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Research Administrator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Posting Information Posting Number PG194134EP Internal Recruitment No Working Title Sponsored Research Administrator Anticipated Hiring Range Commensurate with education and experience ($67,500 - $71 ...

The Senior Research Administrator is responsible for the management of complex research portfolios for multiple laboratories and completes work autonomously, updating the department administrator as ...

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Research Administrator information

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$17.5K

$82.2K

$154.5K

How much do research administrator jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for research administrator in the United States is $82,164.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $56,500.00 and $112,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Is a Research Administrator?

A research administrator supports the research departments of an educational institution, corporation, government agency, or non-profit organization. Job duties include finding funding sources, preparing grant applications and fund requests, reviewing submissions and survey results to determine which research deserves funding, and allocating budgetary resources. The qualifications for a career as a research administrator are a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field, prior research experience, good organization and decision-making abilities, and strong writing skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Research Administrator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Research Administrator, you need a solid understanding of grant management, research compliance, and budgeting, often supported by a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Familiarity with grant management systems, electronic research administration tools, and certifications like the CRA (Certified Research Administrator) are highly valuable. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and effective communication enable successful coordination among researchers, sponsors, and institutional stakeholders. These skills and qualities are crucial for ensuring regulatory compliance, efficient funding processes, and the overall success of research initiatives.

What is the difference between Research Administrator vs Research Coordinator?

AspectResearch AdministratorResearch Coordinator
CredentialsBachelor's degree often required; certifications like CRA or CCRP beneficialBachelor's degree typically required; certifications less common
Work EnvironmentOffice setting, administrative tasks, compliance oversightClinical or laboratory settings, direct project management
Employer & IndustryUniversities, research institutes, hospitalsResearch sites, hospitals, academic institutions
Primary FocusManaging research administration, budgets, complianceOverseeing daily research activities, participant coordination

Research Administrators focus on managing research programs, budgets, and compliance, often working in administrative offices. Research Coordinators handle the day-to-day operations of research projects, including participant recruitment and data collection. Both roles are essential in research settings but differ in scope and responsibilities.

What are some common challenges faced by Research Administrators in managing multiple grant projects simultaneously?

Research Administrators often juggle several grant projects at once, which requires strong organizational and time management skills. A common challenge is ensuring that all deadlines for proposals, reporting, and compliance are met, often in the face of shifting priorities and evolving sponsor requirements. Effective communication and collaboration with principal investigators, finance teams, and compliance departments are crucial to staying on top of these responsibilities. Developing efficient tracking systems and proactively addressing potential issues can help mitigate stress and ensure successful project outcomes.

What are Research Administrators?

Research Administrators are professionals who manage the administrative aspects of research projects within organizations such as universities, hospitals, or research institutes. They handle tasks like grant application submission, compliance with regulations, budgeting, and reporting. Their work ensures that research projects run smoothly, meet funding requirements, and adhere to institutional and legal guidelines. Research Administrators also act as liaisons between researchers, funding bodies, and institutional offices, making them essential to the success of research endeavors.
What cities are hiring for Research Administrator jobs? Cities with the most Research Administrator job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Research Administrator jobs? The most popular types of Research Administrator jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Research Administrator jobs? The top employers for Research Administrator jobs are:
What states have the most Research Administrator jobs? States with the most job openings for Research Administrator jobs include:
Infographic showing various Research Administrator job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 5% As Needed, 79% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $82,164 per year, or $39.5 per hour.
Senior Research Administrator

Senior Research Administrator

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, MA • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Posted 23 days ago


Dana-Farber Cancer Institute rating

7.9

Company rating: 7.9 out of 10

Based on 17 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

This position's work location is remote, with occasional on-site time at least once a week. The selected candidate may only work remotely from a New England state (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI).
The Division of Hematologic Neoplasia and Hematologic Malignancies in Medical Oncology is seeking a Senior Research Administrator to join our team. Our division continues to grow year after year supporting a wet lab division that includes 26 Independent Laboratories and six disease centers with 60 additional faculty across Leukemia, Lymphoma, Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapies, Plasma Cell Neoplasias, Melanoma, and Hematology.
The Senior Research Administrator is responsible for the management of complex research portfolios for multiple laboratories and completes work autonomously, updating the department administrator as necessary. The Senior RA serves in a leadership role within the department business office, functioning as a senior resource to peers within the department and across the Institute.The Senior Research Administrator is responsible for a diverse set of funding types including federal, industry, foundation, donor, institutional, chargeback, and clinical trials. The Senior Research Administrator collaborates with and advises faculty and researchers on the preparation of sponsored research applications and/or the financial management of sponsored and institutional funds; and is responsible for problem solving on behalf of the department. The Senior Research Administrator has advanced and specialized expertise and regularly provides guidance and mentorship to colleagues with less experience, in addition to leading training and educational efforts within the Institute.The Senior Research Administrator is responsible for collaborating with Institute central offices such as Research Finance, Accounts Payable, Research Administration, Special Funds, Grants and Contracts, the Clinical Trials Office, Office of General Counsel, and the Innovations Office.In addition to grant management responsibilities, the Senior Research Administrator will manage special projects /assignments either within the department or across departments and will represent the Department at Institutional Committees/ Workgroups. The Senior Research Administrator is expected to partner with Department Leadership and Faculty to set strategy and provide guidance and expertise.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.
 

