Research Leadership in a Global Context

The Research Leadership in a Global Context Certificate Program is an eight-week professional development program that prepares graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to lead research with clarity, confidence, and cultural awareness. Designed for scholars working in increasingly global, interdisciplinary, and collaborative environments, the program integrates leadership development, intercultural understanding, project management, and ethical research practices.

Participants build concrete skills for leading teams, navigating complex research settings, and preparing for diverse career paths within and beyond academia. By pairing weekly workshops with peer feedback groups, and individualized feedback through the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) framework and the Michigan Model of Leadership (MMoL), the certificate creates a supportive environment for reflection, growth, and practical skill-building.

Learning objectives include:

• Leadership: Cultivate the ability to lead research with effective communication and strategic decision-making.
• Career Management: Develop personalized career strategies as graduate scholars to prepare for professional paths both within and beyond academia.
• Social Responsibility: Build knowledge and critical thinking skills to address local, national, and global challenges in research and professional environments.
• Intercultural Understanding: Enhance cross-cultural collaboration skills by understanding and respecting cultural differences in your scholarship, including research, teaching, and service.
• Engaging Across Differences: Foster research environments that recognize and thoughtfully engage multiple viewpoints.

Program benefits include:

• Helping in defining what kind of researcher you want to be
• Building cultural intelligence skills needed for increasingly globalized environments
• Understanding your leadership style and how to apply it to different scenarios
• Practicing navigating difficult situations that may come up in research settings
• Applying project management skills to then submit for the Rackham Research Grant (or other funding sources) as a capstone project for the certificate

The Research Leadership in a Global Context Certificate Program unfolds over the course of eight weeks, October 1 through November 19, meeting Thursdays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Earl Lewis Room in the Rackham Building. Meeting dates:

• Week 1: October 1
• Week 2: October 8
• Week 3: October 15
• Week 4: October 22
• Week 5: October 29
• Week 6: November 5
• Week 7: November 12
• Week 8: November 19

• You must attend all eight sessions to receive the certificate.
• Learn more about program requirements and expectations.

Applications will be open from August 4 until September 7 at 11:59 p.m.

Process

• All applicants are required to attend an information session for the certificate in order to apply.
• You will be notified of our decision by September 18.
• Certificate program begins on October 1.