The NORDP Consultants Program is partnering with the Center for Enhancing Research Capacity for MSIs, which is led by the City University of New York (CUNY) John Jay College of Criminal Justice (NIJ-CERC-MSIs-JJC) and funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), an institute within the Department of Justice.
NIJ-CERC-MSIs-JJC aims to bolster the research infrastructure and capabilities of MSIs within criminal justice. The center’s mission is threefold: to increase MSIs’ competitiveness in research, to support the growth of research funding for MSI investigators, and to broaden the community of MSI researchers engaged in addressing criminal and juvenile justice issues.
“We are delighted to partner with the NORDP Consultants Program and leverage the program’s expertise strengthening research infrastructure,” said Dr. Joel Capellen, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at John Jay College and principal investigator of NIJ-CERC-MSIs-JJC, “together, we hope to not only support criminal justice researchers but also research enterprise leaders, who are critical to the supporting research infrastructure.”
The NORDP Consultants Program will leverage its expertise in a new collaborative initiative called the Research Enterprise Administrators and Leaders (REAL) Cohort, a one-year cohort program that will provide a forum for research enterprise leaders to engage with peers and national experts to explore topics relevant to strengthening the MSI research enterprise. Research enterprise leaders interested in participating in this virtual program can apply here by September 17, 2025.
This commendation recognizes individuals for exemplary service to NORDP and is presented at the discretion of the outgoing NORDP President to individuals who have contributed to the success of their presidential year.
Who: Dr. Kimberly Eck, Senior Associate Vice President for Research at Emory University & Senior Director of the NORDP Consultants Program
Where: Emory University
Number of years in research development: 16 years
Length of NORDP membership: 10 years
What initiative are you the most proud of in your role as a NORDP volunteer?
I am so proud of the NORDP Consultants Program! The NORDP Consultants Program is dedicated to expanding the national research ecosystem by providing research development services to build research capacity at MSIs and ERIs at no cost to those institutions. I am deeply grateful for the recognition that I do this work as a volunteer without personal compensation.
The Program was originally conceived of by a group of NORDP thought leaders. At the time the original pilot project was presented, I was on the Board and we agreed to move forward with the concept.
When we started in 2021, we were working with four HBCUs, funded by a private foundation. We have now worked with 172 institutions of higher education. We’ve helped these institutions with engagements that have secured more than $90 million in funding. I think we will get to $100+ million in mid-2025. Those 172 institutions come from 44 states and jurisdictions, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. So, we have a significant reach.
There are three ways to engage with the Program: One is through our cohort model, and that’s where we recruit MSIs. They apply through a competitive process, and we select them based on the alignment of their goals and the activities that they hope to pursue with support from the Consultants. Then, the MSIs engage in a two-year intensive period with us. There’s also follow-on engagement and support opportunities. This cohort model is what the original four HBCUs went through. We’ve already started the second and third cohorts.
The second model of engagement is when we embed into a federally funded proposal process. Here, the funder comes to us and indicates that they would like support for all of the applicants that will be involved in this process. This requires really close collaboration with the funder, understanding what the funders goals are, and then working on one specific proposal with usually a multi-institutional group to submit that proposal and get it panel ready. So that’s a single shot, but all the programs that we’ve engaged with have really been focused on building innovation and research capacity, so that has been very well aligned with what we’re doing.
The third model is partner initiated. Here, an ERI or MSI, reaches out to us and lets us know they are planning to apply for an opportunity and that they need research development expertise. In this case, the partner is leading the submission, and we’re coming along and supporting with specific activities, for example, a capacity assessment. Our first partner-initiated project is led by Delaware State University, an HBCU that successfully competed in the first round of the NIH STRONG program.
I am very privileged to have had the support from Emory University and NORDP to pursue opportunities to grow this program as the Director – and I had a lot of help! More than 20 NORDP members volunteered to help launch the program in summer and fall of 2021. As the program has evolved, MANY NORDP members have contributed to its success.
How did you hear about NORDP and what made you join initially?
