Every research institution employs administrative staff who support the research community on a daily basis. Whether in a central office, department, clinic or laboratory, these people may not be aware of the important role they play in safe-guarding the integrity of the research enterprise. Frequently, research administrators are forced to face ethical dilemmas in an environment of opposing obligations, loyalties, and responsibilities--both personal and professional. This paper outlines some of the ethical dilemmas faced by research administrators. The author argues that in order to make appropriate ethical decisions, research administrators need to develop skills to be able to: 1) recognize situations that may present ethical conflicts and when they might likely occur; 2) become well-versed in institutional, sponsor and/or government research ethics' policies and regulations in order to consider possible courses of action; 3) know who to turn to for help and advice; and 4) effectively implement the best possible solutions to ethical conflicts.