Request for Proposals: 2019 NORDP Conference Workshops

Dear NORDP Members,

Expert facilitator teams with compelling and relevant content are invited to apply to deliver Conference Workshops during the NORDP 2019 Annual Research Development Conference in Providence, RI. Conference Workshops will satisfy the following goals:

  • Provide intensive, interactive learning activities and professional development opportunities in selected areas of research development
  • Successfully deliver clearly identified learning objectives and provide tangible outcomes for targeted audiences.

Four-hour conference workshops are designed for in-depth, interactive exploration of topics that cannot be adequately covered in a shorter session. Workshop length is intended to provide participants with a more holistic and engaging learning environment. The additional length is also intended to provide participants with tangible outcomes or products that may be implemented in their home institutions. Detailed information regarding the purpose of one-, two-, and four-hour sessions will be shared by the NORDP conference organizers at a later date.

Workshop proposals will be considered on any topic relevant to the broad NORDP membership. Based on last year’s conference evaluations, we have identified several topic areas of interest:

  • Faculty development programs and activities; proposals addressing new and junior faculty development are particularly encouraged
  • Building and enhancing the diversity of the research development professional workforce
  • Research development team mentoring and development
  • Incorporating private sector tools and techniques into the proposal development office
  • Practical strategies for teambuilding and translating team science findings into practice
  • Starting and building the research development office
  • Professional development for the RD professional, including an introductory or foundations workshop for new RD professionals across perspectives (institutional, division, and department-level RD professionals)
  • Science, research, and technical communications, including strategies to communicate findings beyond the academy, communications from experts to non-experts, and train-the-trainer approaches for RD professionals to provide sessions to constituents at their home institutions
  • Tools for the RD professional

The above list is not exhaustive—the Conference Workshop Committee welcomes proposals in any area that achieves the goals for these sessions. Proposals are also encouraged that reflect the breadth of the NORDP membership, including research development roles and positions, levels of knowledge and experience, academic disciplines, and institution types. Workshops involving new, emerging, or exploratory topics are also encouraged. Proposals are welcomed from previous conference workshop facilitators.

Each workshop will be four hours in length and must have at least two facilitators. Each session will have 30 to 35 participants. Facilitators will be expected to develop intensive, interactive workshop experiences with appropriate hand-outs and resources that participants can integrate into their professional activities at their home institutions.

To propose a conference workshop at NORDP 2019 in Providence, application materials must be submitted via InfoReady no later than Monday, October 29, 2018 by 5:00 PM local time. The InfoReady platform will be available beginning Thursday, September 20, 2018 for proposal submissions.

The application will require the following information:

  1. Workshop Information
    • Proposed learning objectives, workshop competencies, and tangible outcomes (handouts, tools, resources, etc.)
    • Format, lesson plan, and curriculum overview, e.g., interactive delivery
    • Learning environment and connection to inclusive excellence, i.e., description of how the facilitators will develop a positive learning environment and support NORDP’s inclusive excellence goals
    • Targeted audience(s), i.e., research development roles and positions, levels of knowledge and experience, academic disciplines, institution types
  2. Facilitator Expertise and Qualifications
    • Related to the workshop topic
    • Expertise and qualifications related to delivering interactive workshop sessions

The criteria used in the selection process mirror these categories, and also take into consideration the goal of addressing a variety of topics and targeted audiences. Facilitators will be notified by early January 2019 of the Committee’s decisions.

Selected facilitator teams will be expected to provide updates to a subset of the Conference Workshop Committee regarding the development of their presentations, including learning objectives, lesson plans, and tangible outcomes. Webinars and resources on effective presentation techniques will be offered to all selected teams. Further, members of the Conference Workshop Committee will provide direct support to each team to provide feedback and assistance to ensure the highest quality for each workshop. Facilitator teams will be paid an honorarium for their preparation and presentation.

NORDP reserves the right to cancel Conference Workshops due to lack of enrollment. The decision whether to cancel will be made when the early-bird Conference registration discount ends. Selected facilitators will be expected to begin development of their materials in advance of this decision.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity in greater detail, please contact Eva Allen at evaallen@iu.edu. Applicants interested in receiving feedback on a draft of their conference workshop proposal should email their draft to Eva by Monday, October 15, 2018.