I heard about NORDP from a colleague while working at the State University of New York around 2013. I was delighted to learn other people were doing proposal development but in a way that was different than research administration. Like many others have described upon joining NORDP, I felt like I found my people.
What relationships have you built as a result of NORDP? I deeply value having a national network of people I can call on with different areas of expertise, different experiences, and unique insights. My closest NORDP relationships were built by volunteering together. Attending the annual conference feels like a reunion. Being a part of NORDP has also allowed me to build relationships with other associations, like ARIS, and funders, especially NSF. I cherish everyone that has contributed and/or currently works in the NORDP Consultants Program.
Describe how NORDP has changed from when you initially joined
NORDP’s membership has grown significantly! It is fantastic to continue to see such vibrant in-person conferences alongside virtual offerings that are more accessible. I am excited to see NORDP evolve to meet its members’ needs and new paths of sustainability.
What recommendations do you have for members to get more involved with NORDP?
Consider co-authoring a resource for the Equipping Minoritized and Emerging Research Institutions to Grow their Enterprises (EMERGE) Library. This library features co-created and peer-reviewed knowledge articles and case studies that address MSI and ERI research enterprise priorities and provides context specific implementation strategies and insights. The NORDP Consultants Program hosts writing sprints that bring together RD experts from MSIs and ERIs and more resourced institutions to produce resources. It’s a fantastic way to get involved with the NORDP Consultants Program!
When structuring the articles, we take a factual approach, but we very actively try to not simply regurgitate language in the solicitation. We try to make it more understandable, for example by using more colloquial language. We strive for a balance of what your buddy at your institution would tell you if they could and the factual content. We have published three resources through these sprints in collaboration with the NORD Committee and three more are in development.
The NSF GRANTED program funded an expansion of the NORDP Consultants cohort model one year ago to partner with Minority-Serving and Emerging Research Institutions (MSIs and ERIs) to grow research activity and capacity. In the past 12 months, the program has made significant progress on the project’s objectives.
New Consultants Joined
This summer, the program welcomed four new consultants: Amy Carrol, University of Rhode Island, Faye Farmer, Arizona State University, Jorja Kimball, Texas A&M University, and Claudia Scholz, University of Virginia. These individuals join 22 existing consultants bringing the pool of active NORDP Consultants to 26.
Cohort 2 and 3 Launched
Cohort 2 launched in January of 2024 with the City College of New York, NY (AANAPISI, HSI, ERI), Clark Atlanta University, GA (HBCU, ERI), Kean University, NJ (HSI, ERI), and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TX (HSI, ERI). Each partnering institution successfully completed the first two phases, intake and collaborative planning, of the three-phase engagement framework and has transitioned into the implementation phase. In collaboration with their consultants, partners are making plans for the research infrastructure investment provided as a part of the GRANTED-funded expansion. In September, the program kicked off Cohort 3 with Hawai’i Pacific University, HI (ANNH, AANAPISI, ERI), Kentucky State University, KY (HBCU, ERI), McMurry University, TX (HSI, ERI), and University of West Alabama, AL (PBI, ERI). The next call for MSI partners will be disseminated in early 2025.
1st NORDP Consultants Program Cohort Annual Meeting
Attendees at the 1st NORDP Consultants Program Cohort Annual Meeting
In September 2024, the NORDP Consultants Program hosted its 1st Annual Meeting in Miami Gardens, FL at Florida Memorial University’s campus, drawing nearly 40 participants from eight institutions of higher education that are or have been partners in the NORDP Consultants Program. The theme for the event was building and sustaining research culture. The multi-day event provided a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration, focusing on advancing research development initiatives and strengthening aspects of the research ecosystem. Several members of the NORDP Consultants Program presented alongside MSI partners on a wide range of topics, including a socio-ecological approach to the research ecosystem, assessing research culture, balancing institutional commitment with indirect costs, facilities and administration costs, and reinvestment strategies. Additionally, Michele McGuirl from the National Institute for General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) provided an overview of resources available for ERIs through NIGMS.
