NORDP News

#NORDP2019 starts Monday, April 29, in Providence, RI. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for conference updates. 

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Who: Sarah Messbauer, Coordinator, Grantsmanship Programs
Where: University of California, Davis
Number of years in research development: 1
Length of NORDP membership: 1 year
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 1
What is the most interesting place you’ve visited? Citadelle Laferrière, near Okap, Haiti

I’m quite new to NORDP and the RD world, having started my first position with the fine folks at UC Davis less than a year ago (in fact, it’s the one-year anniversary of my doctoral defense as I write this – woo hoo!). But like many people in our field, I’d been doing research development work for some time before my first “official” RD role.

My undergraduate background was in STEM (biochemistry and neuroscience), but my doctoral degree is in ethnomusicology (anthropology and music). That interdisciplinarity helped push me toward doctoral research on grant institutions, and I ended up serving as an unofficial grants consultant for folks at my university. My educational path was a bit unusual, to put it mildly, and I often found that people just… didn’t quite know what to do with me. That is, until I met the Director of our RD unit, Sheryl Soucy-Lubell. She knew exactly what to do: she hired me!

In my current role, I wear many hats:  I run proposal development services for small and medium grants, develop campus-wide grantsmanship trainings, provide professional development support for decentralized RD staff, and contribute to special projects in consultation with our Strategic Initiatives team. I enjoy the challenge of balancing so many different projects and the opportunity to work directly with faculty, staff, and senior campus leadership to advance the mission of our institution.

Fundamentally, what I enjoy most about RD is that it caters to the role I love to play, which is that of the primary support person. I don’t have to manage research projects myself, but I play a vital role in making sure they happen by providing whatever a PI needs to do the work. Essentially, I get to be everyone’s “second banana,” their strong right hand. It’s a job that depends on quality teamwork, and I love being part of that process.

NORDP is an excellent reflection of the interdisciplinarity and teamwork that define our field, and I was so excited by the community-driven mission of the group that I immediately started volunteering. I attended last year’s D.C. conference just over a month after I was hired, and ended up having great discussions with the Member Services Committee about support for new NORDP members. This year, I’m co-facilitating a four-hour workshop, co-managing the Ambassador Program, co-running my regional meeting (go Pacific!), co-developing a “Networking Marathon” activity, co-writing a proposal for expanded resources on the NORDP website, and co-hosting a networking dinner for new members.

As you can tell, it’s no co-incidence (terrible pun intended) that NORDP members so frequently cite relationship-building as the number one benefit of membership. And as I’ve learned first-hand, there’s no better way to build those relationships by jumping right into the deep end of the pool and getting involved. So whether you’re brand-new or a seasoned vet, I encourage you to consider volunteering with us this year. Jump on in! The water is fine.

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For more information about the conference program, visit http://www.nordp.org/conferences. Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2019 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.

Early Bird registration and the NORDP online store close THIS FRIDAY, March 15!

#NORDP2019 starts Monday, April 29, in Providence, RI. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for conference updates. 

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Who: Kimberly Cannady, PhD, Lead Advisor, Research Training & Outreach Initiatives
Where: Medical University of South Carolina
Number of years in research development: 1
Length of NORDP membership: 1
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 1
What is the most interesting place you’ve visited? I visited a friend who lives in Turkey and we traveled to various cities within the country for two weeks.

After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, I realized that I no longer wanted to stay on the academic career path. I wanted to find an opportunity that fulfilled my passion for strengthening education and research through targeted engagement and collaborative initiatives via service. For three years I served as the Community Health Educator for Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina where I established and facilitated statewide community partnerships and traveled across South Carolina to teach medically underserved communities about cancer treatment options and prevention. In addition, I managed and coordinated summer research training programs for undergraduate students. In order to sustain these outreach endeavors, I assisted with proposal development and submission. It was through these efforts that I became exposed to Research Development.

When a position became available within the Office of Research Development in 2018, I jumped at the opportunity. As Lead Advisor for Research Training & Outreach Initiatives, I am responsible for sustaining and enhancing MUSC’s training grants, with a specific emphasis on educating the research community about best practices for grant applications. In addition, I coordinate and manage professional development workshops and webinars and provide funding consultations for investigators focusing on training and career development awards. My experiences as someone who was supported by both individual and institutional training grants, in addition to managing training programs at MUSC and having an understanding of the statewide needs and the patient population that MUSC serves, has proved invaluable in the development of training programs designed to shift the training landscape here on campus.

I joined NORDP and attended my first conference in 2018. Initially, I felt like a fish out of water because I was so new to this field. However, the conference was very impactful and helped me gain better insight into Research Development. There was such a welcoming and friendly environment at NORDP as compared to other conferences that I have attended. Moreover, I greatly appreciated the openness of the presenters whom were willing to share their ideas and experiences to help ignite and/or advance activities at our respective universities. I returned to MUSC more knowledgeable about Research Development and full of ideas that we have begun to implement.

This year I am looking forward to interacting with and learning more from my colleagues. I am also excited that the conference was extended to three days. I encourage attendees to look at the agenda and create a schedule for the sessions they want to attend. More importantly, make sure to arrive to the room early because last year some of the rooms quickly reached capacity and were standing room only.