We look forward to reviewing your proposals for what we are confident will be exciting and highly useful professional development experiences.

The NORDP Conference Workshops Committee:

Eva Allen, Co-Chair, Indiana University
Sarah Bronson, Co-Chair, Penn State College of Medicine
Jan Abramson, University of Utah
Faye Farmer, Arizona State University
Ron Fleischmann, Hope College
Alicia Gahimer, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Sue Grimes, Purdue University
Marie Grubbs, NC State
Ann Marie Hess, Arizona State University
Missy Jenkins, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Monica Kessel, Utah State University
Jamie Kirkley, Indiana University
Stephanie A. Korcheck, Texas State University
Benjamin Mull, University of Houston
Donnalyn Roxey, KnowInnovation
Angela Shotts, University of Alabama
Paul Tuttle, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Kari Whittenberger-Keith, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

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.

Developing Effective NORDP Workshop Applications

Are you interested in designing and presenting a workshop for the next NORDP conference in Rhode Island? Conference workshops are a unique opportunity for our community to explore a specialized topic in depth.

For 2019, we are hoping to increase the diversity of our workshop topics and facilitators. This webinar is designed to engage anyone interested in designing a workshop and ensure that applicants know how to prepare a winning application.

Past workshop presenters, Kathy Cataneo and Alan Paul, will share their stories, and we will review the current solicitation, which will be released September 17th.

It’s time for you to get excited about sharing your expertise and experience with the NORDP community! Register to attend this webinar on September 20, 2018; 10am PT/11am MT/12pm CT/1pm ET.

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.

The Transition from Postdoc to Research Development: Gaelle F. Kolb

The following is part of a limited blog series from the Strategic Alliances Committee highlighting NORDP members who have transitioned from postdoctoral positions to careers in research development.

Kolb-Photo
Gaelle F. Kolb, Proposal Development Manager, Office of Research Development, Division of Research, University of Maryland

Describe your work in research development (RD): I am currently a proposal development manager in the Office of Research Development within the Division of Research at the University of Maryland. I am responsible for managing multidisciplinary teams of scientists and leading them to submit highly prestigious, multi-million dollars grants to various sponsors. The teams vary with the open calls and so do the represented disciplines.

Describe your postdoc work: My scientific background is in infectious diseases. During my first postdoc, I investigated the role of a host protein in waking up Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 from latency in infected neurons. The work was seminal in demonstrating that, in fact, a host protein was indispensable for that event to start, and another postdoc demonstrated that it recruited a whole complex of proteins to re-activate the viral transcription. In a shorter second postdoc, I identified a Heat Shock protein as binding to Ebola Virus genome, and in a later publication on which I am a collaborative author, the team demonstrated that this protein was indispensable to viral replication, making it a potential drug target.

Describe your transition from your postdoc/research background to RD: I was very involved in professional and career development during my postdoc, helping other postdocs (and myself) find the career of their dream. I became the grants and training development specialist in one of the NIH institutes, which totally opened up my love for proposal development and helping others better write how much their science would impact our society.

Describe the benefits your postdoc work provided to your skill set related to RD: I was a restless postdoc, always getting involved in “other/administrative” internships. I became a great listener and talker as well.

What words of wisdom do you have for postdocs who might consider an RD career? As a postdoc, you have cultivated the passion for science. Now, keep the breadth and forget about the depth.

What has been your best experience, so far, with your work in RD? Moving to my current position has been the best experience in research development. Before that, I felt that I was only allowed to dabble, expressing other people’s way of doing. Now, I become part of the team every time I support a new proposal development. I am learning about their subject matter so I can provide critical feedback to their proposed research. I continue to read everything about science (I am member of the AAAS, reader of Science magazine, reader of Nature and The Scientist, in addition to NSF and NIH news).

Why do you think RD is a good career choice? Well, I like the fact that I don’t have to drill too deep into one subject anymore; instead, I can dream big with a team, and differently as I move on to the next team. I like the fast pace and flexible hours. I don’t mind taking on a few hours of work at night or on weekends provided that I can work flexibly otherwise.

