News

CARA is a dynamic organization with a myriad of activities that benefit research administrators across Canada. Our members receive announcements via our list-serve and The CARA Connection, our e-newsletter. Additionally, anyone can follow us on Twitter, view our website, and join our LinkedIn group to experience all the work we are doing in such things as professional development, advocacy, and mentoring.

CARA is pleased to announce a new partnership with Mohawk College to the benefit our membership! Mohawk College, in partnership with CARA, will deliver the Research Administration College Certificate program which is aimed at pre-management research administrators or those planning a career in research administration. In one year, students can complete the fully-online program and acquire practical knowledge that will prepare graduates for a successful and rewarding career in research administration. Registration for the first cohort will open August 10, 2017.

CARA Ontario - Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto (Canada) on November 16-17.

COME SOAR WITH US November 29 – December 1, 2017 in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia!

Registration is now open for CARA West 2017! Program, venue and event details can be found at: http://www.uvic.ca/research/carawest2017/index.php.

Please note, early bird rates end October 15^th and seating is limited for some conference sessions. Register early for the best selection!

For general enquiries, please contact us at carawest2017@uvic.ca.

CARA National Conference

Please save the date for CARA 2018: May 27-30 in Ottawa at the Westin.

CARA Ontario: November 16-17, 2017 - Peter Gilgan Centre, Hospital for Sick Children

Learn about the upcoming Certificate in Research Administration and The Certificate in Research Management

Visit our Professional Development page for a list of upcoming webinars

Visit our Volunteer page to get involved

CARA 2016 Video

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

Canadian Association of Research Administrators

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