Bridging Research and Career Readiness: VCU Launches Minor in Research Ecosystems
As the research landscape grows increasingly interdisciplinary and complex, Virginia Commonwealth University is taking bold steps to ensure its graduates are not only academically prepared but career-ready. A new undergraduate minor—Research Ecosystems—has been approved and will launch in Fall 2025, providing students with a comprehensive introduction to the operational, regulatory, and strategic aspects of modern research conduct and management.
This minor is the result of the VCU Student Pathways Collaborative led by the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research and the VCU College of Health Professions with representatives from Human Resources, School of Medicine, and the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. Notably, Elizabeth Fortune, Administrative Director, and Shirley Helm, Senior Administrator for Network Capacity & Workforce Strategies, both of the Wright Center, collaborated closely with Dr. Laurie Cathers of the College of Health Professions to develop the minor. The program is built on the premise that all research domains are increasing their research endeavors, requiring trained and qualified professionals with expertise in both the research ecosystem and the content of their chosen research domain.
Meeting a Workforce Need
Translational research transforms scientific discovery into practical solutions for public health, clinical practice, and healthcare policy. Yet many entering the workforce lack formal training in how research is funded, regulated, conducted, and managed. The minor’s courses focus on the competencies in job descriptions for various research ecosystem positions and the necessary skills to ensure successful research management and administration. Additionally, the curriculum emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of team science utilizing team members’ varying set of skills to implement successful research.
The minor’s 18 credit curriculum includes the following four core courses as well as an elective within the student’s chosen research domain culminating in an internship experience.
- Fall 2025
- ALHP 305: Ethical, Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Issues with the Research Ecosystem
- ALHP 315: Managing Innovation Across the Research Ecosystem, to be taught by Elizabeth Fortune and Shirley Helm
- Spring 2026
- ALHP 335: Research Study and Site Management Essentials
- ALHP 350: Introduction to Team Science and Project Management
Courses are delivered synchronously online through the College of Health Professions, enabling access to a broad pool of practitioner-instructors and students.
Real-World Experience Through Internships
Students complete the minor with ALHP 490, a 3-credit internship course focused on a research ecosystem position of their choice and within their research domain. The Wright Center will build upon its existing Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) internship framework expanding internship opportunities to include research administration, regulatory affairs, data management, and research finance.
A Course That Set the Foundation
In Fall 2024, a one-credit special topics course, Managing Innovation: Research Administration Essentials (ALHP 391), was piloted by the Wright Center in partnership with the College of Health Professions’ Bachelor of Science in Health Services program, which provided the academic home, infrastructure, and support. The course was co-taught by Fortune and Helm. Within this course, key principles of research administration were introduced through four focused modules:
- Introduction to Research Administration
- The Grants Life Cycle
- Ethical Concepts in Research
- Future-Ready Professional Skills
Students who completed this course were eligible to earn the Fundamentals of Research Administration digital badge in collaboration with VCU Department of Sponsored Programs, a micro-credential that highlights their competencies to future employers.
The success of this pilot supported the development of the Minor in Research Ecosystems and course expansion to ALHP315, a three credit course, Managing Innovation Across the Research Ecosystem.
Supporting the CTSA Mission
This Minor in Research Ecosystems initiative aligns with the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program’s mission to cultivate a skilled and future-ready workforce. By building institutional capacity and developing entry level talent, the program supports the broader goals of VCU’s research enterprise.
Through the Research Ecosystems minor, VCU aims to:
- Prepare job-ready graduates with relevant competencies and skills
- Strengthen the research professional workforce
- Promote interdisciplinary collaboration and team science within research teams
Looking Ahead
As the minor prepares to launch in Fall 2025, there is growing interest in expanding its reach. Additionally, job postings for course instructors—emphasizing real-world experience working within the research field—are expected soon. This effort marks a significant stride toward developing a robust and agile research workforce. By linking academic instruction with professional preparation, VCU is ensuring translational research is ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow.
Categories Clinical Research, Collaboration, Education, Mentorship, Translational Workforce Development