EMERGE Resource Library
The NORDP Consultants Program also launched the Equipping Minoritized and Emerging Research Institutions to Grow their Enterprises (EMERGE) Resource Library. The EMERGE Resource Library is the first national library of collaboratively written and peer-reviewed plain language research enterprise guides, tools, and other resources that center the voice, perspective, and expertise of MSIs and ERIs. The program is currently calling for authors to join the next sprint to develop additional resources. Prospective authors can register for the October 9, 20204 interest meeting here and submit a short expression of interest here.
Japera Hemming, NORDP Consultants Program Credit / AJ Shorter Photography
Since its establishment in 2021, the NORDP Consultants Program has worked with 172 institutions, including 73 MSIs, and supported participating institutions in securing more than $90M through its cohort, embedded proposal support, and partner-initiated models. This includes $10.5M from the Advancing Research Capacity at HBCUs – a program referenced by President Biden during his remarks at HBCU Week – and the first successful partner-initiated proposal Identifying Needs and Building Research Capacity at an Historically-Black University led by Delaware State University (NIH – UC2GM157743).
The NORDP Consultants Program is support by Schmidt Futures, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health (ITE-2303003, MCB-2236057, OIA-2331578, ITE-2350104, OIA-2337236, UC2GM157743).
The NORDP Consultants Program, dedicated to diversifying the national research ecosystem by building capacity through research development, has launched its new website and two new cohorts with support from the National Science Foundation (OIA-2331578) in 2024.
Cohort II launched in January 2024 and is made up of MSIs aspiring to reach the R2 or R1 classification. The cohort includes:
The City College of New York, a public Hispanic-serving Institution in New York
Clark Atlanta University, among the private Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Georgia
Kean University, a public Hispanic-serving Institution in New Jersey;
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, a public Hispanic-serving Institution in Texas.
Launching in October 2024, Cohort III includes predominantly undergraduate and masters MSIs:
Hawai’i Pacific University, a private Native Hawaiian and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving institution in Hawai’i
Kentucky State University, a public institution among the Historically Black Colleges and Universities
McMurry University, a private Hispanic-Serving Institution in Texas
The University of West Alabama, a private Predominantly Black Institution in Alabama.
The unique identity of each cohort allows the NORDP Consultants and Peer Mentors to collaborate and share resources, ideas, and strategies that help facilitate transformation. A request for applications for Cohort IV will be launched in early 2025.
Cohort I, which included four Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Florida Memorial University, Morehouse School of Medicine, North Carolina A&T State University, and Spelman College, completed its intensive two-year engagement in December 2023. Cohort 1 representatives are invited to participate in ongoing quarterly networking and semi-annual professional development opportunities.
A huge thank you to the passionate group of people who make the NORDP Consultants Program possible, including:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $9.2 million to Emory University to support the expansion of the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP) Consultants Program. The NORDP Consultants Program is dedicated to diversifying the national research ecosystem by providing research development services to minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and emerging research institutions (ERIs). The award is the first non-conference project funded by the Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) program offered through NSF’s Office of Integrative Activities.
“I am excited that this important investment will advance ambitious ideas and innovative strategies by engaging and empowering the science community across our nation to address impending challenges and opportunities,” shared NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, who earned NORDP’s Research Development Champion Award in 2022. “NSF’s new GRANTED initiative will accelerate progress by promoting full inclusion of the excellent talent in our nation’s research enterprise.”
In this project, led by Dr. Kimberly Eck, Associate Vice President at Emory University and former NORDP President, the NORDP Consultants Program will extend research development support to 16 non-R1 MSIs across four new cohorts. “This award will promote the participation of faculty from minority-serving institutions and strengthen their competitiveness for federal funding,” according to Dina Stroud, program director for GRANTED. “Together, this will enhance the recognition of these institutions as leaders in scientific discovery.”
The project reflects NORDP’s deep commitment to inclusive excellence. “The Consultants Program has had a major impact on the HBCU and ERI partners already engaged. I am excited GRANTED funding will provide additional MSIs with access to the incredible expertise of the NORDP members serving as consultants in this program,” said NORDP President Nathan Meier.
