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The International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) celebrated its 20^th anniversary in 2021. It was established to increase communication among research management societies. The need for a formal international research management community developed because there was (1) increased international funding of research, (2) the number of international research collaborations was growing, and (3) there was a need to understand research regulations in other countries. INORMS sought to address these issues through international congresses and by providing a forum for member societies to work more closely together on common issues. Membership in INORMS steadily increased over the years. The 20^th anniversary meeting was highlighted with the signing of the Hiroshima Statement that described a research manager’s principles and responsibilities, which include collegiality, inclusiveness, professionalisation, innovation, and accountability. This chapter summarises the factors that led to the formation of INORMS and its history.

This chapter outlines the circumstances in South Africa (SA) that led to the evolution of the profession of research management and administration (RMA) in the country. The public higher education (HE) sector has undergone significant change since 1994, and the RMA profession has struggled to keep abreast. However, through its national professional society, SARIMA, a concerted effort is being made to facilitate and advance the RMA pipeline.

SARIMA was instrumental in developing the Professional Competency Framework for SA and is now focussed on creating awareness and providing development opportunities for RMAs to meet the requirements.

RMA in SA is proliferating as the public HE sector expands in response to growing demands and deliberate interventions by the government.