February 26, 2026

5 Key Conferences in 2026 Every Research Administrator Should Attend

The Must-Attend Conferences of 2026

The research administration community has a packed calendar this year, and Atom Grants will be on the ground at five of the biggest events in the field. Whether you are exploring how AI fits into your office's workflow or looking for new approaches to grant discovery and proposal management, we would love to connect in person.

Here is where we will be.

2026 Event Overview

Detailed Schedule

Spring 2026: Setting the Agenda

NCURA Fourth AI Symposium / San Juan, PR / March 21–23

NCURA's AI Symposium brings together experts in AI, research policy, data management, and compliance to explore how AI tools can enhance efficiency and decision-making across the research enterprise. Now in its fourth year, the symposium has grown into one of the most focused events on practical, responsible AI adoption in research administration. Running alongside NCURA's Pre-Award (PRA) and Financial Research Administration (FRA) conferences, the week in San Juan offers a rare chance to cover a lot of ground in one trip.

We will be there to talk about how AI-powered grant discovery and researcher matching are already changing day-to-day workflows in research development offices. Come find us.

NORDP 18th Annual Conference / Indianapolis, IN / April 26–29

NORDP's annual conference is the premier international event for the research development profession, drawing over 1,400 members from universities and research institutions around the world. This year's theme, "Charting the New Frontiers of Research Development," focuses on navigating the challenges and opportunities facing the field right now. Expect sessions on the latest trends in research development strategy, new tools and approaches, and plenty of time to build your professional network.

If you work in a research development office or are thinking about how to better connect researchers with funding, this is the conference to attend. We will be on-site and happy to chat.

Summer and Fall 2026: Going Deeper

SRAI Collaborative Section Meeting / Atlanta, GA / May 3–8

SRAI is trying something new this year: a collaborative format that brings the Pre-Award Section Meeting (May 3–5) and Post-Award Section Meeting (May 6–8) together under one roof at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The idea is more content, more choice, and more value in a single trip. Think workshops, concurrent sessions, roundtable discussions, and structured networking, all designed for practitioners who live in the details of sponsored research.

We will be at the Pre-Award sessions sharing how Atom Grants helps offices move from reactive grant searching to proactive discovery.

NCURA 68th Annual Meeting / New York City, NY / August 1–4

This is the big one. NCURA's Annual Meeting draws over 2,000 attendees from its 9,000+ membership and covers every corner of research administration: pre-award, post-award, compliance, contracts, intellectual property, international programs, departmental administration, and more. The program includes a full day of workshops and senior-level seminars followed by two and a half days of presentations, discussions, and open forums.

New York City is a fitting backdrop for the industry's largest event, and we are looking forward to being there. If you want to see Atom Grants in action or talk about how AI fits into your institution's research strategy, this is the place.

SRAI Annual Meeting / Honolulu, HI / October 10–14

SRAI's Annual Meeting closes out the conference season with five days of workshops, educational tracks, and networking in Honolulu. The event brings together a genuinely global audience, including professionals from industry, government, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, and higher education, to tackle the most pressing challenges in research management. Topics span compliance and grant management to AI-driven innovation and federal oversight.

It is a great way to cap off the year, reflect on where the field is heading, and (yes) enjoy some time in Hawaii.

See You There

We are genuinely excited about this year's lineup. Each of these conferences offers something different, and we are committed to showing up, listening, and sharing what we have been building at Atom Grants.

Cannot wait until the next conference? Check out our upcoming webinars to see how Atom Grants can modernize your research office today.