Imagine this: A faculty member misses a major grant deadline because the department didn’t know the submission requirements, the admin team was swamped, and the central office only found out at the last minute. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common and it highlights inefficiencies that can slow research progress.
Here’s how to avoid these pitfalls:
1. Ineffective Research Support Structures
Issue
Whether centralized, local, or a hybrid, support needs to match your institution’s structure. Relying solely on one model can slow processes.
Solution
Align local and central offices to provide timely guidance, consistency, and strategic oversight.
2. Poor Communication Between Faculty and Administration
Issue
Misalignment delays approvals and leads to incomplete proposals.
Solution
Set up regular check-ins and clear communication channels.
3. Overreliance on Manual Systems
Issue
Spreadsheets and emails are slow and error-prone.
Solution
Adopt research administration software to automate routine tasks.
4. Inadequate Training and Support
Issue
Staff and faculty may not understand requirements or opportunities.
Solution
Offer ongoing training and accessible resources.
5. Reactive Rather Than Strategic Development
Issue
Focusing only on immediate grants limits growth.
Solution
Create a strategic plan to target priority funding areas and cultivate sponsor relationships.
6. Ignoring Data Analytics
Issue
Without data, offices miss patterns that could improve efficiency.
Solution
Track metrics like proposal success rates and submission timelines to inform decisions.
7. Lack of Cross-Functional Collaboration
Issue
Siloed teams create bottlenecks in approvals and compliance.
Solution
Encourage collaboration across departments, finance, legal, IT, and faculty.