The International Network of Research Management Societies

The International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) was formed in 2001 to bring together research management societies and associations from across the globe. Its purpose is to enable interactions, sharing of good practice, and joint activities between the member societies to the benefit of their individual memberships. INORMS's establishment reflects both the proliferation of national and regional research management organisations throughout the world, and the clear need for international collaboration and common standards in the global market for university research.

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is one of the founding members of INORMS and continues to play a role in the internationalisation of research management.

Key ACU-INORMS activities

The Research Administration as a Profession (RAAAP) Survey

RAAAP is an International Survey which seeks to find out the key skills, attitudes and behaviours of successful research management and administration (RMA) leaders. Over 2,600 individuals from 64 countries responded to the first RAAAP survey, held in 2016. The survey responses have been analysed and presented at annual RM conferences in 2016 and 2017, as well as at the 2016 and 2018 INORMS congress.

The 2016 survey and the analysis of its responses was run as a funded project with 2 named investigators (the project was supported by a wider international advisory group). See the poster which illustrates key findings from the 2016 survey for reference.  The survey’s full outputs can be found on the RAAAP website.

In June 2018, the Council of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) formally endorsed the Research Administration as a Profession (RAAAP) survey as an INORMS initiative. Going forward the RAAAP survey will be run biennially by INORMS (by a taskforce comprising representatives of the INORMS societies).

The ACU sat on the Advisory group for the initial RAAAP project (2016-2018) and is currently on the Taskforce for the ongoing longitudinal RAAAP survey.

Support for Emerging Research Management Associations

The ACU supports the development of professional associations for Research Management. Previous work in this area includes the RIMI4AC project to improve the Research and innovation management capacity in Africa and the Caribbean.  Two INORMS member organisations (SARIMA and the ACU) collaborated with Research Africa, Research and Innovation Management Services, Belgium, and Universities in Africa and the Caribbean to deliver this project.  The most significant output from this collaboration was the three Research Management associations, which were developed during the project – CARIMA for the Central Africa region, EARIMA for the East Africa region and CabRIMA for the Caribbean region.

INORMS conferences 

The ACU supports INORMS conferences by contributing to the programmes.  The ACU also provides bursaries to support the attendance of individuals from ACU member universities at INORMS conferences. 

In 2010 the ACU in collaboration with the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) co-hosted the INORMS conference, in Cape Town.  The conference with the theme “Managing for Impact: New approaches to Research and Innovation Management” attracted over 400 delegates from 40 countries. Further information on the 2010 INORMS conference can be found in the conference report

Find more information on the INORMS website.