Call for Expression of Interest: Awards to support the application fees for professional recognition of research managers and administrators in Africa

This call for expression of interest serves to invite research managers/administrators to put themselves forward as candidates for professional recognition. The professional recognition application fees will be sponsored for the selected candidates.

Competitive research environments require efficient and responsive individuals with specialised administrative, managerial and strategic skills to strengthen the research mission and intensity of the organisation. The International Professional Recognition Council (IPRC) was established as an autonomous body of expert research managers to recognise these individuals as professionals.

Professional recognition is awarded through the review of a portfolio of evidence by peers on the IPRC and it is granted to research managers/administrators for their professional knowledge, based on prior learning, experience, functional and transferable expertise. The IPRC recently launched a call for applications for professional recognition in the following categories: Research Administrator Professional (RAP), Research Management Professional (RMP) and Senior Research Management Professional (SRMP). 

• Research Administrator Professional (RAP) – five awards
• Research Management Professional (RMP) – six awards
• Senior Research Management Professional (SRMP) – four awards

• Employed in a research management role, at an administrative, management or leadership level (as relevant) at an organisation based in Africa (applicants will typically support researchers directly or support the research life cycle in some way or the other, including research policy or strategy development)
• A member of a research management association (e.g., Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA); West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA); East African Research and Innovation Management Association (EARIMA); Central African Research and Innovation Management Association (CARIMA); Northern African Research and Innovation Management Association (NARIMA))
• Professional designation specific criteria: 

• New entrants to the profession (one to three years’experience) OR those who have been in the profession for some time but who have not yet advanced professionally
• Committed to professional development
• Committed to apply for the RAP designation

• Mid- to advanced career research managers with an undergraduate qualification and a minimum of three years’ relevant work experience at the management level, OR a minimum of five years’ relevant work experience without a qualification
• A record of completed research management related training
• A track record of competence in and professional contributions to research management
• Committed to apply for the RMP designation

• Research managers who serve in leadership or strategic roles with a postgraduate qualification at a master’s level or beyond, and have five years of relevant work experience
• A record of completed research management related training
• A track record of competence in and professional contributions to research management at a leadership level
• Committed to apply for the SRMP designation

1. Submit the expression of interest no later than 30 December 2021.
2. Expressions of interests will be reviewed by a panel and selected candidates will receive an award letter by 31 January 2022.
3. Selected candidates finalise and submit their applications for professional recognition for the selected designation through the IPRC’s online application system (https://iprcouncil.com/) before 31 May 2022.
4. Awards will be made upon submission of the duly completed application for professional recognition.