International Celebration of Research Management Professionals 2026 Competition

Arup is a global consultancy with extensive technical and advisory expertise. We guide, plan,  and design the future of the built environment. We also invest in our own global research programme to continue to drive our technical excellence.. Each year we conduct around 150 research projects in collaboration with more than 200 external partner organisations, engaging over 600 Arupians across 71 offices.

To mark Research Administrators Day 2026, our global Research Programme Team at Arup launched our inaugural collective zine.

Working across regions and time zones, team members were invited to respond to a simple prompt: Why I care about research. Each person created and submitted a page independently, sharing their own experiences, motivations and perspectives on research.

We then came together in a hybrid team celebration to share our contributions, reflect on the themes that emerged, and celebrate the people behind the programme. As part of the event, we also shared messages of appreciation collected from researchers and collaborators across Arup, highlighting the value of the relationships and support that help research thrive.

What emerged was not a single answer, but a collection of perspectives shaped by curiosity, creativity, collaboration, impact, and purpose. The discussion ultimately led to the naming of the publication: Research Matters

The activity provided a meaningful way for our globally distributed team to connect, reflect on our profession, and celebrate Research Administrators Day together. We left with a published zine, thoughtful conversations, words of appreciation from our broader Arup research community, and a renewed appreciation for the many ways research matters.

Submitted by: Dr Tanja Rosenqvist - Arup

When Research Administrators’ Day Meets Mid-Autumn Festival

This year, our Research Administrators’ Day celebrations at Flinders University stretched across the day, starting with a morning tea bringing together colleagues from across the broader research support community, and finishing with a smaller afternoon tea with some of our College of Medicine and Public Health Research Development and Support team.

The afternoon tea also gave us a chance to celebrate a recent big round of grant submissions. It’s part of our team culture to pause and acknowledge the wins — big or small — because behind every submission is a lot of teamwork, persistence and problem-solving.

It also happened to coincide with Mid-Autumn Festival, so a couple of mooncakes made their way onto the table alongside the usual treats. A small cultural touch, and another very good excuse for afternoon tea.

The photos only capture some of the people involved, but the day was really about recognising the much wider team behind the work. A little food, a few wins, plenty of conversation and a good reminder that research administration is very much a team sport.

Submitted by: Sum Borjigin - Flinders University

Research Administration: A Little Nuts, A Lot of Passion

Research administration is rarely predictable. One day it’s a proposal deadline, the next it’s a contract negotiation, followed by last-minute changes, an urgent approval and the inevitable “quick question.” So, for Research Administrators’ Day, the Office for Research and Innovation at RMIT Vietnam decided our team deserved something a little different and created a Research Administration Survival Kit.
Each team member received a basket of snacks and drinks, carefully selected to recognise the many skills, challenges and moments of humour that come with research administration.

We may be a little BANANAS for choosing this job, but glad we’re all part of the same bunch. Some days are simply NUTS – especially when the contracts, proposals and last-minute changes start to STAX up!

There were WAFERS to celebrate never wafering when it comes to getting the job done, HONEY TWISTS for navigating every twist and turn, and PEACH gummies because everyone is a real peach to work with. STICKY NOTES recognised those who keep sticking with challenging situations, while PASSIONFRUIT juice and candies celebrated the passion that helps make research happen.

And because research administration requires plenty of flexibility, there was a CINNAMON ROLL for rolling with every challenge, MENTOS for the deadlines we don't need to mento, and MELON drinks because our colleagues are truly one in a melon. Finally, TEA and MATCHA LATTES reminded everyone that they are simply tea-riffic and matcha appreciated.

Behind all the puns is a genuine message of thanks. Research administrators often work behind the scenes to keep research moving – coordinating proposals, navigating contracts, managing competing deadlines and finding solutions when things don't quite go according to plan.

We wanted our celebration to recognise not only what our team does, but how they do it: with patience, persistence, flexibility, good humour and a willingness to keep going when the next challenge arrives.
Happy Research Administrators’ Day to our wonderful team – thanks a LATTE for everything you do!

