Sept 10, 2025. 12-1PM ET. 
 
Join our monthly “Let’s Talk AI” Club sessions! As the field of generative AI rapidly evolves, research administrators face the challenge of staying informed. Our sessions feature expert speakers who delve into practical applications of generative AI tools. Learn how to harness this technology effectively in research administration. Engage in group discussions and get your questions answered during our Q & A period.
September's topic is:
Beyond the Chatbot: Enterprise AI in Research Administration
This session provides a high-level overview of the current "state of play" in artificial intelligence adoption across the research support lifecycle. Moving beyond consumer-grade interfaces like chatbots (ChatGPT, Copilot, etc), our focus here is on the strategic development of enterprise-scale AI projects deployed at an institutional level. We will explore how AI is becoming an integral, domain-specific asset within core Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI), research administration workflows, and adjacent automated processes. The discussion will cover scalable AI deployments, institutional case studies, examples of AI stack integration, and the major funding trends informing the integration of AI in research administration and research support infrastructure.
Organizers: Karen Mosier and Bonnie Zink
Karen E. Mosier
Research Coordinator
Department of Surgery/University of Saskatchewan

Bonnie Zink
Knowledge Mobilization and Community-Based Learning Specialist
SK-NEIHR


Moderated by: Anna Aston 
Panelists: Joel Faber, Sarah Martonick and James Shelley  

Anna Aston: Section Manager, Division of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care (APMIC), Imperial College London 
Anna Aston is an ARMA-certified Research Manager with over a decade of experience in higher education administration and research operations. She is the founder of the AI in Research Operations community, a growing network of research-support professionals exploring the adoption of artificial intelligence in academic and research environments.


Joel Faber: Research Awards & Honours Officer, Office of the VP Research & Innovation, University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus.
Joel Faber is the Research Awards & Honours Officer at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where he facilitates awards nominations for faculty across UTSC's 15 departments. Joel holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Toronto, and has always been interested in how words build connections between people, from poetic literary friendships to effective relationships in academics and culture.  

Sarah Martonick: Director, Sponsored Programs, Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Idaho
Sarah Martonick is the Principle Investigator of the University of Idaho's AI4RA (Artificial Intelligence for Research Administration) project, sponsored by a $4.5 million grant from National Science Foundation. AI4RA aims to transform and enhance research administration processes nation-wide.

 
James Shelley: Knowledge Mobilization Specialist, Office the Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University 
James Shelley created one of the first custom “in-house” AI tools in the Canadian university sector: “Automated Grant Feedback” evaluates draft funding applications for weaknesses by modelling peer reviewer criticisms from past competitions. He has also deployed AI tools that automate research dissemination workloads.

Event Date: 10 Sep 2025 | City: | Venue: Online