CARA | ACAAR

Témoignages de membres

Hier, j'ai eu l'heureux privilège d'obtenir mon diplôme avec mention du certificat en administration de la recherche soutenu par CARA au collège Mohawk, et je voulais prendre un moment pendant que l'expérience est encore fraîche et non encombrée par les innombrables préoccupations de la vie pour dire merci ! Merci à CARA pour le soutien et les conseils continus tout au long du programme que j'ai pu terminer 12 mois seulement après avoir commencé. Merci également pour l'incroyable volume de contenu et d'orientation liés à l'industrie et très pertinents que les superviseurs du cours ont réussi à intégrer dans les différents modules. Merci également pour les séminaires d'accompagnement et les livres proposés. Enfin, je vous remercie pour le soutien que vous avez pu m'offrir au cours du dernier trimestre de mon programme sous la forme de la bourse Dr Frances Chandler. J'ai hâte de construire une carrière dans l'administration de la recherche et une association continue avec CARA, et je peux honnêtement dire que CARA a ma sincère gratitude pour sa générosité et son soutien.

Étudiant/diplômé anonyme
CARA offre aux intervenants du milieu de la recherche l'occasion de s'engager auprès des administrateurs de la recherche canadienne, créant ainsi un canal bidirectionnel efficace pour les mises à jour, la diffusion de l'information et la rétroaction de cette précieuse communauté.

Shawna Sadler
Responsable de l'engagement ORCID, Amériques
Le bénévolat est un excellent moyen d'établir un réseau, de créer du contenu (pour des webinaires, des articles, etc.) et de rendre service à la communauté des administrateurs de recherche tout en améliorant ses propres connaissances et ses relations. Il s'agit à la fois d'un don altruiste de temps et de la possibilité de récolter la récompense de se faire de nouveaux amis ou de découvrir de nouvelles idées. Les membres de l'ACRA voudront peut-être considérer l'intérêt de travailler avec une association qui soutient l'administration de la recherche en général. Bien que d'autres associations ou fournisseurs de contenu spécifiques à un rôle au sein de l'administration de la recherche soient bénéfiques, une association qui englobe davantage de rôles, comme celle-ci, permet de rechercher de l'information et des liens entre différents rôles, ce qui favorise la réduction des silos dans le monde de l'administration de la recherche.

Michelle Moldofsky

L'ACAAR offre aux intervenants du milieu de la recherche la possibilité de s'engager auprès des administrateurs de la recherche canadienne, créant ainsi un canal bidirectionnel efficace pour les mises à jour, la diffusion de l'information et la rétroaction de cette précieuse communauté.

Shawna Sadler
Responsable de l'engagement ORCID, Amériques

Il existe de nombreux avantages tangibles associés au bénévolat au sein de CARA, comme la possibilité de recevoir un prix national, de figurer dans le Volunteer Spotlight de CARA Connections, d'obtenir un laissez-passer pour un webinaire payant. Peu d'entre eux ont parlé des avantages intangibles que nous ne connaissons pas à moins de faire partie de cette merveilleuse communauté de soutien. Parmi les avantages évidents, mentionnons l'élargissement de mon réseau professionnel (avec des administrateurs de recherche de votre région ou de partout au Canada) et la sensibilisation aux questions administratives, c'est-à-dire au fardeau administratif, qui ont une incidence sur notre profession. Mon expérience au CARA m'a appris à regarder au-delà de mon propre rôle et à mieux comprendre la situation dans son ensemble, c'est-à-dire la façon dont les institutions fonctionnent dans leur ensemble, afin d'améliorer mon rendement au travail. J'ai également apprécié les messages de soutien que les administrateurs de la recherche se sont adressés les uns aux autres pendant l'épidémie. CARA est un véritable exemple de communauté de pratique dont les outils et les services profitent à l'ensemble de ses membres.

