Transforming research at higher education institutions:overcoming challenges for research managers in Spain

Despite their critical role in research processes over the past two decades, researchmanagers at higher Education institutions are still often seen as mere administrativestaff. they are frequently involved in bureaucratic tasks, lack a defined role withinresearch organizations, and face temporary contracts and limited career developmentopportunities. recent legislative changes in Europe in 2022 and 2023 have started toaddress these issues by recognizing the importance of research managers in science,technology, and innovation systems. research managers are essential for planning,coordinating, and executing research, and their role has become more complex due tothe evolving public funding landscape. this complexity has led to a variety of researchmanager profiles, complicating the definition of their roles and contributing to theirlack of recognition. this paper examines how the recognition of research managers isbeing addressed in Europe, focusing specifically on spain. By analyzing various Europeansurveys and the spanish context, the paper explores whether research managers canachieve better recognition in spain and identifies five key action areas for improvingtheir professional status: Establishment of standards, certification and accreditation,recognition and career Development, networks and collaborations, and outreach and communication.