant Management System Report shows Cayuse is the market leader for eRA software in North America.
“Over the years we’ve noticed different trends including Cayuse dominating from the market share point of view,” said Justin Menard of ListEdTech. “They’ve been adding capabilities over the years to round out the full research suite, and they’re not losing any customers, so they’re doing something right.”
Cayuse has 39% of the market as a percentage of total unique institutions and 46% of the market when counted as a percentage of total student enrollment.
4. Top research universities took steps to modernize their administration
Various news highlights showed top-tier private research universities were transforming their workflows, systems, and administrative models. These changes aimed to improve service and increase efficiency. With the growth of digital solutions among funders and grant-seekers alike, research organizations have realized the need to be nimble in a changing market.
5. Research administrators focused more on employee engagement
After facing more than a year of the “Great Resignation” and a new year where “quiet quitting” was trending, research administrators took notice. A Gallup report showed only 21% of employees were engaged at work in 2022, and 77% said it was a good time to leave their job.
One of the major advantages of deploying new technology and digital solutions is employee engagement, which is why research administrators are focusing on giving their employees the tools they need to make work more efficient and satisfying.
6. Academic patents continued to contribute to the U.S. economy
Patents help grow local and regional economies by creating job opportunities, infrastructure, and more. In the past 25 years, licensing of academic patents alone contributed up to $1.9 trillion to the U.S. economy.
Ready for the new year
The research administration industry is growing, innovating, and generating value for its communities. 2022 was a banner year marked by incredible inventions and digital transformation.
We’re excited about what another year will bring. Research organizations everywhere can keep ahead of the curve with a tech-based approach to future-proof their processes and prepare for everything the future holds.
