The last few months have been difficult and stressful in higher education, but especially in the world of sponsored research. While we have continued to manage through change and move forward with the work we are doing, all of us have been impacted by rapid decisions and a need to adapt to new initiatives and directives. So, while I typically like to use these articles to provide information on topics such as grants management, best practices, cost calculations, and compliance, I instead want to use this month’s article to express my appreciation and gratitude for everyone at Georgia Tech whose work directly touches the research enterprise.

• To our faculty: we would not be the great institution we are without the work you do. The research you are doing provides immeasurable benefits to our students, our staff, our institution, the state of Georgia, the United States, and the world. Through all of your efforts, you are helping each of us at Georgia Tech to fulfill our mission of advancing technology and improving the human condition. We will always be here to support you.
• To our executive leadership team and associated offices: we don’t become a world class research institution without your full support. Our institution has grown tremendously over the decades and our leadership has always been willing to advocate for the necessary infrastructure and support to help us manage this growth. Georgia Tech has a lot of very important priorities, and we thank you for always recognizing the continuity and growth of research as a top priority.
• To our central research offices: you don’t get to be this big and this impactful of a research institution without having all of the teams in central research to manage everything behind the scenes. These people are the oxygen of the research enterprise and without any fanfare, they continue to do tremendous work to support our faculty and students and to keep Georgia Tech in compliance with the infinite number of requirements associated with external funding.
• To our administrators in the academic units: you are the ones in the trenches, helping our faculty and students to manage their entire portfolios of responsibilities. For most of you, research is one of the many areas you support. But we would not be where we are today without your continued efforts to learn, to practice what you have learned, and to educate and guide your faculty on all things research.
• To our students: you have put your faith in us to provide you with a top-tier education as well as research experiences that will help you in your careers and lives going forward. This is a tremendous responsibility and one that all of us across research and across the institution take very seriously. At Georgia Tech, students are our top priority and we thank you for putting your futures in our care.

As we continue to navigate this year and beyond, I am very thankful for all of the work that all of you do and I am proud to stand with you representing one of the finest research institutions in the world. 

If you have any questions about anything covered in the PI articles series, please contact Josh Rosenberg at josh.rosenberg@business.gatech.edu.