Iowa Research Administration Internship Student Experience (I-RAISE)

The Iowa Research Administration Internship Student Experience (I-RAISE) is a collaborative effort to build a shared regional workforce of highly connected and well-trained entry-level research administration (RA) professionals by leveraging the expertise, resources, and student populations of six varied Iowa institutions. A systemic lack of qualified RA staff hinders the ability of faculty to develop and submit grant proposals, manage awards, and remain compliant with ever-changing Federal regulations.

This need is greatest at emerging research institutions (ERIs) and in rural states with limited pools of skilled applicants. I-RAISE will train students for RA careers through a cross-institutional internship model that can be replicated in other regions. Course content will also be made broadly available to enable RA workforce development nationwide.

Four cohorts of 10-16 undergraduate and graduate students from the six I-RAISE institutions will participate in a cross-institutional RA internship program. The program consists of a classroom-based bootcamp and mentored rotations at both a research-intensive university and ERIs, giving students an opportunity to gain skills, knowledge, and connections from a variety of RA professionals.

It also offers job placement activities and opportunities to strengthen networks among current RA staff at I-RAISE institutions. A set of on-demand, online training resources based on the I-RAISE bootcamp curriculum will also be made freely available to support onboarding of new RA staff at ERIs and other institutions nationwide. Partnerships with other Iowa institutions and nonprofits will bring their perspectives to the bootcamp, and collaboration with the NSF-funded Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (IINSPIRE-LSAMP network) will aid in recruitment of interns from underrepresented populations.

ISU Extension and Outreach will host the online course. Our evaluation partner, the Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE), will assess the impact of I-RAISE on interns and on users of the online course.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.