NCURA Region V Fall 2026 Meeting

Attain Partners is a proud sponsor of the NCURA Region V Fall 2026 Meeting, taking place November 1–3 in Irving, Texas.

Don’t miss a free workshop co-led by Principal Courtney D. Swaney, MPA, CRA, on Sunday, November 1.

Featured Session

The Leadership Lab: Solving Real-World Challenges in Research Administration
Sunday, November 1 | 1p–4:30p CT

Workshop #7

The Leadership Lab: Solving Real-World Challenges in Research Administration is an interactive, executive-level workshop designed for experienced research administration leaders navigating the increasingly complex landscape of sponsored programs management. Through facilitated discussion, leadership-focused case studies, peer-to-peer problem-solving, and practical leadership frameworks, participants will examine the real-world challenges facing research administration offices today—including regulatory fatigue, change management, staff burnout, institutional tensions, succession planning, and balancing compliance with organizational culture.

Unlike a traditional lecture-based session, this workshop is structured as a collaborative “Leadership Lab” where participants serve as both learners and advisors. Attendees will work in small groups to analyze authentic leadership scenarios, identify underlying organizational and cultural challenges, and develop strategic recommendations that can be applied within their own institutions.

The workshop emphasizes adaptive leadership, nine practical decision-making, and peer engagement while recognizing that leadership in research administration rarely involves one “right” answer.

Learning Objectives

Through participation in this workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Explore adaptive leadership strategies.
• Discuss approaches to organizational and regulatory challenges.
• Consider strategies for supporting teams through change.
• Analyze leadership case studies and share perspectives with peers

Presenters

• Courtney D. Swaney, MPA, CRA, Principal, Attain Partners
• Robyn Remotigue, MPPA, CRA, Executive Director of Research Services, College of Nursing, UNT Health Fort Worth
• Kay Gilstrap, CRA, Director of Internal Controls and Policy Development, Georgia State University

About the Presenters

Courtney Swaney, MPA, CRA, Principal, Attain Partners, has more than 20 years of experience in research administration. She partners with colleges and universities on grants management consulting, organizational assessments, operational improvement, and research administration modernization. Prior to joining Attain, Courtney served as Associate Director of Pre-Award at The University of Texas at Austin, where she was an institutional signing official and led proposal review, award acceptance, contract negotiation, and research administration initiatives. An active NCURA member, speaker, and volunteer, Courtney is passionate about advancing the research administration profession through collaboration and mentorship.

Robyn Remotigue, MPPA, CRA, is Executive Director of Research Services in the College of Nursing at UNT Health Fort Worth, where she is building comprehensive research support services for faculty. With more than 25 years of leadership experience in research administration, she has led pre-award, post-award, compliance, and regulatory programs across multiple institutions. An active leader in the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), Robyn serves as traveling workshop faculty, PEER reviewer, and magazine editor. She previously founded NCURA Region V’s Mustang Mentoring Program and is a graduate of NCURA’s Executive Leadership Program.

Kay Gilstrap, CRA, Director of Internal Controls and Policy Development, Georgia State University, has more than 40 years’ experience in Research Administration and has been a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) since 2007. In NCURA, she has served as Treasurer, Chair, and Regionally Elected Board Member for Region III and is currently serving as Treasurer, Financial Research Administration Traveling Workshop Faculty Member, and as a Life Cycle of the Award faculty member. She has served on numerous committees, has co-authored several articles, and has presented at many meetings. She is also a faculty member of Georgia State University’s research administration training program. She is a graduate of the NCURA 2022 Executive Leadership Program.