When asked about her experience moving from behind-the-scenes to Principal Investigator, Dr. Eck said, “As a research development professional, I’ve supported the development of hundreds of proposals but being the PI on a federal award was a new experience for me. It was both the easiest and most nerve-wracking proposal I’ve ever written.” She continued with recommendations for other research development professionals, “If you have a project that can help GRANTED achieve its goals, you should apply. Going through the process of submission for yourself (even though you’ve supported many proposals led by faculty) is a great learning experience. It provides a new perspective on the process that will ultimately make you a better research development professional.”
Potential MSI partners interested in being a part of the program, the NORDP Consultants Program will host an information session on October 2, 2023 at 3 p.m. EDT. Those interested should register to attend. The RFA and application submission portal may be accessed here.
The NORDP Consultant Program is dedicated to increasing the diversity of our national research ecosystem by providing research development services to minority-serving and emerging research institutions at no cost to the institution.
With the support of Eric and Wendy Schmidt via recommendation of the Schmidt Futures program, NORDP launched the NORDP Consultant Pilot Program in summer of 2021 to grow research capacity and competitiveness within HBCUs by increasing institutional capacity for research development. Camille Coley, Marta Collier-Youngblood, Jacob Levin, Mike Marcinkowski, LeKita Scott Dawkins, Michael Spires, Peggy Sundermeyer, Barbara Walker, and John Quyen Wickham comprise the group of NORDP Consultants working in the pilot program.
In December 2022, the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate awarded NORDP, Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS), and Spelman College resources to support the ideation and proposal development process for the Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) program. Alongside these partners, NORDP Consultants will provide proposal development support and feedback on proposals being prepared in response to the solicitation.
At the same time, the NORDP Consultant Program added six new members to its ranks:
Michelle Collins
Michelle Collins: As the Director of Grant Process Operations for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Michelle oversees the proposal submission and review processes for the Center’s grant programs and provides pre-award support to the applicant community. She has nearly 15 years of experience in research development, grant administration, and program management, including positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the Research Administrator for the Department of Surgery and the Managing Director for the UNC Nutrition Obesity Research Center. Michelle is also certified as a Research Administrator (CRA) and Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA) by the Research Administrators Certification Council.
Holly Hapke
Holly Hapke: Holly is a geographer and broadly trained interdisciplinary social scientist with over 25 years of experience in academic research, teaching, program and curriculum development, grants and research development, and higher education administration. She served as a tenured faculty member and Associate Dean at East Carolina University, and as Program Director at the NSF, where she co-managed multiple programs and worked on diversity initiatives. Currently, she is the inaugural Director of Research Development at the University of California Irvine, where she has supported the development and submission of over $100 million in grant proposals. She co-leads the NSF-funded California Alliance for Hispanic-Serving Social Science Advancement (CAHSSA) and is a founding member of INSciTS and NSF’s Growing Convergence Research College of Reviewers.
Dorota Huizinga
Dorota Huizinga: Dorota has over 14 years of experience in research administration and currently serves as the Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). She is also a Principal Investigator on an NIH research capacity building grant (SPAD) awarded to CSUSB to help streamline the university’s sponsored programs infrastructure, support the Office of Research Development (ORD), and increase the diversity of faculty and students engaged in research. In her administrative positions, Dorota secured over $4.5M in capacity-building grants to support faculty and student success and various DEI initiatives. She has also established a new ORD and hired its first faculty director at multiple campuses and developed successful programs and supports to increase the number of faculty engaged in grant-seeking and the volume of sponsored programs.
Sobha Jaishankar
Sobha Jaishankar: Sobha has over 14 years of experience in research administration and currently oversees the functions of the Research Development division within UF Research. She established guidelines and SOPs for the different programs under the broad research development umbrella, including internal seed funding, limited submissions, faculty honorifics, large proposal development, faculty coaching, and the evaluation of centers and institutes. Sobha is also responsible for managing the Florida Space Institute’s Space Research Initiative at the University of Florida and the UF portion of the Florida High Tech Corridor Matching Grants Program. From FY 2014-FY 21, Research Development, under Sobha’s leadership, has assisted UF faculty in obtaining $142M in federal funding and provided assistance for another $529M in budget requests on unfunded proposals.
