Research Manager Laurie Mejia was recertified as a Certified Research Administrator (CRA) by the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) in December 2020. The certification is the culmination of rigorous testing and education, including 80 contact hours of continuing education.
The certification is valuable because it provides documented evidence to employers that an individual has been examined by an independent professional certifying organization and found to possess a certain level of basic knowledge of research and sponsored programs administration; provides personal and professional satisfaction of achievement of meeting established criteria indicating the attainment of a level of basic knowledge that is customary to be a professional in the field of research and sponsored programs administration, and demonstrates commitment to the profession and to one's peers that an individual has taken the time and effort, beyond job experience, to learn the Body of Knowledge, thus exhibiting a significant responsibility to working in the profession of pre-award research or sponsored programs administration.
Mejia originally passed the test in November 2015 and became certified in December 2015. Recertification is challenging because, unlike other types of disciplines, research administration does not have RACC-approved sessions. Research administrators have to find their own continuing education webinars, conferences, etc. and keep track of them and keep the documentation for each contact hour in case they get audited.
Meija will have to recertify again in December 2025.