Anita Chiu

Je crois en l'idée de "rendre la pareille", et le partage des connaissances et des idées autour de la recherche peut avoir des effets considérables pour le bien de l'humanité. La recherche ne doit pas être pratiquée uniquement dans nos hôpitaux et nos universités, mais être considérée comme une initiative mondiale, avec une application des connaissances qui circule librement entre les individus et les pays. Plus il y aura de volontaires au niveau local, plus la recherche dans son ensemble se développera et ses effets se feront sentir au niveau local et mondial.

Deborah Parfett

La recherche implique une collaboration non seulement avec des collègues immédiats, mais aussi avec d'autres chercheurs au Canada et dans le monde. Pour moi, l'esprit de collaboration comprend le partage de mes connaissances avec d'autres personnes qui ont le même intérêt à promouvoir une recherche de qualité. Le certificat en administration de la recherche offre une liste complète de cours conçus pour couvrir les principaux sujets associés à la production de projets de recherche de qualité, et il mérite d'être promu et reconnu comme une ressource précieuse.

Deborah Parfett

Les gens devraient réfléchir aux membres de la communauté CARA qu'ils aimeraient mieux connaître, car cette communauté est une ressource précieuse. Les bénévoles peuvent diriger des groupes SIG afin d'engager le dialogue avec les membres sur des sujets spécifiques, les bénévoles peuvent engager le dialogue avec des leaders dans notre domaine afin de créer des réseaux de carrière, ou les bénévoles peuvent créer de nouvelles amitiés avec des personnes qui partagent des intérêts communs. De plus, une communauté fonctionne mieux lorsque chacun y contribue - chacun a une voix, une opinion, un point de vue unique. Pour que CARA soit le plus efficace possible, nous avons besoin que tous nos membres réfléchissent à la façon dont ils peuvent utiliser leurs dons et leur expérience pour aider les autres !

Erica Conte

Le volontariat m'a été si bénéfique qu'il est difficile de l'exprimer. Premièrement, j'ai rencontré des gens fantastiques dans mon domaine et j'ai créé des relations qui dureront bien plus longtemps que le temps passé à faire du bénévolat. Deuxièmement, je me suis impliquée davantage dans l'ensemble de CARA et j'ai pu établir plusieurs relations à travers le pays dont je n'avais aucune idée qu'elles me seraient utiles plus tard dans ma carrière. Troisièmement, ma connaissance générale de mon propre domaine a augmenté de façon exponentielle. J'ai pu faire des percées auprès de collègues et de commanditaires. Notre partage des connaissances, des processus et des solutions créatives m'a aidé à évoluer dans mon propre domaine. Je savais maintenant "qui" appeler lorsque j'avais besoin de réponses et j'étais capable d'être quelqu'un sur qui les autres pouvaient compter. Quatrièmement, ma confiance a augmenté. Le fait de me mettre dans la position inconfortable de faire des présentations, de saluer des gens et, de manière générale, de me forcer à sortir de ma zone de confort m'a permis de poursuivre mon développement en tant qu'administrateur de recherche et en tant qu'être humain. Cinquièmement, j'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à danser, boire et manger. Je me suis couché tard et je suis parti à l'aventure avec de nouveaux amis dans des villes inconnues.

Tom Barber

Je voulais avoir l'occasion de rencontrer plus de gens et d'apprendre de certains des meilleurs au niveau national. Les différents comités et groupes dont j'ai fait partie m'ont permis de rencontrer tant de personnes extraordinaires et d'apprendre d'elles. Ces occasions ne se sont présentées que grâce à mon bénévolat au sein de l'ACAAR!

Jenna Slobozian

Le bénévolat au sein de l'ACAAR m'a offert diverses possibilités de réseautage. J'aime travailler en collaboration avec d'autres personnes pour atteindre un objectif commun (par exemple, l'évaluation du programme de certificat d'AR). Si je peux acquérir de nouvelles connaissances dans le cadre de ce processus, c'est encore mieux !

