Research Staff Represent Alliance at International Research Conference

August 20, 2026 - Three research staff members recently represented the Alliance at the Annual National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), an international meeting held annually. At the August 2026 meeting in New York City, about 9,000 NCURA members gathered to learn the latest guidance on research administration best practices, including pre-award, post-award, compliance, intellectual property and contracts.

“The meeting provided valuable opportunities to network, exchange insights on research administration challenges, and learn from seasoned professionals,” said Jannette Brown, Alliance Senior Grants Administrator. “It was the perfect opportunity to network, learn more about research administration, and chat with peers about the daily challenges we all face. We were especially pleased by the strong representation of smaller and emerging institutions, whose unique problem-solving strategies offered great perspective. Hearing how they tackle obstacles was incredibly relatable and inspiring. We also had the seasoned experts available in every session to share their advice.”

The broad representation of attendees from NCURA gave Alliance staff members exposure to research best practices with peers at research institutions and medical centers both larger and smaller than the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Alliance NCTN Foundation (ANF), and the Alliance Foundation Trials (AFT).

The program also gave Alliance staff a chance to learn new finance and compliance tools that will directly impact how research administration is handled within the organization. Several staff were also able to earn new certifications in specialized tracks that will improve not only how the Alliance administers grants, but also how the Alliance applies for funding.

“One of our biggest takeaways was just how broad the conference really is,” said Miriam Ramirez, MBA, Alliance Research Administrator. “It goes way beyond research administration. With sessions on finance, compliance, and leadership, we realized this knowledge would be incredibly helpful for other departments across the Alliance, AFT, and ANF. A major highlight was joining a live Zoom call with the NIH staff to get new updates and ask our questions directly.”

Since the National Institutes of Health (NIH) operations can change frequently, especially when there is a change in federal leadership, hearing first-hand from NIH about how research grants are handled will help the Alliance research administration team ensure we are adhering to the latest compliance guidelines for clinical trials.

“We learned a lot just by listening to what our peers were asking NIH regarding research administration compliance and how NIH was responding,” said Amanda Bradley, Senior Grant Administrator for the Alliance. “By better understanding the concerns of our member institutions and what NIH expects from us, we will be able to not only support Alliance’s own research administration, but also best support our member institutions when it comes to reimbursement and trial administration. This learning experience will enhance our operations at the Alliance and improve we support our investigators and members.”