Don Takehara
Donald Takehara: Don is the Director for Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Grainger College of Engineering, where he supports faculty in establishing funded research and partnerships with government agencies, foundations, and corporations. He is also responsible for Faculty Development and is a certified coach assisting faculty in career and leadership development. Previously, Don was the Director of the Center for Research & Innovation and Associate Professor at Taylor University for 9 years, where he had responsibility for research development, sponsored programs, tech transfer, business incubation, and corporate sponsored research. He has a background in chemical reaction engineering and catalysis and has led the evaluation and development of process and product technology in silicone technology, biotechnology, and electronics. Don has a PhD and MS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University.
Jana Watson-Capps
Jana Watson-Capps: Jana is an independent consultant who helps companies, universities, and non-profits with research development, strategic planning, and coalition building within the interdisciplinary life sciences. She has experience and strengths in research development, process development, interdisciplinary science and education, academic-industry partnerships, strategic planning, large-team management, multi-stakeholder project leadership, communicating science, grant writing, grants coaching, fundraising, and building research communities. Jana has been working full-time as an independent consultant for the past four years, and previously spent over seven years at the University of Colorado BioFrontiers Institute as Associate Director, Chief of Staff, and Head of Strategy. She received her Ph.D. in Biology from Georgetown University and her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University.
“I am excited to welcome our new NORDP Consultants and thrilled to be able to expand the NORDP Consultant Program with support from NSF,” said Dr. Kimberly Eck, NORDP Consultant Program Director, former NORDP President, and Associate Vice President at Emory University, “NORDP’s collaborations with the NSF TIP Directorate, ARIS, Spelman College, and Know Innovation on the EPIIC program is a new, experimental approach that has the potential to catalyze a paradigm shift in how institutions obtain federal funding.”
The National Organization of Research Development Professionals is pleased to announce the consultants, HBCUs, and evaluator that will be participating in the NORDP Consulting Pilot Program.
Led by Dr. Kimberly Eck, Immediate Past President of NORDP and Associate Vice President at Emory University, the NORDP Consultant Pilot Program seeks to grow research capacity and competitiveness within historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) by increasing institutional capacity for research development. With the generous support of Eric and Wendy Schmidt via recommendation of the Schmidt Futures program, NORDP consultants will provide a total of 2,400 hours on consulting services over a two-year period to participating HBCUs at no cost to the institutions.
These HBCUs were invited to participate in the pilot program because of their demonstrable commitment to growing research and to evaluate how RD can help build research capacity in institutions of different Carnegie classifications.
“HBCUs were matched with NORDP Consultants based on the institutions’ unique goals for growing their research ecosystem.” Dr. Eck said, “These consulting teams are highly capable and bring complementary skillsets and diverse experiences.”
Dr. Jacob Levin and Ms. Marta Collier Youngblood will work with Florida Memorial University, a private, coeducational, Baptist-affiliated institution located in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Dr. Jacob Levin and Dr. Lekita Scott Dawkins will work with Morehouse School of Medicine, a doctoral/professional institution dedicated to increasing the diversity of the health professional and scientific workforce in Atlanta, GA.
Mr. Michael Spires and Mr. Mike Marcinkowski will work with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a land grant, doctoral research university with a national reputation in STEM education located in Greensboro, NC.
Ms. Camille Coley, JD, Dr. Barbara Endemaño Walker, Mr. Quyen Wickham, and Dr. Peggy Sundermeyer will work with Spelman College, a primarily undergraduate institution and global leader in the education of women of African descent located in Atlanta, GA.
From top left, L to R: Camille Coley, Jacob Levin, Mike Marcinowski, LeKita Scott Dawkins, Michael Spires, Peggy Sundermeyer, Barbara Endemaño Walker, Quyen Wickham, Marta Collier Youngblood
The Mark USA, led by Traci Shirachi, has been selected to serve as the evaluator for the pilot program.
More than 25 NORDP members supported the launch of this pilot program by drafting RFAs, serving as reviewers, preparing communications and related activities. We are incredibly grateful to our volunteers and NORDP community for supporting this project.
NORDP News 