Category: Conferences

#NORDP2018 starts Monday, May 7 in Arlington, VA. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for live conference updates. Register here: http://www.nordp.org/conferences.
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Who: Farzaneh Masoud, PhD, Strategic Research Proposal Development Administrator
Where: National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Number of years in research development: 7
Length of NORDP membership: 6
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 5
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A scientist

When I was a kid, I thought scientists knew everything that there is to know in the world. With this in mind, I earned my PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) in Cell and Molecular Biology, focusing on the mechanism of cancer metastasis. However, as I was preparing for my defense, I realized that I didn’t know about anything except my own research. It was a very claustrophobic and terrifying feeling to watch my childhood perception crashing down. I wanted to know more about other disciplines, and learn how to provide opportunities for scientists who have deep passion for basic research.

I was introduced to NORDP through Dr. Jennifer Eardley, who worked with NORDP founding member Holly Falk-Krzesinski. Once I connected with NORDP, I was in heaven, and quickly realized that I had joined the right organization.

Through NORDP, I was able to obtain training in RD, and I began to develop the Office of Strategic Research and Proposal Development at UIUC’s National Center for Supercomputing Applications. As the Strategic Research Proposal Development Administrator, my focus is on coordinating interdisciplinary research proposals, and building capacity for strategic proposals which can lead to larger interdisciplinary projects. The hardest part of my job, believe it or not, is to encourage faculty to be proactive in seeking funding.

As I gain more experience each year, and as the funding agencies’ priorities and policies change each year, I seek different information, skills and techniques. Attending NORDP conferences and staying connected with this community has provided me with the resources and support I need to navigate these ever-changing landscapes. I have established several collaborations from attending last year’s NORDP Conference, and together we are in the process of developing proposals for NSF.

I have been a member of NORDP for 6 years and I have attended 5 conferences. In my view the RD profession is slowly, but surely gaining acceptance among academia, government, and industry. I believe this is entirely due to the role that NORDP plays in brining awareness to this profession.

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We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA.  For more information about the conference program or to register, visit http://www.nordp.org/conferences. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

#NORDP2018 starts Monday, May 7 in Arlington, VA. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for live conference updates. Register here: http://www.nordp.org/conferences.
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Who: Page Sorensen, Research Development Specialist
Where: University of California San Francisco
Number of years in research development: 2
Length of NORDP membership: 2
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 2
How do you unwind? Spending time outside

I officially became a Research Development Specialist in the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) RD Office in March of 2016, but as have many others, I practiced research development before that.

In 2015 I was a program manager for a UCSF research center and I approached the Executive Director of the RDO, Dr. Gretchen Kiser, to help me plan a team science event for the center. She gave me lots of helpful advice and, as I left our meeting, she said, “you know, what you do is really research development, you should check out NORDP.” This was the first time I’d heard of the field. As I browsed the NORDP website later, I realized Gretchen was right, and I was excited to finally have a single term to describe my mélange of skills and job duties. Some time after this initial conversation, I was happy to join Gretchen in the RDO. I now work on large grant development and also manage the Team Science Program.

I joined NORDP in 2016 and this year will be my third conference. The conference is an IRL experience of the feeling I had upon first browsing NORDP’s virtual community. It’s comforting and fun to be among a group who understand what I do and who can advise and sympathize. Until two years ago, I often felt confused and anxious about how to bring my diverse skills to bear in a “real” career. Participating in the conference is like a deep breath that carries that fear away because I’m surrounded by successful professionals who have similar skills and experience.

In addition to the community, I very much enjoy the inspiration and learning that I get from the conference. I’ve attended a pre-conference workshop that bolstered my confidence and skill in working with diverse teams, I’ve learned how to lead without authority, how to write great abstracts, and much more. It’s pretty amazing to spend three days just absorbing highly specific technical knowledge and meeting exceptionally talented peers.

This year I’m especially looking forward to leading my first NORDP panel. Selfishly, I organized the panel so that I can learn what other RD people do to bring teams together and help them stay together. Shameless plug: if you do this, please come to the session and tell me about it!

My advice for new conference attendees is to use the mobile app to plan your daily agenda before you get to the conference. There are so many talks to choose from that taking the time to read all the abstracts and make a plan before arriving will ensure that you don’t miss the talks that are most relevant to you.

See you in DC!

