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Fall 2025 RA Spotlight Award Nominations Are Due October 17th

Image Banner for 2025 Research Administration Spotlight Awards

Beginning with the Fall 2025 award cycle, the Unit Research Administrator (RA) Spotlight Award will be jointly funded by the Vice President for Research and Innovation and the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. 

Award recipients will be recognized in an article in the SPA Newsletter and will receive a commemorative plaque and a financial award as tokens of appreciation. 

Nominees must be MSU employees that meet three or more of the following criteria:

  • Demonstrates a consistent ability to make a significant, positive impact within their department/college/unit, fostering the research mission of the University and providing the Spartan Experience in their daily activities.
  • Demonstrates a consistent commitment in providing expert service to MSU faculty and researchers, and continues to develop strong, positive working relationships with faculty, colleagues, and central research offices.
  • Provides effective and efficient administration while adhering to procedures, policies, and regulations.
  • Exemplary recognized resource who contributes to campus research administration (RA), RA education, or RA improvement efforts, which could include presenter/collaborator for ERA, or contributing member of SPAC, RASIC, SPROUT, or ISAW*.

The next recipient of the Research Administrator Spotlight Award will be featured in the Fall 2025 edition of the SPA Newsletter. Please access the nomination form here.  Nominations must be submitted by 5:00 pm on Friday, October 17, 2025. It is anticipated that the recipient will be identified by a Recommendation Panel** and notified in November.  For a list of previous awardees, please see the Unit RA Spotlight Award webpage. 

The attached document includes the nomination criteria, which is provided as a convenience to allow nominators to draft and edit their responses outside of the nomination survey.  If you choose to use the attached document to draft your responses, please remember to submit your nomination via the linked survey by the stated deadline.

*Essentials of Research Administration (ERA), Sponsored Programs Advisory Committee (SPAC), Research Administration System Implementation Committee (RASIC), Sponsored Program Research Opportunities and University Training (SPROUT), International Sponsored Awards Workgroup (ISAW)

**The Recommendation Panel includes campus and central representatives.

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