What other insights might be relevant to postdocs considering an RD career? Be patient and nurture your professional network. Be professional and always give the best of yourself, which is why I feel I was offered my current position!

Save the Date(s)!

conference-2019The 2019 NORDP Annual Research Development Conference will take place on April 29-May 1, 2019, at the Omni in Providence, Rhode Island. Mark your calendar! Much, much more to come about our 11th annual conference in the coming weeks and months.

Conference Workshop Webinar

NORDP Community, have you imagined yourself as a workshop presenter at the 2019 NORDP? If so, it’s time to start thinking about your workshop proposal. Mark your calendar for 1 PM EST, Thursday, September 20, 2018, for a NORDP webinar timed to coincide with the release of this year’s call for workshop proposals. The webinar is designed to prepare anyone interested in designing a workshop and ensure that applicants know how to prepare a winning application. Stay tuned for more information about the RFP and webinar in the coming days!

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.

Help the National Science Foundation think outside the box; enter the NSF 2026 Idea Machine competition!

Message below from the National Science Foundation:

Dear Colleague,

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces the launch of the NSF 2026 Idea Machine, a prize competition to help set the U.S. agenda for fundamental research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and STEM education. Participants can earn cash prizes and receive public recognition by suggesting the pressing research questions that need to be answered in the coming decade, the next set of “Big Ideas” for future investment by NSF. It’s an opportunity for researchers, the public and other interested stakeholders to contribute to NSF’s mission to support basic research and enable new discoveries that drive the U.S. economy, enhance national security and advance knowledge to sustain the country’s global leadership in science and engineering.

Entries will be accepted through October 26, 2018. For more information, including entry instructions, eligibility, rules, and judging criteria, please visit the NSF 2026 Idea Machine website.

The Transition from Postdoc to Research Development: Miquella Chavez Rose

The following is part of a limited blog series from the Strategic Alliances Committee highlighting NORDP members who have transitioned from postdoctoral positions to careers in research development.

Rose
Miquella Chavez Rose, Executive Director, Research Triangle MRSEC

Describe your work in research development (RD): I’ve been engaged for about six months now, first as helping coordinate a NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) resubmission, then other various NSF center applications coming from the former faculty from our current MRSEC.

Describe your postdoc work: My postdoc was focused on trying to grow teeth. More specifically, we were using the ever-growing mouse incisor stem cells and trying to create a 3D biomaterial platform to control the homeostasis and differentiation of these cells into enamel producing ameloblasts.

Describe your transition from your postdoc/research background to RD: I transitioned from my postdoc into my current position as Executive Director of the Research Triangle MRSEC, and found that the proposal development and team building aspect of the resubmission was something I very much enjoyed and wanted to pursue.

Describe the benefits your postdoc work provides to your skill set related to RD: Being able to think of the science “big picture” is something really necessary for a good postdoc, and those skills come in handy in research development, as well as the independent nature of the postdoc translates well into research development.

What words of wisdom do you have for postdocs who might consider an RD career? Volunteer to be part of the grant writing process in any form in your current lab (helping write sections for you PI, or submitting your own) will help you in the long run. Also, reach out to your RD office on campus; you may be able to shadow or volunteer with their group to see if you really would enjoy the day to day experience of a RD professional.

What has been your best experience, so far, with your work in RD? Of course, it is great when you hear something you worked on was funded, but sometimes it is a simple as getting the proposal out the door, knowing you helped make it the best it could be.

Why do you think RD is a good career choice? I really like the collaborative nature of the work; when you work with a really good team, it is really fun and exciting. The work is deadline driven and can be long hours during grant season, but as a postdoc we are used to the long hours, and it’s actually less hours than a typical postdoc, and the deadline is actually a nice change from bench work, in which there is always that “next experiment.”

What other insights might be relevant to postdocs considering an RD career? The NORDP group is really a great group of people that are super friendly and helpful, so if you are thinking of this type of career, just keep in contact with the representative and they will help you get connected!

Posted on behalf of the Strategic Alliances Committee committee

Don’t Just Sit There!

