The annual conference brings together research administrators from colleges, universities, hospitals and research institutions across the country to exchange best practices, discuss emerging issues and strengthen the research enterprise.

Whitehead, assistant director of sponsored programs for pre-award in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, will lead the session, “Scaling Pre-Award Success: From Dashboards to Delicate PI Relationships.”

The discussion will explore strategies for strengthening pre-award operations through data-informed decision-making while fostering effective partnerships between research administrators and principal investigators. Attendees will examine practical approaches to improving efficiency without losing sight of the relationships that support successful research.

“Research administration continues to evolve as proposal volume increases and sponsor requirements and institutional expectations become increasingly complex,” Whitehead said. “As we look for ways to improve efficiency, it’s essential that we don’t lose sight of the relationships that make our work successful. The most effective pre-award offices combine operational excellence with a culture of partnership, responsiveness and service.”

Whitehead hopes attendees leave with practical strategies they can apply immediately while recognizing that excellent service remains central to research administration.

“Customer service is not limited to retail or hospitality. Research administration is also a professional service,” she said. “Every interaction with a faculty member is an opportunity to build trust, solve problems and support research that ultimately benefits our communities.”

Margie Jimenez, M.A., CRA, assistant chair in the Department of Public Health Sciences, said Whitehead’s selection reflects both her expertise and the department’s commitment to advancing excellence in research administration.

“We value NCURA’s role in advancing research administration and recognize Simone as a leader in pre-award research administration, whose work strengthens compliance, stewardship and service across the research enterprise,” Jimenez said. “She is an expert in this field, and we encourage her to train and coach others.”

Technology continues to shape the future of research administration, offering new opportunities to improve efficiency and decision-making. Whitehead said those advances should complement, not replace, the relationships that remain central to supporting investigators.

“Technology can streamline our work, but people will always remain at the center of what we do,” Whitehead said.

Written by Deycha Torres Hernández, published July 9, 2026.