Naomi Bedek

L'ACAAR est mon professeur, car je suis toujours un étudiant. Chaque jour, j'arrive à l'école avec plus de confiance, sachant comment faire le lien entre la réussite des étudiants et l'éthique de la recherche. J'ai appris les nuances des processus de recherche en suivant les webinaires de l'ACAAR sur la façon de collaborer avec une main-d'œuvre multiculturelle et multigénérationnelle. Jusqu'à présent, la meilleure leçon que j'ai apprise est la rédaction de la proposition de subvention. Le simple fait de trouver l'organisme de financement approprié, de former une équipe, d'explorer les besoins et de rédiger la description du projet a été le voyage le plus instructif pour moi et la communauté étudiante. Lorsque l'école recevra sa subvention pour mettre en place une classe en plein air, elle remerciera également l'ACAAR d'avoir rendu ce projet possible pour ses élèves et la communauté voisine.

Sarah Musavi
Ottawa Catholic School Board

J'ai choisi CARA comme association professionnelle pour les nombreux webinaires éducatifs qu'elle offre, les possibilités de réseautage annuel aux niveaux national et régional, et la possibilité d'apprendre d'autres administrateurs de recherche à l'échelle nationale et régionale grâce aux courriels de CARA et au programme de mentorat.

Lily Liew
UBC

L'ACAAR a fait un excellent travail d'application des connaissances dans l'administration de la recherche ! Le processus de webinaire de CARA est facile à utiliser pour les conférenciers et permet d'établir un lien avec les participants. CARA fournit un modèle de diapositives et l'utilisation d'une plateforme de webinaire sans qu'il y ait de problème quant à la propriété du contenu, qui reste celle de l'orateur. La possibilité d'archiver le contenu permet à celui-ci de rester disponible et à l'orateur de choisir le moment de le mettre à jour en le présentant à nouveau (par exemple, après quelques années ou lorsque la réglementation applicable change). J'apprécie la communauté et les connaissances auxquelles j'avais accès lorsque j'étais administrateur de recherche à l'interne et j'aime pouvoir contribuer à la communauté CARA maintenant en tant qu'avocat externe dans mon propre cabinet.

Michelle Moldofsky
LL.B., LL.M. Moldofsky Professional Corporation

Le programme de mentorat, qui fait partie du programme de certificat, est un élément très important du programme. Je suis inscrite au programme de certificat de l'ACAAR et il me reste un cours à suivre. En plus du matériel de cours et de la diversité des expériences et des points de vue de mes collègues étudiants, j'ai grandement bénéficié du programme de mentorat.Le fait d'être jumelée à une personne qui joue un rôle différent du mien est devenu une autre occasion d'apprentissage.Ensemble, nous avons décidé ce que nous voulions de notre relation mentor/mentoré et comment elle fonctionnerait. Parmi les avantages que j'ai reçus, citons : des commentaires sur les travaux de cours, le partage (et l'apprentissage) de nos expériences, une oreille attentive pour les questions et les préoccupations liées au lieu de travail, et de bons conseils (sur le plan personnel et professionnel).J'attends avec impatience nos discussions, car je sais que j'apprendrai quelque chose que je ne savais pas auparavant. J'apprécie vraiment de savoir qu'il y a quelqu'un qui s'intéresse vivement à moi, à mon travail et à mon développement professionnel - et qui s'est porté volontaire pour cela. Merci ACAAR!

Murray Daku
University of Regina

As a research administrator early in my career, I benefitted from attending CARA’s (formerly CAURA’s) annual and regional meetings, sharing new administrator, networking and collaboration resources with colleagues from across Canada. In more recent years, I have had the honour of presenting at the annual conferences and delivering webinars on research ethics administration and human research accreditation and oversight. CARA is a dedicated grass roots led organization that provides advocacy, education, certification and networking opportunities to its members and continually supports research administrators and the promotion of research and protection of research participants across this country.

