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Bridging the Gap: Research Administration and
Proposal Development
Brigette Pfister, MHRD, CRATrisha Southergill, MPA, CRA
Jessica Venable, MA
Meet Your Presenters:O Brigette Pfister, Director of
Sponsored Programs for Humanities & Sciences, VCUO RA & PD
O Trisha Southergill, Director of Grant Support Services, Clemson UniversityO RA
O Jessica Venable, Grant & Research Analyst in the Office of Research, VCUO PD
Today’s AgendaO What are Research Administration
and Proposal Development?O Research Development as an
Emerging FieldO Differences and Similarities (or, Why
We Need a Bridge)O Building a Bridge at Your InstitutionO Q&A
Research Administration
O Common Tasks in RA:O BudgetingO Filling out formsO Interpreting
policy, law, and regulations
O Working with PIsO Negotiating
contractsO AccountingO Project
managementO ..and more!
The management and administration of research activity at an institution,
from proposal of a project, through funding, to
closeout
Common Issues in Research
Administration
O Poor planningO Last-minute
submissionsO Deadlines!O Missing approvals
and documentation
O Changing or conflicting rules
O Inefficient processes
O Difficult organizational culture
O ..and more!
The things that make us all crazy:
Proposal Development
O Common Tasks in PDO Identifying
funding opportunities
O Assembling project teams
O GrantwritingO Strategic
decisionmakingO Project
managementO Interpreting
policy, law, and regulations
O …and more!
Also known as Research Development. An emerging
field focusing on a spectrum of activities ranging from strategic planning to research
administration, depending on institutional needs
Common Issues in Proposal
Development
O Managing competing interests
O Maintaining institutional priorities
O Conflicts between policy and practice
O Deadlines!O Managing
expectationsO …and more!
The things that make us all crazy:
Proposal Development as an Emerging Field:Research
AdministrationProposal
Development
O Professional Association: NCURA
O Established in: 1959O Membership:
ThousandsO Primary focus:
Compliance
O Professional Association: NORDP
O Established in: 2010O Membership: 500O Primary focus:
Scholarship (“research excellence”)
Strategic Planning
Research Administration
Proposal Development
O Reporting and projections
O F&A rate negotiationsO Cost Share
issuesO Space studies
O Teambuilding for response to strategic RFPs
O Promoting institutional priorities
O Developing strategic relationshipsO Internal and external
Training and Communication
Research Administration
Proposal Development
O When there is time:O PI
responsibilitiesO Cost principles
and budgetingO ComplianceO Funding
opportunities
O All the time:O Funding
opportunitiesO Coordinating agency
visitsO Grantwriting
bootcamp programsO Mentoring programs
and mock reviews
Proposal Support
Research Administration
Proposal Development
O Checking format, page limits, etc.
O Completing formsO Budgeting
assistanceO Ensuring
compliance
O Fostering ideasO TeambuildingO Drafting languageO Proposal planning
and process management
Proposal Submission
Research Administration
Proposal Development
O Obtaining approvals and signatures
O Managing multiple deadlines
O Actual submission to the sponsor
O Helping the PI cope
O Maintaining open lines of communication
Post-Award
Research Administration
Proposal Development
O Award NegotiationsO Accounting and
fund managementO Documentation
and backupO AuditO Closeout
O Meeting compliance mandates
O Planning for related projects in the future
End Goal for Both RA & PD: Competitive Proposals
Why We Need A Bridge:
PI
RA
PD
Building Your Bridge
When you don’t have a PD office at your institution:O Work with your
counterparts in other departments/units to build research teams
O Bring together junior and senior faculty
Integrating Proposal Development into Your
Research Administration Workflow
If you don’t have PD:O Get involved with
faculty mentoring programs.
O Think about bringing in outside speakers or workshops.
O Ask about PD tools like Pivot for funding opportunities and expertise data.
O Find a PD “mentor” from another institution.
O Look at resources available through NORDP.
Building Your Bridge
When you do have a PD office at your institution:O Reach out to your
PD counterpart. Identify complementary tasks and gaps.
O Share tools and best practices.
O Communicate regularly.
Integrating Proposal Development into Your
Research Administration Workflow
If you do have PD:O Show a united
front to faculty and administration.
O Co-facilitate meetings and trainings.
O Get on the same team and keep each other in the loop.
O Start a network of RA and PD professionals on your campus.
O Share problems and look for common solutions.
Questions?
O Brigette Pfister, MHRD, CRA (804) 827-1359 [email protected]
O Trisha Southergill, MPA, CRA (864) 656-6208 [email protected]
O Jessica Venable, MA(804) 827-1443 [email protected]
