Research Development (RD), as an administrative field, encompasses a set of strategic, catalytic, and capacity-building activities that advance research (NORDP). The work of an RD team may include communicating funding opportunities that advance the institution’s research agenda, managing limited submission programs, and hosting workshops aimed towards building proposal competitiveness. Commonly, the work of Research Development administrators appears at the beginning of a research lifecycle. RD teams connect to other administrative teams primarily through limited submissions and deadline monitoring, though there are many opportunities for Research Administrators (RA) to leverage RD practices to support their faculty and operations. By utilizing external funding databases, tracking research opportunities, and making sharable lists of programs, research administrator (RD & RA) teams may identify grants, awards, and other opportunities to communicate with faculty. Through these practices, research administrator teams offer others broadened ways into understanding a complex funding ecosystem. This presentation aims to highlight the resources familiar to Research Development teams, identify tools to plan and prepare for the complicated requirements of extramural funding opportunities, and share tips on how to streamline the search for funding.
Speaker(s):
Bradley Pollock, Research Development Analyst, University of Pittsburgh