Alex Karabanow
University Health Network Chair, Accreditation Council
Human Research Accreditation Canada

I first became a CARA member in 2017. I have changed employers since then and now find myself surrounded by a number of engaged CARA members at the University of Saskatchewan. Most recently, I attended a webinar that another member hosted on campus and was re-introduced to the Research Administration Certificate program. I was skeptical about my ability to complete the program with my busy schedule. But, with the encouragement of other CARA members I began the program January 2020 and, I feel fully supported. Being a CARA member has given me the resources to continue my education and drive to reach my professional goals. I am excited to become more engaged and partake in more CARA events moving forward.

Britney Duncan
Research Coordinator, University of Saskatchewan

Support from CARA is becoming my biggest success factor and the reason to be focused on completing my work on time. Sarah Lampson and Kaleb are so responsive to every query I send. There are so many little reasons to want to go further, like this one and writing a blog to win a book, which I just received: Managing the Research University by Dean O. Smith. I am beginning to grow my confidence just by having so many resourcesand support for this course. I stronglyencourageanyone sitting on the fence for taking up this course to just apply for next term and dive right in!!

Sarah Musavi
Student Mohawk College, Research Administration Certificate

I was recently asked to present a webinar on the new NSERC Alliance program to CARA members. Kaleb Antonides was very helpful with the logistics of setting up the webinar and walking me through the process. The webinar was well-advertised (NSERC employees also saw Tweets CARA had posted about the webinar) and went very smoothly. It was well-attended and resulted in a lively discussion of many questions about Alliance. For NSERC this was a very efficient way to reach many university research administrators at one time.

Pam Giberson
Research and Innovation Development Officer NSERC

I greatly enjoyed my time enrolled in the CRA through CARA and Mohawk College. The instructors were leading experts in their field and the course materials were relevant to my professional development. Being matched with a mentor was the most enriching aspect of the program, my personal and professional development benefited greatly with the mentorship. The CRA provided me with the tools and resources to further my career and professional development.

Lukie Yuan
University Health Network

I find CARA is a very supportive, responsive and respectful organization. Ever since I attended the webinar for registration into the research administration certification course, I have had immense support from all staff and faculty. I already feel confident in completing this course and being equipped to take on a career that fits my skills in research administration. Thank you so much, especially to Sarah Lampson for so much support.

Sarah Musavi

CARA has been instrumental in both growing my network and increasing my professional development! Through my CARA membership and attending conferences, I have met my peers across the country and have been able to discuss challenges and best practices. I have kept up with trends in the research administration field by attending webinars, and have also worked on my writing and presentation skills through presenting via webinar and at CARA National

Lauren Gogo
Hamilton Health Sciences

Last summer, I successfully graduated from the first cohort of the online Certificate in Research Administration program in partnership with Mohawk College. During my time in the program, many positive opportunities for discussion and networking emerged. I learned a wealth of information from my peers in Research Administration, and from others who were new to the field through weekly online discussions and course assignments. This continual stream of new knowledge has helped me grow in my career. In my opinion, these course discussions are the "goldmine" we need to tap as research administrators in a field that is constantly faced with change. The program also inspired me to take on a mentorship role at CARA; I'm very proud and happy to serve in the role of a CARA mentor and provide guidance and knowledge to the next generation of CRA students. Thank you for providing this valuable professional development opportunity!

Elizabeth Russell-Minda
Research Development Officer, Western University

We at Pisces Research Project Management Inc, appreciate how Cara creates a collaborative community for information sharing. Through their webinars, extensive library and informative conference presentations, our company has learned many valuable skills to help us continue to grow.

Dr. Kes Morton
PIsces PRM, Executive Director of Casrai

Volunteering for CARA as co-Chairs of the Awards, Honours, and Distinctions SIG changed the way we approached our jobs. Instead of fearing our competition, we embraced them, and opened up ourselves to a network of amazing and learned individuals from across the country. We trust our SIG to help us grow in our roles and provide support when our institutional colleagues cannot understand our unique experiences. We also look forward to seeing them every year because there ain’t no party like an AWARDS SIG party!