On the campus of Texas Tech (my institution) is a bronze sculpture of Will Rogers on his horse, Soapsuds. A vaudeville performer, stage and motion picture actor, radio personality, and newspaper columnist, Will Rogers was first and foremost a great American Cowboy. He was also known for his aphorisms, which served as a humorous social commentary. One aphorism relevant to Research Development (RD) offices is “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

Are you moving forward or are you sitting still?  Does your RD office need a jumpstart?  NORDP’s Program for External Evaluation of Research Development (PEERD) can be the spark to get your RD office in forward motion. PEERD provided my institution, Texas Tech, with best practices and ideas for improvement and expansion that are propelling us on the right track.

Don’t just sit there! Contact PEERD@nordp.org for a no-obligation cost estimate. More information can be found at https://www.nordp.org/peerd-consulting-program

Submitted on behalf of Kayla Tindle

NORDP-logo_lockup-PEERD[1]

NORDP Liaison Notes: The 2018 NIH Regional Seminar

Conference Attendee: Jennifer Webster, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Conference: The NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration
Date and Location: May 2-4 2018, in Washington, DC

nih-logo-large.pngConference Description from NIH: “These seminars are intended to help demystify the application and review process, clarify Federal regulations and policies, and highlight current areas of special interest or concern. The seminars serve the NIH mission of providing education and training for the next generation of biomedical and behavioral scientist. NIH policy, grants management, review and program staff provide a broad array of expertise and encourage personal interaction between themselves and seminar participants. The seminars are appropriate for grants administrators, researchers new to NIH, and graduate students.”

The purpose of my attendance was threefold:

  1. Meet with program officers to build relationships and clarify questions of specific interest to my faculty and institution;
  2. Represent NORDP in my capacity as NIH Liaison from the Strategic Alliances Committee; and
  3. Attend seminar sessions to maintain my general knowledge about the sponsor.

This is my fourth year (in a row!) attending the NIH Regional Seminar. For the first three years, I organized faculty travel to the event to provided them with a baseline understanding of NIH and to prepare them to meet one-on-one with program officers. This year, I didn’t take any faculty, and I split my time between meeting with program officers and attending sessions of interest.

The sessions this year didn’t reveal any new information about pending initiatives or major changes at NIH, but my time meeting with program officers, even with very loose agendas, was quite productive. I met with program officials in areas of specific interest to my institution and those conversations clarified questions and provided additional information that we have already used to realign some of our ongoing work with faculty and to push forward into new areas. My conversations also revealed awareness of research development (and NORDP) that ranged from puzzled to enthusiastic, which confirmed that there’s a lot more outreach to be done!

I highly recommend the NIH Regional Seminar to NORDP members, especially for the opportunities to meet one-on-one with many program officers from most institutes and centers.

Submitted by Jennifer Webster

The Transition from Postdoc to Research Development: Rebecca Terns

The following is part of a limited blog series from the Strategic Alliances Committee highlighting NORDP members who have transitioned from postdoctoral positions to careers in research development.

Terns
Rebecca Terns, Proposal Enhancement Officer, Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Georgia

Describe your work in research development (RD): I work in the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Georgia. My responsibility is to help investigators across campus develop strong, successful research proposals. I facilitate large, complex proposals including those involving multiple investigators, multiple institutions, and multiple disciplines. I help investigators (both individuals and teams) assess research plans and effectively communicate critical points. I also organize and present programs to help investigators identify funding sources, understand the proposal evaluation process, and improve grant-writing skills.

Describe your postdoc work: In my postdoctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, I identified molecular and genetic factors critical for epidermal development in C. elegans. C. elegans and Madison are wonderful!

Describe your transition from your postdoc/research background to RD: Following my postdoctoral work, I co-directed a large research group in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Georgia. We made significant contributions to the fields of small RNA biology, telomerase and cancer, and CRISPR-Cas biology. I obtained extensive experience in scientific analysis and funding, project management, and collaborative research development and writing. I developed and taught graduate-level courses on effective science communication. I developed a strong interest in extending the impact of my work across a broader landscape.

Describe the benefits your postdoc work provides to your skill set related to RD: During the first weeks of my postdoc, I immersed myself in a brand-new research field and wrote an NIH fellowship proposal that funded my postdoctoral studies. My enjoyment of that experience is recapitulated regularly in the work that I now do in university research development. The scientific knowledge base and analytical thinking that I developed during my postdoctoral work and subsequent years is also essential to my effectiveness.