The Senior RA is responsible for the following primary functions autonomously with supervisory input as needed.

  • Grant Preparation (pre-award): Responsible for all administrative aspects of grant preparation of sponsored research applications. Review sponsor eligibility and application requirements and ensure applicants understand them, responsible for the entire application excluding scientific content, meet and communicate internal and external deadlines in a strict deadline-driven environment, research funding opportunities for investigators, draft non-scientific materials for proposals, coordinate with administrators and faculty from other departments or organizations to complete proposals, coordinate institutional review of proposals by Grants & Contracts and submission to sponsors, prepare JIT information and responses to other pre-award inquiries.
  • Portfolio Management (post-award): Responsible for the financial management of sponsored and institutional funds portfolio management. Prepare financial and narrative reports for sponsors while managing and adhering to specified deadlines, provide projection and project summary reports to investigators on a regular basis, ensure spending adheres to budget and sponsor and Institute guidelines, invoice and monitor receivables for clinical trial enrollment when appropriate, establish billing agreements as appropriate, track milestones and receivables for industry agreements.
  • Procurement: Approve and/or initiate purchase requests for investigators and laboratory members via Purchase Orders and PCard. Verify funds are available, expenses are allowable and correctly allocated in a timely manner. Review and approve bills for core and center services.
  • Human Resources: Onboarding - conduct financial analysis to determine availability of funding, assist in the development of job descriptions, post positions, approve salary offers, process visa applications and payments as appropriate. Ongoing - process merit, equity and promotions requests. Manage salary allocations in adherence to funding guidelines and availability. Offboarding - manage termination process checklist, process termination paperwork.
  • Compliance: Partners with faculty and researchers to ensure adherence to internal and external policies. This includes consulting with faculty/OGC/Innovations on MTA, DUA and consulting agreement processes. Also includes advising faculty and researchers and/or referring them to appropriate resources for other compliance issues such as financial conflict of interest and foreign influence. Educate new researchers and manage the federal time and effort process for applicable researchers. Continuous learning and educating of researchers on NIH Grants Policy Statement and DFCI Policies. Review Time and Effort prior to routing to researchers for certification.
  • Cores, Centers and Chargebacks: Assist in pricing development and annual review of pricing, process monthly billing for internal and external customers, manage funds to ensure revenue meets expenditures.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED: 

  • Computer literacy: Expert with new applications and software programs. Expertise with Excel/Google Sheets preferred
  • Organization: Extensive experience with electronic document and email file storage. Able to complete projects with expertise, accuracy and on time. Adept at prioritization and managing multiple priorities simultaneously
  • Customer Service: Provides superb written and verbal communication. Demonstrated expertise with listening, inquiry, follow-up, and problem-solving skills
  • Critical Thinking: Demonstrated expertise assessing complex situations and developing solutions. Extensive experience analyzing grant data through research, comprehension and application of regulations, policies, and procedures including NIH and other Federal, state and foundation regulations
  • Financial: Adept with budgeting principles, including projections and the integration of multiple complex awards and types with varying project periods
  • Teamwork and Collaboration: Adept at cultivating relationships with faculty, research staff, department’s GM team, GM in other departments, and central departments
  • Institute operations and processes: Adept at directing faculty and researchers to appropriate departmental and institutional resources, including for issues or queries outside the standard scope direct responsibility. In depth knowledge of regulations, policies, and DFCI standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • Inclusion, Diversity & Equity: Promotes inclusive community where human differences are valued and celebrated and where all are welcome. Creates an inclusive work environment that engages and retains talent
  • Able to lead and influence projects within the Department and across the Institute’s research central offices. Independently discusses and troubleshoots complex issues. Shares ideas openly and accurately, and communicates them effectively, both in writing and verbally

MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

  • High School Diploma required; Bachelor’s degree preferred
  • 5 years of relevant experience

    SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

    May advise on the work of others.

    PATIENT CONTACT: None

    At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are committed to having faculty and staff who offer multifaceted experiences. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and compassionate professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

    Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.  

    EEO Poster.

    Pay Transparency Statement

    The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

    For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

    $89,000.00 - $101,100.00

    What Dana-Farber Cancer Institute employees say

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    Dana-Farber Cancer Institute logo

    About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

    Sourced by ZipRecruiter

    Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

    Industry

    Health care and social assistance

    Company size

    1,001 - 5,000 Employees

    Headquarters location

    Boston, MA, US

    Year founded

    1947