STAIR Summit 2026

2026 NSF STAIR Leadership Summit

April 20–21, 2026, at Penn State University

The STAIR Summit brought together research leaders (VP, AVP, ADR, etc.) from Emerging Research Institutions and R1 Institutions to share experiences, build connections, and explore practical strategies for strengthening research infrastructure through partnerships, training, and resource sharing. The 2026 inaugural event was designed to foster collaboration across institutions, expand professional development opportunities, and cultivate a lasting network of leadership engagements across institutions.

Resources from the Summit

Presentations from the Summit are available for viewing and downloading below. Many great research administration resources contained within!

Opening Remarks

Thumbnail for Opening Remarks PPT
  • Opening Remarks
    • John W. Hanold, Associate Vice President for Research, Director of Research Administration Services, Pennsylvania State University
    • Camelia M. Kantor, Principal Investigator, NSF STAIR Associate Director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
    • Fadi Castronovo, Evaluation and Assessment Consultant, Castronovo Educational Assessments and Evaluations

Plenary Talks

Thumbnail for "The Expanding Role of the Research Administrator: Evolving Skills, Expanding Impact, and Meeting the Future with Confidence"
Thumbnail for "A Brand-New Band: Leadership Lessons from a Five-Campus NSF Research Collective"
Thumbnail for "Partnerships are the New Currency: Co-creating Research Impact through Federal Labs, Industry, and Community Ecosystems"

Flash Talks

Thumbnail for "GRANTS MADE at Scale: A Regional Research Administration Student Internship Program for Workforce Development and Institutional Impact"
Thumbnail for "Iowa Research Administration Internship Student Experience (I-RAISE)"
Thumbnail for "From Compliance to Portfolio Awareness- Building Research Security Infrastructure through the NSF SECURE Center"
  • New Jersey’s Research Integrity and Security Consortium (NJ-RISC)
    • Nate Rigel, Executive Director of Research Integrity, Security, and Compliance at Kean University
    • Kim Blatt, Director of Research Compliance, Research Compliance and Regulatory Programs, Academic Affairs, Montclair State University
    • Eric Hetherington, Associate Vice Provost, Sponsored Research Admin, Office of Research & Development, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Thumbnail for "EMERGE Resource Library"
  • EMERGE Resource Library
    • Kimberly Eck, Founder and Senior Director, Emory University NORDP Consultant Program
    • Japera Hemming, Project Director, NORDP Consultants Program

Closing Remarks

  • Closing Remarks
    • Camelia Kantor, Principal Investigator, NSF STAIR Associate Director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
    • Jialing Wang, Research Project Manager, NSF STAIR Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University

Opening Remarks

  • Opening Remarks
    • John W. Hanold, Associate Vice President for Research, Director of Research Administration Services, Pennsylvania State University
    • Camelia M. Kantor, Principal Investigator, NSF STAIR Associate Director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
    • Fadi Castronovo, Evaluation and Assessment Consultant, Castronovo Educational Assessments and Evaluations

Plenary Talks

Flash Talks

  • New Jersey’s Research Integrity and Security Consortium (NJ-RISC)
    • Nate Rigel, Executive Director of Research Integrity, Security, and Compliance at Kean University
    • Kim Blatt, Director of Research Compliance, Research Compliance and Regulatory Programs, Academic Affairs, Montclair State University
    • Eric Hetherington, Associate Vice Provost, Sponsored Research Admin, Office of Research & Development, New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • EMERGE Resource Library
    • Kimberly Eck, Founder and Senior Director, Emory University NORDP Consultant Program
    • Japera Hemming, Project Director, NORDP Consultants Program

Closing Remarks

  • Closing Remarks
    • Camelia Kantor, Principal Investigator, NSF STAIR Associate Director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
    • Jialing Wang, Research Project Manager, NSF STAIR Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
What Attendees Have to Say:
"The presenters have been just spot on with the challenges that we all see. For one of the first times, the needs of research administrators and sponsored project offices are really being addressed. It is so refreshing to be part of this." — Executive Director, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
What Attendees Have to Say:
"We are literally in each other's backyards and we have already made a pact to help with recruitment, retention, and training. I was like, my job is done." — Executive Director, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
What Attendees Have to Say:
"I now have a much better appreciation for the complexity of research administration. I can go back and make a real case for why we need to continue investing in our staff to do this work at the highest level possible." — Faculty Member, Penn State College of Medicine
What Attendees Have to Say:
"Hearing the actual examples and seeing the real students and cohorts in action has been genuinely positive and inspiring. It changed how I think about what is possible." — Associate Vice President for Research, Penn State University
What Attendees Have to Say:
"I go to a lot of professional conferences, but they tend to be the same kinds of institutions. This event gave me the chance to meet a real variety of leaders from a variety of different types of institutions. That is what people missed by not being here." — Associate Vice President for Research, Penn State University
What Attendees Have to Say:
"Nothing takes the place of in-person connection. Those personal interactions are something you would only experience if you were there." — Faculty Member, Fairleigh Dickinson University
What Attendees Have to Say:
"The learning from this summit will directly support the efforts I am leading at my campus to increase research capacity and improve how we do research administration." — Vice President for STEM Initiatives and Research Partnerships, Harris Stower State University

Check out photos from the event below!
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