Yale-NUS staff named Future of the Field honoree

Behind the scenes, a myriad of individuals work tirelessly to support the day-to-day operations at Yale-NUS College. Yale-NUS Associate Director, Research and Grant Administration Office Meenakshi Annamalai, is one of them. From facilitating faculty mentoring to implementing an internal peer review programme, she is an instrumental player in bolstering research visibility at the College.

Assoc Director Annamalai’s hard work has since been duly recognised: she was recently named a ‘Future of the Field’ honoree by the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI), after being nominated for the award by former Yale-NUS Dean of Faculty and Professor of Public Health and Psychology Jeannette Ickovics. SRAI is a premier global research management society, providing education, professional development and the latest comprehensive information about research management to professionals from over 40 countries.

Open to any research administrator with fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession, the programme seeks to recognise and commemorate rising stars in Research Administration, who have demonstrated outstanding leadership among institutions, advancing the field in innovative ways. Applications were evaluated based on candidates’ career history, demonstration of exceptional professional growth, and significant contributions made to the advancement of Research Administration. The programme received over 100 nominations and honorees will be formally recognised at SRAI’s Annual Meeting this November in Las Vegas.

Associate Director, Research and Grant Administration Office Meenakshi Annamalai has been selected as a Future of the Field honoree by the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI). Image provided by Assoc Dir Annamalai.

Assoc Director Annamalai shared that she used to be a doctoral student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and worked at the NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute as a research professional for over five years. “Having successfully handled administration of several programmes and published in prestigious journals, I discovered that I could support research capacity for individuals at a multi-divisional institution resulting in an even greater impact through mentorship and strategic leadership. Hence, I took on a full-time role in research administration at Yale-NUS College and enjoy every moment of my work!”

Regarding her professional journey with the College, Assoc Director Annamalai revealed that her primary goals are capacity-building and promoting a strong research culture. “I was given tremendous scope to implement several initiatives in line with those aims, such as robust data and grant management platforms, organising collaborative workshops (with book publishers, funding analysts, and successful grant awardees, spanning across multiple disciplines from both Yale-NUS and parent institutions), and the synergising of partnerships with the College.”

She noted that as a young institution with a higher percentage of junior faculty members, Yale-NUS has taken strategic initiatives to develop greater capacity within the academicians, particularly among early career researchers, to deliver basic and applied research while promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. In her time here, she has helped to widen the institution’s network of external grant opportunities, with external grant efforts having doubled in 2020 and 2021 as compared to previous years.

She added, “Through the successful integration of solid research teams and a range of institutional resources, we ensured that researchers have the capacity to generate impactful grant applications, and continuously aim to develop expertise for greater ‘grantsmanship’,”

Indeed, the smooth running of the College would not have been possible without professionals like Assoc Director Annamalai, whose dedication and innovative spirit help drive research opportunities at Yale-NUS.

“All these accomplishments would not have been possible without the support of the various people at the College. Members of the College leadership adopt a consultative approach, which is a strong driver for innovation among staff,” she reflected.