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We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA.  For more information about the conference program or to register, visit http://www.nordp.org/conferences. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

#NORDP2018 starts Monday, May 7 in Arlington, VA. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for live conference updates. Register here: http://www.nordp.org/conferences.
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At this year’s conference, a short course in Research Development (RD) is being offered for the first time in addition to the Pre-Conference Workshops. The short course is intended for new RD professionals (i.e., those with fewer than three years of experience in RD), or for individuals who are considering becoming RD professionals. The instructors are all experienced RD professionals (with more than half a century’s worth of experience in RD between them), and the course material is all information they think is essential to those first getting started in the profession.

This course is an introduction to RD; it isn’t going to cover everything that RD professionals do, or all the ways in which we do those things. It will, however, provide a theoretical and practical grounding in RD for individuals who are newer to the profession or who are considering joining it.

CLICK HERE for the full abstract and to register for the short course.

To read about and register for any of the Pre-Conference Workshops, follow the links below:

• Enhancing Effectiveness of Collaborative Teams by Engaging Individual Motivation 
• Large Proposals 101
• Taking the Research Development Professional to the Next Level through Effective Mentoring
• Strengthening Capacity for Diverse Research Teams through Research Development 
• Understanding the Name of the Game: Inside an National Science Foundation (NSF) Panel Review

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We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA.  For more information about the conference program or to register, visit http://www.nordp.org/conferences. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

This is your two week warning! Early Bird Registration for the 10th Annual NORDP Research Development Conference ends March 16, 2018. REGISTER HERE.

Other important conference related items below:

Learn more about and sign up for a Pre-Conference Workshop or the first NORDP Short Course:

• Enhancing Effectiveness of Collaborative Teams by Engaging Individual Motivation 
• Large Proposals 101
• Taking the Research Development Professional to the Next Level through Effective Mentoring
• Strengthening Capacity for Diverse Research Teams through Research Development 
• Understanding the Name of the Game: Inside an National Science Foundation (NSF) Panel Review
• Short Course: Foundations of Research Development: An Introduction

Check out our NORDP 2018 Plenaries and Keynotes:

• Opening Keynote: From Tweaks to Transformation with Saul Kaplan
• Plenary: Effective Communication for Research Development Professionals with Dr. Laura Lindenfeld
• Plenary: Inclusive Excellence and the Research Enterprise: the Role of Research Development Professionals
• Plenary: Dr. Michael Lauer, Deputy Director for Extramural Research, NIH: More info to come soon!

Book your stay: Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City are filling up. Take advantage of our special discounted conference rate and book your room now with this NORDP-specific hotel reservation link.

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We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA.  For more information about the conference program or to register, visit http://www.nordp.org/conferences. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

#NORDP2018 starts Monday, May 7 in Arlington, VA. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for live conference updates. Register here: http://www.nordp.org/conferences.
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Who: Dr. Jim Izat, Senior Research Development Officer
Where: Texas A&M University
Number of years in research development: 8
Length of NORDP membership: 5
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 5
How do you unwind? I design and build bespoke furniture and home goods.

I began work at Texas A&M University in 2010 following serving on the faculty at West Texas A&M University. My work is currently focused on tenure track faculty proposal development for federal funding agencies. In addition to consulting with NSF research faculty, I co-lead the university’s Junior Faculty Proposal Writing Academy program and direct two internal faculty research support grant programs. I also create and deliver approximately two dozen research development seminars and workshops annually on various aspects of internal and external research proposal development.

I joined NORDP about five years ago after doing an internet search for a professional organization through which I could accelerate my growth as a research development professional. It was, and remains, an essential resource to me as I continually look for new strategies I can apply in assisting faculty at Texas A&M University to be more successful in securing research funding.

By far, the most important benefit I gain through attending NORDP conventions is meeting experienced, talented research development colleagues. There is no doubt that they are among my most important resources for my professional growth. I have learned from them new strategies of research development delivery and ways I can improve what I already do in my day to day work. Of special value to me are opportunities to learn how to assist Humanities and Arts faculty for whom research funding support is often very difficult to find and secure.

I’m really looking forward to this year’s conference to again get the chance to interact with research development professionals who do what I do. Of special interest to me this year is having the chance to meet with and talk to colleagues with whom I am co-presenting on the topic of the challenges faced by universities in supporting Humanities and Arts research faculty efforts.

My most important recommendation for this year’s NORDP conference attendees is to get out there and meet as many colleagues as they can! Every year I am always amazed at the wealth of knowledge my fellow attendees possess and how generous they are in sharing their knowledge and experience with me both at the conference and afterward.

