The Role of the Research Administrator

The research administrator is seen as a "man in the middle," caught between the frequently conflicting goals of the research scientist and the research organization. In his attempts to maintain controls (many of which may be required by "higher authority") over the allocation and use of the scarce resources of the organization, the administrator is the focal point for the scientist's grumbling about "red tape" and worse, unnecessary interference with research. The levels of performance as well as the rewards experienced by administrators are affected by the ambiguities and inherent strains still incorporated in this relatively new role. Finally, the role of the research administrator may provide important clues to some of the basic problems involved in the large-scale organization of research.1 Norman Kaplan is assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Cornell University.