PSU's Research Administrator of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of a research administration professional to the research enterprise at Portland State. The person selected for this honor will receive an award and a $1,500 taxable honorarium.
Research administration is a broad field that includes support provided to research at any stage of the sponsored project lifecycle, from the identification of funding opportunities to intellectual property management. Research administration responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Identifying research funding opportunities
Participating in proposal development, internal review processes, and submission to a funding agency
Negotiating terms and conditions of awards and participating in the administration of an award
Assisting with contract modifications, extensions, progress reports, or effort certification
Administration of a research account, centrally or departmentally, from account set-up to account management to close-out
Providing support in the form of compliance review for animal use, human subjects research, biosafety matters, export controls, etc.
Managing invention disclosures and intellectual property generated by sponsored research at PSU
Eligibility Criteria
At least .50 FTE
Employed in a research administration role at PSU for at least one year
Selection Criteria
Nominations should clearly articulate how the nominee meets the following criteria:
Demonstrated professional growth in research administration (regularly acquiring new skills, knowledge or certifications to enhance their work performance; accepting greater responsibilities through promotion(s) or team leadership roles, etc.)
Advancement or enhancement of research administration at PSU (significantly improving processes, systems, and outcomes within their unit and more broadly).
Success handling highly complex and numerous assignments. Strong nominees consistently excel at managing complex and numerous assignments, demonstrating exceptional skill, efficiency, and effectiveness in completing challenging tasks and maintaining high-quality outcomes.
Exemplary professionalism, consistently reflected in the quality of their professional interactions, collaboration and communication with colleagues, faculty and students, as well as with external stakeholders such as research sponsors and representatives of local organizations or government bureaus, as appropriate to their work responsibilities.
Length and impact of service to PSU, within their own unit and beyond
Demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within research administration at PSU and beyond (leading or playing instrumental roles in impactful initiatives, fostering an inclusive environment, etc.)
Who May Submit Nominations
Anyone in the PSU community may nominate a staff member meeting the criteria listed above. Nominations involving those supported by the research administrator are especially compelling. Administrators may nominate themselves. Nominations must be submitted via the 2026 Research Awards Nomination Form.
Required Nomination Materials
Complete nomination packets must include the following, in pdf format:
Nomination Letter (1 page maximum)
This letter should describe the nominee’s contributions to their department and unit, and to the University more broadly, as outlined by the selection criteria listed above.
Current Resume of the Nominee
Ideally, the nominee’s resume should demonstrate professional growth in research administration. The length and impact of their service to PSU should also be clear, as the selection committee will take this into consideration.
Supervisor’s Letter of Support (1 maximum)
Include a letter of support from the nominee’s current or recent supervisor, affirming the nominee’s contributions to research administration at PSU. Supervisors submitting nominations need only submit one letter to serve as both nomination letter and supervisory support letter.
Additional Letters of Support (2 maximum)
Include up to two letters from others on campus (PIs, supervisors, colleagues, etc.) attesting to the nominee’s positive impact on research administration at PSU.
The nomination packets of nominees not selected the previous year will automatically be included for consideration the following year, with letters of support and other nomination materials carried forward by the RGS Awards Manager. Current resumes and/or updated primary nomination letters may be submitted to update these nomination packets, but these are not required. Nominees not selected in two consecutive years must remain out of review for one selection cycle (one year) before regaining eligibility.
Selection Process and Deadlines
Nominations should be initiated via the 2026 Research Awards Nomination Form by Monday, October 27, 2025 and must be completed by Monday, November 17, 2025 (pdf format is preferred for all nomination materials).
Unit Directors will approve completed nominations before they are submitted for review by the awards selection committee, composed of past award recipients, associate deans, and other faculty.
The awards selection committee will evaluate all nominations put before them according to the criteria listsed here.
No more than one awardee will ordinarily be named each year, and the review committee may forgo naming an awardee in any given year.
The nominee selected for this honor will be notified in January 2026, along with those who contributed to their nomination. The nomination packets of nominees not selected will automatically be included for consideration the following year, with letters of support and other nomination materials carried forward by the RGS Awards Manager. Current CVs and/or updated primary letters of nomination may be submitted to update these nomination packets. Nominees not selected in two consecutive years must remain out of review for one selection cycle (one year) before regaining eligibility.
Recognition
The individual selected for this honor will receive an award and public recognition at PSU’s Research Awards Ceremony and Reception. The winner will also receive a $1,500 taxable honorarium.
For answers to questions about this award or the nomination process, please contact RGS Awards Manager Amy Crelly: acrelly@pdx.edu, 503-725-9944 or research@pdx.edu.