Julaine Hall (Western University) and Tom Barber (University of Waterloo)

As a long standing member of CARA, I have been astounded by the transformation of the association from a small professional development cohort to a dynamic professional community, with an expanded scope to include hospitals, funding agencies and colleges, engaging the full spectrum of Research Administrators across Canada. CARA’s partnership with Mohawk College has elevated and exposed the profession of Research Administration as a satisfying career path, filled with rich opportunities. Through CARA, I have expanded not only my professional network, but my opportunities to grow and learn alongside my fellow Research Administrators.

Katie Porter
Hamilton Health Sciences

Being a member, and past president of CARA, has contributed to my success and overall understanding of the research administration realm. My employer was also pleased to see me engaged with CARA because it made me a more informed employee and ultimately a better support to the researchers in my faculty. It also allowed me to learn what was happening all across Canada, and to forge some really great friendships.

Francis Chandler

How did you use your professional association to grow your professional profile? (wrote for blog, won an award, built a network, fellow experts' advice, presented at conference or webinar, etc.)I did many of those things and they all paid off. Some lasted longer than others, but every side project or volunteer task lead to new connections and new skills. Presenting your ideas at CARA national is very rewarding; I highly recommend it.

Danielle Connell
St. Thomas University

My experience with CARA has been such a positive one where I’ve been able to both moderate and present at a national conferences, host webinars, present posteres, and contribute toward social media posts and blog all of which have led to increasing my network connections and not to mention broaden my knowledge base of the Research Administration Profession. Suffice to say it’s been an excellent conduit for professional development!

Daniela Bianco
Hamilton Health Sciences

Melissa Gordon of UWO has been a wonderful mentor. She listened and shared her own experiences whichhave been invaluable in helping me shape my own career path. The mentoring program complements the courses in a positive manner.

Crystal Noronha
McGill University

Having a poster competition is a great and hopefully growing aspect of the CARA national conference. I believe that sometimes topics/projects are better suited to a poster presentation style vs a concurrent session, so having that option is wonderful. I like doing poster presentations because you get an opportunity to chat in depth and network with like-minded individuals. Often in concurrent sessions the Q&A is cut short due to the length of the presentations, so you plan to find those people later to ask them questions, but at a busy conference that often doesn’t end up happening. As well, one often has to miss some sessions they would like to attend due to competing times, and with posters, people can view at their own leisure in addition to the set poster time. Finally, people have different preferences and comfort levels for presenting, so having a few different options make the opportunities accessible to more people.Having the opportunity to present information on the research program planning activities I’d been involved in with new researchers was not only fun, but the interest in the poster during and after the conference validated what I think is an important planning aspect for researcher success. Due to the interest, I adapted it into a webinar presentation this past spring for CARA, which also added to my skills. Winning the poster competition was an achievement I could add to my resume, and the cash prize covered the cost of the poster printing and helped with some of the travel costs, which are often beyond institutional PD funding. I look forward to doing more poster presentations at future conferences.

Patricia Tait

I have enrolled in two courses from the Research Administration Program offered by CARA. The quality of teaching, the course material and the discussions have been invaluable. I highly recommend this program for anyone interested in this field as well as for people already working in Research Administration. Receiving a bursary really made it possible for me to enrol in the 2nd course and I am really grateful to CARA for this opportunity. I look forward to advancing my career through this certification.

Crystal Noronha
MSc Research Assistant McGill University

I enrolled in the Developing Funding Proposals course with Mohawk in order to learn more about how to be a successful grant writer. As a recent graduate and new hire at UBC, I knew that this knowledge would be an asset to me in my unfolding career.What impressed me most was the focus on applied and collaborative learning as I was required to develop, critique, and submit a grant proposal to a funder and engage in on-line and face to face engagement with others across Canada. The guidance and support that we received from each other, and Dr. Chandler, provided all of us with the opportunity to meet, learn, and apply new skills and techniques in our own work settings. These connections and new skills have proven invaluable to me as I am delighted to say that I submitted my proposal and it was funded!I would highly recommend this course, and the entire program, to anyone involved in this field particularly since it is delivered by leading industry experts in the field of research administration in Canada.

