August 26, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET
Webinar Recap: Building a Smart Research Administration Ecosystem
A Round Table on Closing the AI Gap in Research Offices
Research offices are stretched thin, and the data proves it. A new study surveying 18 stakeholders across faculty, department administrators, and Office of Research Administration (ORA) staff found that while 89% of respondents are satisfied with the support their ORA provides, budget development and proposal coordination remain persistent bottlenecks that slow research down.
At the same time, AI adoption in research administration is lagging far behind interest. More than half of respondents (55%) report limited or no familiarity with AI tools, yet 88% say they're eager to adopt them. That gap, between appetite and readiness, is where this conversation begins.
Join us for a live round table with the researchers behind the study, Building a Smart Research Administration Ecosystem, as they unpack what's really slowing research offices down and share a practical framework for closing the knowledge gap.
What You'll Learn
The panel will walk through the team's proposed eight-step AI-powered research administration ecosystem, a framework spanning the full award lifecycle:
- Funding opportunity identification
- Proposal development
- Budgeting
- Compliance review
- Submission
- Award management
You'll hear how this framework is designed to streamline workflows and strengthen collaboration across faculty, department administrators, and ORA staff, and get a first look at what's coming next: a pilot of AI tools in academic departments, paired with a new AI training program built to close the knowledge gap identified as the single biggest barrier to adoption.
Meet the Panel
Poline Mirithu, MS Grants and Contracts Manager, Division of Research and Economic Development, Morgan State University poline.mirithu@morgan.edu | 443-885-2503
Lulu Jiang, PhD Program Administrator, Morgan State University National Transportation Center/SMARTER Center lulu.jiang@morgan.edu | 443-885-1041
Ailing Zhang, MS Sr. Grants Manager, Office of Research Administration, Division of Research and Economic Development, Morgan State University Ailing.Zhang@morgan.edu | 443-885-4118
Anita Mills, Ed.D., MA, CRA Founder, Ignita Consulting amills@ignitaconsulting.com | (859) 512-6765 | www.ignitaconsulting.com
Who Should Attend
This session is built for anyone working inside a research office: ORA leadership, department research administrators, sponsored programs staff, and faculty who want a clearer view of where AI actually fits into the award lifecycle, not just where it's hyped.
Save Your Seat
Space is limited. Register now to join the conversation and get your questions answered live by the team behind the research.