In This Issue.

With this issue, SRA launches The Journal of Research Administration. I would Like to thank Lynne Chronister, Pamela Brown, Pamela Krauser, Bruce Elliot, and Diane Watson for serving on the Journal Redesign Committee as well as all of the wonderful, hardworking SRA staff members who helped to create the Journal's new "look."

The beginning of a new millennium is an opportune moment to reflect upon the past and try to visualize the future of research administration. In this issue, we hope to accomplish this task by presenting the speech given by Rear Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II, Office of Naval Research, on the occasion of his receipt of the 1999 Distinguished Contribution to Research Administration Award at the SRA annual meeting in Denver. Although we do not know what the 21st century will bring, it is clear that electronic commerce will continue to play a major role in how research administrators work and interact with each other. A review of Electronic Collaboration: A Practical Guide for Educators by William H. Caskey, PhD, provides readers of this issue with a practical guide to the concepts and tools of electronic collaboration. As the work environment changes, it also will be necessary to find workers who possess a mosaic of skills and can adapt easily to change. April Kutger describes how she currently deals with this chall enge in her article Hiring the Unlikely to do the Unusual. Also in this issue, Edward Gabrielle describes his view of the role of the IRB and the biomedical research culture. In ShopTalk (formerly known as Insight), Mary Spina compares pre-award and post-award administrators and concludes that they have many common goals and attributes. Finally, for those individuals who are new to the field of research administration, Victoria Molfese, PhD, current President of SRA, remembers her experiences as a "newcomer." In her commentary article, she recommends strategies for learning about research administration and getting involved in the SRA organization.