February 11, 2025

Webinar Recap: Empowering Research Administration with AI

How AI complements (not replaces) your expertise

The landscape of research administration is undergoing a transformative shift with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). In the second webinar of our 12-part series, Dr. Rashonda Harris, an esteemed research administrator and CEO/founder of Purple Sheep Consulting, provided valuable insights into how AI-powered tools can streamline administrative tasks, enhance compliance, and empower research professionals without replacing their expertise.

Key Takeaways from the Session

1. AI enhances, not replaces, research administrators -- It automates repetitive tasks, allowing administrators to focus on strategic initiatives.
2. AI facilitates funding success -- By providing personalized grant matches, proposal insights, and error checks, AI significantly improves researchers’ ability to secure funding.
3. Compliance and security must be prioritized -- AI should be used prudently, with safeguards to protect sensitive research data.
4. Collaboration is key -- AI tools support interdisciplinary partnerships, fostering innovation, and increasing institutional competitiveness.

About Dr. Rashonda Harris, MBA, CRA, IPMA-CP

Dr. Rashonda Harris is a leader in sponsored research administration with over 27 years of experience and a strong track record in compliance, financial oversight, and strategic planning. Currently, Dr. Harris is a Senior Consultant at Maximus, an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and Temple University, and the CEO/founder of Purple Sheep Consulting. She has managed nearly a billion dollars in research funding and played key roles at institutions like Penn State University and the University of Connecticut. Her expertise extends to policy development, audit preparation, and staff training.

Dr. Harris has served on the National Council of University Research Administrators’ (NCURA) Presidential Task Force for Diversity and Inclusion and has been a travelling faculty member for research administration development. As a past at-Large NCURA Board Member, Dr. Harris’ contributions were recognized as a national and regional recipient of the Julia Jacobsen Distinguished Service Award. Further, Dr. Harris is an active member of the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP), the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP), and the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI). Her leadership in research administration continues to drive innovation and efficiency across institutions.

About Tomer du Sautoy, MSc

Hosting this webinar is Tomer du Sautoy, the CEO/co-founder of Atom Grants. With a MSc in Physics from the University of Bristol, Tomer has firsthand experience navigating the complexities of academic research and funding.

Through Atom Grants, Tomer aims to streamline research administration, making funding opportunities more accessible and reducing the burden on institutions. In hosting the Atom webinar series, he shares insights on how technology can empower researchers and administrators to secure funding more efficiently.

The Role of AI in Research Administration

Dr. Harris emphasized that AI is best utilized as a complement to human expertise rather than a replacement. Research administrators deal with a significant number of repetitive and time-consuming tasks, including compliance tracking, budget monitoring, and funding searches. AI can automate many of these functions, allowing professionals to focus on higher-level strategic decision-making. AI-powered tools can support:

• Funding Searches & Eligibility Checks -- AI can analyze past grant submissions and match researchers with relevant funding opportunities, ensuring alignment with funding agency priorities.
• Proposal Development & Review -- AI-assisted platforms can provide recommendations for structuring grant proposals based on successful past submissions, helping improve approval chances.
• Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management -- AI continuously monitors and updates regulatory changes, ensuring adherence to compliance standards and reducing the risk of penalties.
• Financial Oversight & Budget Forecasting -- AI-driven analytics provide real-time insights into budget allocations and spending patterns, helping administrators make data-driven financial decisions.
• Data Management & Security -- AI streamlines data collection and analysis while safeguarding sensitive institutional and research data.
• Collaboration & Talent Management -- AI tools can identify potential research collaborators by analyzing publication records and research interests, fostering interdisciplinary partnerships.

AI Policy Considerations

Dr. Harris highlighted recent executive orders from both the Biden and Trump administrations that advocate for AI’s responsible development and integration into various sectors, including research administration. AI is not only a tool for efficiency but also an enabler of innovation, helping institutions remain competitive in securing research funding and maintaining compliance with evolving policies.

Introducing Atom’s AI-Powered Grant Management Platform

Following Dr. Harris’s discussion, Atom Grants CEO Tomer du Sautoy introduced Atom’s AI-powered grant discovery and management platform, designed specifically to streamline research funding workflows. The platform leverages AI to:

• Automate Researcher Profiles -- AI analyzes researchers’ publications and previous grants to generate profiles, reducing the burden on research staff.
• Smart AI-Powered Grant Matching -- Using a semantic search engine, Atom Grants enables users to search for funding opportunities using natural language, abstracts, or specific keywords.
• Personalized Funding Insights -- The platform provides tailored grant recommendations and explanations of eligibility, making the grant search process more efficient and intuitive.
• AI-Driven Grant Checklists -- Automatically generated checklists ensure researchers are aware of submission requirements and deadlines.
• Custom Newsletters for Researchers -- AI curates personalized funding opportunity emails, scaling outreach efforts at research offices.

The Future of AI in Research Administration

Atom Grants has expanded its platform beyond grant discovery to offer AI-powered solutions for end-to-end grant management, proposal development, and compliance verification. Our user-friendly implementation enables research administrators to efficiently manage the entire grant lifecycle for their researcher teams, while ensuring compliance with institutional and funding body requirements.

Learn More

By embracing AI, research administrators can navigate the complexities of research funding with greater ease and efficiency, ensuring that valuable research continues to thrive in an increasingly competitive funding landscape.

For more information on Atom Grants’ AI-powered grant discovery and management tools, visit Atom Grants to book a demo or reach out to our team here.