Kristin Smart

The courses that I have taken so far in the Research Administration Certificate program have been very interesting and exceedingly useful. Through discussions with my peers in the program, I have learned so much about the topic areas as well as how common issues are handled at other institutions. The instructors have been really well organized, engaged, and responsive to suggestions. I have also very much appreciated the involvement of international students in the program. They have brought a different and interesting perspective to the discussion topics. Overall, I am very happy with the way the program is organized, the course content and relevant assignments, the instructors, and the Mohawk College elearn platform.

Jacqueline Dockray

I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Process Pathways for sponsoring the CARA Poster Competition. Submitting a poster to the CARA poster competition is an excellent way to engage with your colleagues at our national conference, facilitate discussions and spark new ideas. Winning the poster competition was a nice professional acknowledgement and a great opportunity to share my research on the globalization of clinical trials. I look forward every year to seeing the work of my fellow research administrators being featured. Katie Porter, Director of Research Administration, Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation

My membership in CARA over the past six years has been incredibly helpful to my growth as a Research Development Coordinator. I have been fortunate to attend many CARA National and CARA West conferences, which have always provided me with opportunities to learn more about the Canadian funding environment and research portfolio development, while supporting the development of my professional network. In recent years I have enjoyed participating in CARA more actively by volunteering to teach webinars, work with a special interest group, and edit the CARA newsletter. Through CARA’s partnership with ARMA, I am currently wrapping up my Certificate in Research Administration, and looking forward to further training through the Certificate in Research Management. CARA has been of great personal and professional benefit to me as a Research Development Coordinator, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their research administration knowledge and networks.

Gwen E. Hill
MA, Research Development Coordinator, Royal Roads University

Research Administration Certificate program is an excellent match to my interest, as I am interested in acareer in research development. Thecourse contents are highly valuable in terms of building upon myexpertise. Furthermore, this program provides a platform tocommunicate and share knowledge andexperience with the professionals in diverse institutions in Canada, a fantastic opportunity tolearn fromeach other. This program is doing wonders to me - I committo contribute to the CARA community andwish success of the program.

Sanjukta Choudhury
Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Saskatchewan

These weekly classes are highly relevant to my work interests. I can tailor the assignment topics to my own professional development needs and source from my work experiences, knowledge, and current projects.For me, the best part of these courses has been the hundreds of insightful discussions about research development and administration issues my peers and I share. Learning how these are dealt with at other institutions has been invaluable, as are the connections I’ve made with colleagues from a range of research institutions, across the country and abroad.

Gen Clark
Research Facilitator

Funding received through CARA’s certificate bursary will help me achieve the professional certification requisite I need to qualify for a more senior research development position.

As a new member of CARA, and an emerging researcher administer, I’m thrilled to be awarded the CARA bursary for the Research Administration Certificate. This bursary will ensure that I can financially continue my studies while I transition within my career in research administration. One of the reasons I’m taking the Research Admin certificate is to further my career in this field, and explore the incredible opportunities provided by CARA and Mohawk. I’m appreciative of the opportunity to increase my knowledge and improve my skills so that I can be at the leading edge of research administration within the Canadian research environment.

Certification in the Research Administration program provided me a great opportunity to learn about various facets of research administration (pre- and post-grant) that are useful in my daily work setting. It has empowered my knowledge about the field in general. I may not have got a chance to explore those topics in-depth on my own if I was not taking this course. It was especially a very valuable experience for someone like me who transitioned form the other side of the table (research) to the research administration world. It has allowed me to connect with expert CARA colleagues and mentors who facilitated my journey to the finish line. Overall, it was an absolute fantastic experience!

