Seven ORSP Staff Members Now CRAs

Seven members of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs — Amanda Ashe, Deb Carver, Wendy Eckert, Mike Hastings, Dawn Hoelz, Andrew Ines and Megan Tardif — are now Certified Research Administrators (CRAs). The national credentialing is administered by the Research Administrators Certification Council. In preparation for the rigorous CRA exam, the staff members formed a study group that met weekly for the past six months to hone their knowledge of statutes, rules, regulations and best management practices related to the administration of grants, contracts and cooperative agreements in a university setting. In May, the ORSP staff members passed the exam, which reportedly has up to a 60 percent success rate. Prior to their certification, there were two CRAs in Maine.