In the first 12 months of the framework development, well over 100 research managers and administrators (RMAs) participated in focus groups to start mapping activities and roles undertaken, and knowledge and skills required to effectively support research activity in the UK. This information became the foundation of the content and structure of the PDF. Many more ARMA community members gave their time generously to review and comment on the framework as it developed.

The PDF has benefited from input from Knowledge Exchange UK, AURIL, AUA, the Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, and the Centre for Research Communication, and ARMA would like to gratefully acknowledge their contributions. In particular ARMA would like to thank the AUA who have kindly allowed the professional behaviours from the AUA’s CPD Framework, 2009 to be adapted and applied for non-commercial use within the ARMA PDF.

Over the period of 2024-2025, the framework was refreshed to reflect rapid changes in the sector, including major Equality, Diversity and Inclusion developments; technological advances and the rise of artificial intelligence; sustainability; responsible and trusted research; focus on healthy research culture, and the transformation of the research enabling functions and roles.

It was important for us to also acknowledge synergies and complementarities within the research sector, and in the higher education space. Research managers and administrators work across sectors, disciplines, teams and functions. This means they often operate across boundaries and roles; with their work often guided by a number of overlapping principles and standards.

The Framework provides research enablers with a professional development roadmap and complements other established frameworks such as The European Competence Framework for Research Managers (RM Comp), Vitae HE and Advance HE.