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We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA.  For more information about the conference program or to register, visit http://www.nordp.org/conferences. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

#NORDP2018 starts Monday, May 7 in Arlington, VA. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for live conference updates. Register here: http://www.nordp.org/conferences.
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The NORDP 2018 program is now available HERE. Check out the sessions and start planning your conference. If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so HERE. Take advantage of the Early Bird rates until March 16th.

We’ll be sharing more details about the Pre-Conference Workshops over the next couple of weeks on the blog. Stay tuned!

Conference Marketing Committee

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We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA.  For more information about the conference program or to register, visit http://www.nordp.org/conferences. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

#NORDP2018 starts Monday, May 7 in Arlington, VA. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for live conference updates. Register here: http://www.nordp.org/conferences.
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Who: Matthew T. Rondina, MD, MS
Where: University of Utah
Number of years in research development: 10
Length of NORDP membership: 2
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 1
How do you unwind? In my off time, I unwind by traveling and I enjoy a variety of sports, such as climbing and biking. Last year I was fortunate enough to travel to Scotland and mountain bike the Scottish Highlands. I have a true love for the outdoors and adventures.

I started my research career in medical school. Early on, I recognized the need for research development professionals. At that time, kind and patient people helped me learn the ropes of preparing IRB proposals, recruiting participants, writing grant applications, and collecting data. Those experiences and others embedded within me the desire to build collaborative, productive relationships with research development professionals.

Fast forward a few years, and now my day looks a bit different. In addition to seeing patients in the University of Utah Thrombosis Clinic, I serve as Precision Medicine Foundation Director for the Utah Center for Clinical and Translational Science and am the Associate Director of the Molecular Medicine Program. I am also fortunate to have an NIH-funded translational research lab and work with many talented people, such as Antoinette “Toni” Blair. I could not possibly do my research without a team of dedicated and knowledgeable people willing to work collaboratively.

While I have always relied heavily on the guidance of research development professionals, I don’t think I completely connected these dots until I attended the NORDP conference in 2017. In my various positions, including my role as a research mentor, I always advocate for research development. I feel it is important that we empower research professionals to feel comfortable proposing, developing, and implementing ideas for research. As one concrete example from my own research program, we historically tended to recruit participants through standard approaches, such as newspaper advertisements. When my project coordinator, Toni, suggested that we consider an alternative strategy for recruitment and amend our IRB’s resources to add Research Match (www.researchmatch.org), I was initially skeptical. However, I trusted her instincts and Toni very quickly brought this important recruiting tool onboard for our studies. This resulted in us meeting and, in some cases, exceeding our recruitment milestones. I am immensely grateful that Toni took the initiative to leverage this important resource for our program, as she has done innumerable times since.

I am a strong advocate for research development at my institution. I believe we should fully support efforts to build and develop a robust community of research professionals that help each other and the greater scientific community. While uncomfortable at times, we need to recognize the increasingly dynamic environment of research and be nimble enough to adapt with change. I have identified my project coordinator, Toni Blair, as a rising star in the community of researcher professionals. We are proud to support her attendance at her first NORDP conference in 2018. I look forward to participating in what will undoubtedly be an outstanding meeting.

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We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA.  For more information about the conference program or to register, visit http://www.nordp.org/conferences. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

Inclusive Excellence and the Research Enterprise: the Role of Research Development Professionals

• Kyle Lewis, Chair and Professor, Technology Management Program, University of California Santa Barbara
• Beth Mitchneck, Vice Provost for Faculty Success, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Roland Owens, Director of Research Workforce Development, Office of Intramural Research, National Institutes of Health
• Moderator: Barbara Endemaño Walker, Director of Research Development and Special Assistant to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Diversity Initiatives, University of California Santa Barbara

This plenary panel discussion focuses on the advantages of diversity, inclusion, and equity on research teams and outcomes, and how RD professionals can play a proactive role in fostering inclusive excellence. Broadening participation in STEM research is critical to the future of scientific innovation and a robust and competitive STEM workforce in the US. Panelists bring expertise in the science of teams, broadening participation, and faculty professional development. Through a facilitated discussion, this session will provide insights to RD professionals on the ways that they can leverage best practices for fostering and supporting diversity through their work advising senior leadership, developing and coaching research teams, and providing training and services to faculty researchers. Time will be allotted for questions from, and discussion with, the audience.

Presenter bios:

Dr. Kyle Lewis is the Chair and Professor of Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara. Prior to joining UC Santa Barbara, Lewis was an Associate Professor of Management and Faculty Director of the Master of Science in Technology Commercialization (MSTC) in the McCombs School of Business, at the University of Texas at Austin. Lewis received her early training at Duke University, where she earned degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics. Later she attended Carnegie-Mellon University, where she completed her M.S. in Industrial Administration, followed by her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management from the University of Maryland. Her research examines how organizations leverage individual and collective knowledge. She examines the performance of teams, especially those teams engaged in knowledge work such as professional services, new product development, and project-based tasks. Recently, Lewis served as a Division Chair in the Academy of Management and Senior Editor for Organization Science.