Submitted by: Sara Jo Poremski - RMIT University Vietnam

Being based at ANU in Canberra, we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Research Administrators’ Day than stepping away from our desks and embracing spring at Floriade, Canberra’s annual celebration of spring.

With the flowers in full bloom and beautiful spring weather, our team enjoyed a leisurely walk through the gardens, followed by refreshments and plenty of lively conversation. It was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some fresh air, recharge and connect with colleagues in a relaxed and informal setting outside our usual work environment. Research management professionals play an essential role in enabling research, supporting collaboration and helping research thrive. Our work is often busy and deadline-driven, involving plenty of coordination, problem-solving and collaboration behind the scenes. Taking time to celebrate together gave us a chance to recognise the important work we do every day, while also reconnecting as colleagues beyond our day-to-day tasks.

There were plenty of smiles, laughs and conversations along the way, ranging from gardening and baking to travel, cruises and everything in between, accompanied, of course, by colourful tulips and a well-earned lemonade. Most importantly, it was a simple but meaningful way to recognise the people behind the work we do and celebrate the connections that make our team what it is. It was a wonderful afternoon of connection, celebration and appreciation.

Submitted by: Elsa Wang - The Australian National University

The University of Newcastle’s annual Research and Innovation Division lunch hosted by the Vice Chancellor was this year held on Research Administrators’ Day! Staff from across the Division enjoyed catching up with colleagues and hearing from the VC about the University’s recent research successes and future priorities. To close out the event, we took the opportunity to take a group photo with the VC to recognise the valued contributions of all the Division’s staff to the University’s ongoing research success.

Submitted by: Kristen McEwan - The University of Newcastle

Celebrating Research Administrators' Day at UniSQ

In September, UniSQ's research professional community came together to celebrate an early Research Administrators' Day; an international celebration recognising the vital contribution of research management and administration professionals. While the official day is observed on 25 September, we brought our celebrations forward to 16 September to maximise participation and avoid the school holiday period.

Professional staff from across the research ecosystem joined the festivities, including colleagues from the Graduate Research School, Office of Research, the Offices of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Development and Commercialisation) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research), Business Advisory teams supporting research, research institute professional staff, executive officers, and others who play a critical role in enabling research excellence at UniSQ.

To mark the occasion, staff gathered in the Quad on the Toowoomba campus for a pizza lunch and some friendly competition, with a selection of outdoor games kindly provided by the Engagement team. The event also provided a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the University, strengthen relationships, and celebrate the collective contribution of research professionals.

Members of UniSQ's research leadership team joined the gathering to personally thank staff for the expertise, dedication and commitment they bring to supporting our researchers, higher degree research candidates, research centres and institutes, partnerships, funding activities, governance, reporting and research systems. Their contributions are fundamental to fostering a thriving research environment and helping UniSQ deliver research that creates impact for our communities.

Research may be conducted by academics and researchers, but it is supported every day by a dedicated network of professional staff working behind the scenes. Research Administrators' Day provides an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the people who make research possible.

Submitted by: Rachel Hunt - University of Southern Queensland

The University of New South Wales fully embraced the opportunity to celebrate our research administrators via a unified video celebration. The call spanned two cities and included both central, faculty, and school-based colleagues and was a great way for colleagues to re-connect after the ARMS Conference in Perth. The Canberra campus also held an in-person morning tea both to celebrate RA Day and to promote the new location for the faculty research office. The event included a research trivia quiz with weird and wonderful research facts about research generally, as well as more locally at UNSW Canberra. Key themes included acronyms, wombats, lasers, and approval routes. Prizes were awarded to a lucky few, including the coveted, rare, and highly fashionable ARMS bucket hat. It was noted that RA Day is a great way to thank all colleagues across the organisation who are actively supporting our research endeavours, whether or not their role description explicitly states research. The research support system is vast and critical, and we are very much all in this together. Thank you to all UNSW and ARMS colleagues who are contributing in this space!

Photos included show both the video call link up between Sydney and Canberra and the in-person celebrations in Canberra.

Submitted by: Suzanne Austin - UNSW Canberra