Anita Sharma
Research Grants Development Officer, Thompson Rivers University

Excellent course, practical content and instructors are quick to respond to any questions.

Toni Tidy about the Contracts & Reporting Course
Research Administration Certificate

The Research Administration program offered through CARA/Mohawk College is a wonderful learning opportunity for both new and existing administrators in the profession.Research is unique, complex and always evolving. This program offers administrators the knowledge needed to understand all aspects of research administration from both the pre award and post award side. The online aspects of this course has been beneficial in providing flexibility in time management. As a working mom, I found this valuable to be able to listen to lectures and read the material when it best suited my schedule. In the short time frame I have been enrolled in the program, I already have gained a greater understanding of the challenges and complexities institutions face in the research environment. I look forward to learning more throughout the duration of the courses.

Simonette Wood
Research Administration Certificate

I have been fortunate to enroll in the Research Administration College Certificate sponsored through the Canadian Association of Research Administrators - at first out of curiosity to what my employees might gain from the experience. But to my delight, there are nuggets of wisdom and shared experience that are of benefit to all. Many of us get narrow in scopewith one or two functions within the project cycle, and in regards to funding sources and opportunities while this opportunity broadens one's understanding of the project life-cycle and opportunities while learning through other's shared success and failures. I would highly recommend activeparticipation in this professional development opportunity for researchadministrators at all levels.

Dr. Greg Anderson, PhD
Research Administration Certificate

Taking part in theCertificate in Research Administrationhas already been a great help in my current role. The applied nature of the assignments allow me to use them in my daily work, and relate my work to the course material. In addition, the coursework provides the opportunity to explore all areas of research and aspects of research administration, which I hope will be a resource for future career opportunities.

Theodore Konya
Certificate in Research Administration

CARA awards are an important part of our annual program as they recognize the immense effort our volunteers put into this organization. Receiving this award is important to me as it shows my superiors that CARA is valuable to me and that makes me valuable to my employer.

Frances Chandler

As a recipient of both CARA’s Research Management Excellence Award, as well as the Dan Chase Distinguished Service Award, I have felt a renewed sense of pride in the work that I have done to advance the profession of research administration, and remain highly appreciative of CARA’s acknowledgement.CARA’s recognition has broadened my network, enhanced my marketability as a professional and, most importantly, allowed me to grow as a leader in our field. It is an honour to be recognized by one’s peers!

Katie Porter

Receiving the Research Management Excellence Award in 2015 was a wonderful recognition by my peers as I began my 20th year in my career in research management. I was pleased, honoured and excited about the award. But more than that I was energized by this accolade. The fact that it came from peers made me recognize the importance of maintaining my networks among my peers who are always there to answer my questions and provide critical insight from their own perspectives. It also made me realize I have an obligation to return that energy and continue my role as a mentor to newer research administration professionals both in a formal role as a mentor in the CARA accreditation program but also informally among colleagues in CARA and internationally in ARMA and ARMS.

David J Phipps

Truth be told, I bought the CARA publication because I contributed to the particular e-book,Career Journeys: Leaders Share Different Career Journeys in Research Administration, the third in this CARA initiative, so perhaps the purchase was fuelled by a bit of narcissism on my part.After reading through it, though, I was honoured to be included in this group of “leaders,” which I don’t think truly applies to me and is probably a detail I missed when I sent my contribution, and to be among a grouping that pretty much all have PhDs, something in which I am also lacking.But what impressed me about this publication is the diversity of people’s backgrounds and the variety of career paths that led them to their current post, something that I personally find fascinating. The recurring thread for those featured was that, for the most part, none had intentionally pursued a career in research administration, but all the various paths led them to this common ground. I also like that each entry had the writer’s distinct voice and personal story. I would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in learning about others’ career paths, and who might want to find inspiration for how the amalgamation of various past experiences contributes to an individual’s overall evolution in employment.