Dr. Beth Mitchneck is the Vice Provost for Faculty Success at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She oversees the development of faculty success in scholarship and instructional activities. Prior to serving as vice provost, Mitchneck held numerous administrative positions at the University of Arizona including associate dean for academic affairs of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and interim vice provost for academic affairs. She was the lead program officer for the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program to promote gender equity in academic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Mitchneck has a dual research focus on migration and displaced populations with an emphasis on countries of the former Soviet Union including Georgia and Ukraine, and on gender equity in STEM. She has served on national boards for the Social Science Research Council and the Kennan Institute, and editorial boards for the Annals of the Association of American Geographers and Soviet Geography. She has received substantial funding from the National Science Foundation and other federally funded agencies. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Columbia University and an A.B. in Russian Studies from Bryn Mawr College.

Dr. Roland Owens is the Director of Research Workforce Development in the Office of Intramural Research at the National Institutes of Health. His primary duty is to facilitate and enhance principal investigator recruitments within the Intramural Research Program, and he is the principal OIR senior staff member responsible for promoting diversity and inclusion in the biomedical research workforce, as well as promoting mentorship at the NIH. He also coordinates an annual course for new tenure-track PIs, titled “How to Succeed as a PI at the NIH – Leadership & Management Skills.” Owens received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and his Ph.D. in biology from The Johns Hopkins University. He began his career at NIH as a National Research Service Award Fellow in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and in 1988 received an Intramural Research Training Award in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). He became a principal investigator in NIDDK in 1992, and he was tenured in 1998. Roland’s research focused on adeno-associated virus type-2 (AAV2). In 2002 he was selected as Mentor of the Year by the UMBC Meyerhoff Scholarship Program. In 2010, Dr. Owens won an NIH Director’s Award for co-leading the trans-NIH Earl Stadtman tenure-track investigator search. In 2011, he won an NIH Merit Award “in recognition of the exemplary support to NIH Leadership’s establishing diversity programs.”

Dr. Barbara Endemaño Walker is Director of Research Development, Social Sciences, and Special Assistant to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Diversity Initiatives at the University of California Santa Barbara. She is responsible for catalyzing research innovation and excellence through institutional strategic planning and professional development activities with social science faculty members. She also develops and leads campus diversity and inclusion initiatives. She is Lead PI on an NSF ADVANCE award “Center for Research, Excellence, and Diversity in Team Science (CREDITS).” She is the co-author of the book, Funding Your Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences: A Practical Guide to Grant and Fellowship Proposals. Endemaño Walker first joined UCSB as a post-doctoral scholar at the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Education, the Social Science Research Council, the Elsevier Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation, among others. She has a Ph.D. and M.A. in Geography from UC Berkeley and a B.A. in Anthropology and African Studies from UCLA. She was the founding treasurer of NORDP.

This will be the morning plenary panel discussion on Tuesday, May 8th at the 10^th Annual NORDP Research Development Conference. We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

We are now accepting applications for Conference Attendance Grants for the 2018 Annual Research Development Conference for those in need of financial support beyond what their institutions or organizations will provide. Conference Attendance Grants will waive the conference registration fee and may provide 1, 2 or 3 nights hotel accommodations. Regular Members are eligible to apply.

Conference Attendance Awards are not available to current and prior NORDP Board of Directors members, Affiliate Members, or consultants. PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE UNTIL YOU ARE NOTIFIED OF THE STATUS OF YOUR ATTENDANCE GRANT AWARD!

In keeping with NORDP’s goals to enhance membership and encourage diversity, members who are new to NORDP (defined as within the last two years), attending their first Annual Conference, or from a Minority Serving Institution are strongly encouraged to apply. This year, the Board of Directors has prioritized and allocated additional funds to support conference participation for members from underrepresented ethnic or racial minorities.

Conference Attendance Grants do not fully cover all costs of attending the Annual Conference. Efforts must be made by applicants to secure some funding either through their institutions or personally, to cover a significant portion of the costs to attend the conference.

Grant recipients are expected to volunteer at the conference in May and serve on a NORDP committee or subcommittee following the 2018 Conference.

Apply HERE by 8pm EST on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held May 7-9, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2018 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.