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We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held April 29 – May 1, 2019, at the Omni Providence Hotel in Providence, RI. 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 #NORDP2019 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.

#NORDP2019 starts Monday, April 29, in Providence, RI. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for conference updates. Register at https://www.nordp.org/conferences.

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Who: R. Krish, Director of Research Services & Center Initiatives
Where: Prairie View A&M University
Number of years in research development: 3
Length of NORDP membership: 2 years
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 1
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A professor

I actually transitioned into research administration from the “dark side”—I always wanted to become a college professor. When I was a high school or college student, I loved watching movies that portrayed teachers or universities as the central theme. After getting a Master’s degree in chemistry, I worked for a couple of years in the Emulsion Department of a photo-film manufacturing company in India. I was so captivated by the Eastman Kodak research publications that I wanted to pursue doctoral studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). However, a chemistry doctorate was not offered at RIT in 1978, so I earned my PhD from the University of California-Davis in 1983.

Following post-doctoral work at Purdue and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I had a fulfilling career as a faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics at Kansas State University, Manhattan from 1986 to 2015.

I left K-State to join my wife and son, as my wife, whom I first met at UC-Davis as a fellow graduate student with a bright smile, was hired by Texas A&M University at College Station. I joined Prairie View A&M University, a member of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), as Director of Research Services. I metamorphosed into Director of Research and Sponsored Programs the following year, and for a year and a half, I have been the Director of Research Services and Center Initiatives, overseeing, among other tasks, the performance of 14 research centers on the campus. Sponsored Research Services (SRS) at TAMUS prepared me well to take on a role I had no idea about before. I have attended annual conferences of SRAI and NCURA to augment my research administration knowledge.

I first attended the NORDP Annual Conference last year. I received information about the conference by email, and after going through the NORDP website, I very much wanted to attend the conference. And I am glad that I did! Networking with colleagues from other universities was fun. The topics discussed were more relevant to me; a research development person has the unenviable task of motivating and assisting faculty members in the development and submission of grant proposals solely by cajoling.

I particularly enjoyed the workshop on Large Proposals. It covered RFA requirements, elements of a good proposal, stages of proposal development, execution, and submission of the proposal with the enthusiastic participation of the attendees. The discussion on how to assemble a team of investigators and get that team to stick to a schedule and make progress was especially interesting and useful to me. I also have been using the practical tips I got from the other attendees to develop and submit multi-disciplinary proposals.

No matter how many NORDP Annual Conferences you have attended, you will always get useful information and tips from your colleagues!

Visit the NORDP Store online now through March 15! 

We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held April 29 – May 1, 2019, at the Omni Providence Hotel in Providence, RI. 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 #NORDP2019 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.

#NORDP2019 starts Monday, April 29, in Providence, RI. Keep checking back here at the blog and on our Twitter feed (@NORDP_official) for conference updates. Register at https://www.nordp.org/conferences.

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Who: Christine M Blaumueller, Director of Scientific Editing and Research Communication Core
Where: The University of Iowa
Number of years in research development: 12
Length of NORDP membership: 3 years
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 1
What is the most interesting place you’ve visited?: Sarajevo and other parts of Bosnia-Herzogovina, on a teaching trip.

I first entered the RD world in 2006. I came from a science background, obtaining my PhD in the life sciences, training as a post-doctoral researcher, and working as an editor at a molecular biology journal in Europe. When I was ready to move closer to home again, I was excited to find a way to combine the skills I’d attained working in the laboratory and as an editor – establishing an editing service at the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine. My role suddenly shifted from journal gatekeeper to author advocate, a transition I found incredibly fulfilling.

My main role as a writing consultant is to help researchers make their grants (and research manuscripts) more compelling. I provide input on everything related to readability – mechanics, aesthetics, clarity – as well as on scientific aspects of the work. I also regularly teach scientific writing and, occasionally, help to organize large-scale proposals and guide authors to funding opportunities and collaborators. Finally, I have had several opportunities to train scientific editing interns; this facilitated the transition of my two-department editing service to a core facility for the college in 2017.

I first heard about NORDP from Debbie Frank, a colleague at Washington University in St. Louis whose position was similar to mine. We thought that attending a NORDP conference might be a good way to find more people like us. We presented a poster, hosted a networking dinner for writer/editors, and started a list of the people who came to see us (at the poster, the dinner, or both). Eventually, with the help of Meagan Ramsey at the University of Michigan, we converted this list into a network (Scientific Editors Network, a.k.a. ScENe), which is quickly becoming a fabulous forum for information exchange.

This is my first opportunity to return to the NORDP conference. I’m greatly looking forward to learning about new strategies to bring back to my office – whether in relation to editing, mentoring, or broadening the impact of our services. NORDP conference participants are amazing with respect to both their openness in sharing their knowledge and their willingness to take on organizational roles at the meeting. If this is your first time, be sure to attend a networking dinner or participate in a morning activity (a walk, a run, or whatever). You’ll be sure to make at least one contact who will have a surprisingly significant impact on your work!

Visit the NORDP Store online now through March 15! 

We hope to see you at the Conference, which will be held April 29 – May 1, 2019, at the Omni Providence Hotel in Providence, RI. 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 #NORDP2019 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.