What words of wisdom do you have for postdocs who might consider an RD career? Effective writing is a key skill in research development. All of the great writers that I meet say that writing is a struggle for them at times – that feeling does not mean that you are not a skilled writer.

What has been your best experience, so far, with your work in RD? Without a doubt, it is the extent of the appreciation of the investigators with whom I work!

Why do you think RD is a good career choice? It is a great career choice for scientists with particular aptitudes that complement their scientific training and experience (e.g. big picture focus, project management, collaboration, effective communication). Beyond your postdoc, experience in a faculty position is helpful to develop valuable broader perspectives.

New NORDP Board Member Cameo: Paul Tuttle

Paul Tuttle is one of three new elected NORDP Board Members in 2018. We thank Paul for his service to NORDP!

Who: Paul Tuttle, Director of Proposal Development
Where: Office of Research Services & Project Management, North Carolina A&T State University
Number of years in research development: 18
Length of NORDP membership: 7

What’s your history in RD? When and how did you enter the field? What kind of RD work do you do?newest Paul Tuttle headshot (August 5, 2018).jpg

I began working in the field of research administration at North Carolina A&T from 2000 to 2003 and returned as the Director of Proposal Development in 2015. In the interim, I worked at Winston-Salem State University as their Associate Director of Sponsored Programs and as a grants consultant and later the Managing Grants Consultant for Hanover Research advising client colleges and universities on strategic research advancement. Like many of us, I had been doing RD work without realizing it—I felt that I had “found my people” after attending my first conference in 2012 in Alexandria.

I have spent my entire career working to strengthen higher education institutions’ research enterprises. In my current role at North Carolina A&T,  I help faculty understand the funding landscape, oversee and facilitate grantsmanship training, coordinate new faculty research orientation, help faculty express their project visions in words, facilitate interdisciplinary teaming for research across campus, and help guide the strategic directions of the Division of Research and Economic Development. I feel that I have come home to my dream job, in which I not only help individuals and teams to grow, but departments and colleges as well.

What’s your history with NORDP? How have you engaged with the organization (committee work, conferences attended/presented)?

I began my engagement with NORDP first as a conference attendee and presenter, marrying my background in business and technical writing with my current career in positioning, developing, and writing proposals. Over time, I became curious about how the pre-conference workshop planning was done, so I joined the committee. Because I have always been interested in professional development, I also joined the PD committee. Throughout my involvement with NORDP, I have had numerous informal mentors in how to do RD better; these mentors’ guidance and the chance to see NORDP up close and in action have helped me grow. I see my participation in and service to NORDP as a way to give back to the organization, which has given me so much.

What relationships have you built as a result of NORDP (new colleagues, connections to institutions where you previously had no point of contact)?

I have met countless people at NORDP conferences over the years, building many relationships serendipitously after conversations at lunch, on breaks, at receptions, and so forth. I try to follow up on these conference contacts via phone or email to continue our conversations: it has been so helpful to me that so many NORDP members are so friendly and willing to share their knowledge and experiences.

What inspired you to run for a position on the NORDP board?

I was actually nominated by two members of the NORDP board. I had not been expecting it at all; I was tremendously flattered by this surprising and validating gesture. I was honored and humbled to be accepted by the board as a candidate and voted on by the NORDP membership. I view my nomination, candidacy, and election to the NORDP Board as the single largest professional compliment I have ever received.

What initiative are you most excited about in your new role as a board member?

The RD field and NORDP are both maturing, and I am excited about the chance to help guide that process. Recognition of the differing career paths toward becoming an RD professional are a sign of that maturation. We are getting closer to being able to define not only the skill sets of a NORDP RD professional but also what RD is or can be for people at different levels in a higher education institution, from a VPR at an R1 to the newest, most entry-level departmental research administration. I am also very interested in diversity and inclusion initiatives, and not simply because I currently work at the largest HBCU in the U.S.: I want to ensure that all are represented and have an opportunity to voice their perspectives and that as a discipline and an organization we appreciate and utilize the richness of the diverse viewpoints among both existing and potential NORDP members.

Compiled by Daniel Campbell, Member Services Committee

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.