Carla DeMarco
University of Toronto

I have enjoyed my volunteer service to CARA. During the past two years, I have presented seven webinars for CARA. They provided an opportunity to learn the nuances of Canadian research administration and, importantly, to meet interesting colleagues through the online medium.I hope to continue my relationship with CARA by preparing further webinars on topics of interest to a broad CARA audience.

Dean Smith

The Certificate Research Administration looks like a really exciting course. It looks quite intensive. The units look very interesting and very applicable to my position. The system is so easily laid out for students and the requirements are clearly stated. I really appreciate that the course is so well organized.

Karen Mosier
University of Saskatchewan

CARA has been a wonderful learning and engagement experience for me. I attended my first national conference very early in my career and I decided that I wanted to be more engaged with the organization. I volunteered to do a little work with the Project Management SIG and then decided to place my name forward for service on the Executive. I was delighted and humbled to be appointed to the board and contributed some time on the PD Committee and conference organizing committees during my tenure. It was a truly enjoyable and rewarding experience meeting new colleagues and just immersing myself in and absorbing every drop of wisdom and experience with all of the amazing people who are and define CARA.

Dean Strickland

Thanks to CARA's outstanding community of Research Administrators, I have been able to work on my professional development through webinars, recommended resources and special interest groups, just to name a few.CARA's mentoring program has also allowed me to develop many new skills and to find the support, motivation and positive role models that I had been looking for across Canada.I am obviously very grateful for all the opportunities that have been offered to me by CARA not only as a volunteer, but also as a member.

Karin Dupeyron

Being part of CARA has been a very positive experience for me - I’ve learned, loved and grown in research administration a lot since I’ve become a member. Conferences are wonderful platforms for networking, sharing experiences, identifying pain points, discussions of various topics from ethics to metrics and getting first-hand information on TriCouncil changes/updates.

Nur Eisma
UBC / C&W Coordinator, Pre & Post Awards | Office of Research Services (ORS) & Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI)

I have been a member of CARA since 2003 and I have been involved as a presenter, session organizer, on the executive, as a CARA representative at tech transfer and export control conferences and even as a talent show host! I have attended INORMS and brought the experience of CARA to our research admin colleagues at ARMA in the UK and ARMS in Australia. Participating in CARA has always provided me with a sense of community. I have put questions up on the list serve, responded to questions when I felt I had anything relevant to say and I have folks I know I can call when I have questions that I am not yet ready to write down publicly. CARA helps me and my colleagues maximize the impact if our services for our researchers and our institution.

David J. Phipps, Ph.D., MBA
Executive Director, Research & Innovation Services | Division of Vice-President Research & Innovation Office of Research Services YORK UNIVERSITY

Being an active member of CARA is a great opportunity for professional growth, and I continue to reap the benefits of being a part of this dynamic network of Research Administrators.

Katie Porter
MBA, MA, B.Ed Director of Research Administration | Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation

Through CARA I have met several Colleagues who I can also count as friends. The best part of CARA is networking with counterparts at other Institutions and sharing common issues and solutions. Networking through CARA greatly enhanced my knowledge from day 1.

Angela Zeno, BA, CPA, CGA
Manager, Research | Accounting York University

Through CARA, I can access highly educational webinars on very relevant topics. I am connected to an online community of research administrators, funders, and consultants from across Canada. It has been a very effective platform to pose questions and find solutions.

Deepak S. Gupta, D. Sc., P. Eng. (AB)
Director, Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Services (ARIES) | Centennial College

Long before there was any formal professional development available for research administrators in Canada there was CARA. CARA was, and is, a network of people who are generous with their time and expertise. When we are all pressured by time, and challenged with new and difficult situations, having this group of peer experts has been invaluable. Truly we have much to learn from each other and CARA as it is evolving continues to provide a forum of this to happen.

Sandra Crocker
Associate Vice-President | Carleton University

L'association canadienne des administratrices et administrateurs de recherche

Autres programmes

Fellowship Program

Webinar Program

Volunteer Program