The unsung heroes of research: Celebrating the role of research management
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Behind the scientific breakthroughs of our time is likely an operations management person or team.
Behind the scientific breakthroughs of our time is likely an operations management person or team doing everything from authorising payments to setting up multiple people’s online HR profiles, managing fleets and research facilities. It’s a high-pressure, ever-changing job; the people doing it are the very cornerstone of the research ecosystem.
Ngoni Ngwarai is one such research operations manager working behind the scenes at one of Africa’s largest health and demographic surveillance systems (HDSSs) surveying population dynamics. At the SAMRC/Wits-Agincourt Research Unit, 120,000 households are represented, and through this, South Africa’s rural story gets to be told. Ngwarai and his team keep this HDSS operational and ultimately help under-resourced communities thrive.
In light of championing the systems that make research possible, Ngwarai travelled to Madrid, Spain, to join peers at the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Congress 2025.
“In an era marked by shrinking public funding, growing donor scrutiny, and rising demands for evidence of research impact, professionalised research management has become indispensable to the success and sustainability of research institutions,” said Ngwarai.
Funders increasingly expect transparency, compliance, and demonstrable results. They are no longer content with merely supporting good ideas — they want assurance that funds are used efficiently, ethically, and to measurable effect. Research managers ensure this by implementing robust systems for financial oversight, risk mitigation, and reporting. These functions are essential to maintaining trust with funders and avoiding reputational or legal fallout.
Professor Stephen Tollman, the director of the SAMRC/Wits-Agincourt Research Unit, explains that the administrative complexity of health research has grown exponentially. “Managing multi-country collaborations, securing ethical approvals across jurisdictions, ensuring data protection, and aligning with ever-changing donor requirements are not tasks that can be left to researchers alone. Professional research managers like Ngoni allow scientists to focus on the science while ensuring projects are legally compliant, financially sound, and operationally effective.”
At the INORMS conference in Madrid, it was highlighted that research management is a skilled profession and should be a viable career path. By recognising research management as a skilled profession — with standards, training, and certification — institutions invest in institutional memory and operational resilience.
“Instead of ad hoc or under-resourced support structures, professionalised research management builds long-term capacity,” says Tollman.
From conversations on equity and innovation to sessions unpacking the Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) and Good Research Management Practice (GRMP) standards, INORMS tackled challenges that resonate deeply for South African research. These frameworks are particularly relevant to the SAMRC/Wits-Agincourt Unit, a flagship rural research site with complex operational demands and a mission to advance public health and social equity.
“Research management is about much more than admin,” says Ngwarai. “It’s about enabling research to thrive in complex environments. It’s about making sure that the work we do improves lives.”
Recognition matters too. Ngwarai’s recent award of Research Management Professional (RMP) status by the International Professional Recognition Council (IPRC) signals a shift toward formalising and celebrating the profession. It acknowledges years of dedication to improving research systems at Agincourt.
“Research is not conducted in isolation. It is embedded in social, political, and economic systems. Professional research managers bridge the gap between research and impact — facilitating knowledge translation, stakeholder engagement, and policy alignment. These are crucial to ensuring that research addresses real-world challenges, particularly in low-resource settings where needs are urgent and resources scarce,” explains Ngwarai.