Thanks to our session scribe, Kristyn Jewell, Purdue University!
Key points from the session. We learned:
Team learned from their initial failure with Accelerate America NNMI submission to succeed with NIIMBL.
For NIIMBL, the core scientific team coalesced before the FOA was released.
The RD support moved from a college/departmental approach for the failed application to a central integrated approach for the successful application and broke the proposal support team into core functions (Governance & Membership Strategy, Budget Planning, Proposal Writing, etc.).
Core proposal team kept working together after the concept paper submission assuming that they would be selected.
This experience ultimately changed their structure to encourage large collaboratory efforts with an Associate Vice President for Research hire focused on research development.
What did you hear at this presentation that surprised you?
They held workshops across the country to present to potential stakeholders and provided up-to-the-minute changes/updates with voting in order to get industry buy-in with acceptable terms & conditions.
What resources did you discover at this presentation?
What was the most interesting question asked by an audience member, and what was the presenter(s)’ response?
Q: For the management of the institute, what was the 501(c)3 proposed?
A: It was supposed to be a new 501(c)3 established upon award. However, the award execution needed to happen so quickly before inauguration that it was awarded to UD to give the 501(c)3 time to be established and fully operational before taking over management of the partnership.
What else from this session should NORDP members know?
The proposal RD support staff were chosen for their prior experience and skills level, not based on who had worked with the faculty group in the past. The team was cherry picked to get the best possible results.
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.
Alexis Nagel, Research Development Strategist, Office of Research Development, Medical University of South Carolina
Describe your work in research development (RD): I help to identify and advertise funding opportunities that are aligned with faculty research interests and institutional priorities. I also work with research interest groups on campus to build long-term strategies for funding. I manage my institution’s annual shared instrumentation (NIH) and research infrastructure improvement (NSF) grant application submissions, and assist with preparation of multi-component program and center proposals. Also, I lead informational sessions and faculty enrichment activities, including a grant writing workshop that I developed.
Describe your postdoc work: I received my PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2010. During my first postdoc, I studied the role of metabolic-sensing O-GlcNAc post-translational modifications in bone health and development using mass spectrometry (MS) based techniques. For my second postdoc, I applied MS-based molecular networking approaches to discover and characterize natural product drug leads.
Describe your transition from your postdoc/research background to RD: It was during my second postdoc that I discovered an aptitude for grant writing and proposal management that set the stage for my eventual transition to RD. Toward the end of my first postdoc I began to have doubts about the tenure-track faculty path for a variety of reasons and recognized the need for a career reassessment. I then learned of a newly hired senior faculty member who had relocated to our institution and needed help assembling proposals while reestablishing his lab. Because I was already considering an alternative career path, I was open to dialing back my research responsibilities to accommodate grant preparation activities. Over time I found I enjoyed this role; however, I also understood that I needed to move up and out of my postdoctoral training phase if I was serious about pursuing a different career trajectory. When a position opened up in my institution’s RD office several months later I applied and was hired as a Research Development Officer.
Describe the benefits your postdoc work provides to your skill set related to RD: Senior postdocs and early-career faculty members face many challenges while attempting to build funding for their research programs. As someone who traveled down this road for a time, I understand these frustrations and I am attempting to translate lessons learned from these experiences into training opportunities and resources that will serve and support these groups at my institution.
What words of wisdom do you have for postdocs who might consider an RD career? To be effective in RD you will need to build a diverse set of relationships with faculty and staff members at your institution and possibly other partnering entities and funding agencies. So make sure you like talking to people! In RD, interpersonal skills are probably just as important as writing experience and will serve you well when navigating the political landscape.
What has been your best experience, so far, with your work in RD? Observing the successful outcomes of long-term team funding efforts. When you start at the ground floor with a faculty group and continue to work alongside them the entire way, it is gratifying to see the combined hard work and planning of the team pay off as they reach their funding goals.
Why do you think RD is a good career choice? While I am no longer directly involved in academic research, I continue to have a tremendous passion for the sciences and respect for those working within the various fields. After being completely immersed in one subject area for so many years, I now appreciate the “20,000-foot view,” as it were, of the latest science taking place at my institution and across the nation. Additionally, I think if I had pursued a traditional faculty path I would have needed many more years of seniority before I was in a position to give back to the faculty research community through training and education, which is another aspect of this position that I really enjoy.
What other insights might be relevant to postdocs considering an RD career? To these postdocs – it is important to keep in mind that your investment in scientific training is not a sunk cost! My guess is that you have many transferrable skills that simply require an adjustment in focus. I would suggest reading current RD position announcements to get a feel for the field, and reaching out to RD professionals either at your institution or through NORDP. Schedule informational interviews and inquire how these individuals came to be in their current role. Then think about how you can re-tailor or otherwise build upon your existing training to ideally position yourself for such a role in the future.
Posted on behalf of the Strategic Alliances Committee committee
Thanks to our session scribe, Suzanne Lodato, Indiana University Bloomington!
Key points from the session. We learned:
Unsuccessful programming gives you an opportunity to rethink and revise your programming and move forward.
If you observe your audience while you are facilitating a program, you will see it is obvious when they are beginning to lose focus. Exercises like stretching breaks can help participants refocus.
Sometimes it is more effective to split longer workshops into smaller, more digestible sessions. For example, for finding funding, an overview session can be followed up by a separate hands-on funding database workshop.
Often a single session is more effective than a series of multiple sessions, particularly if you can gather some feedback within the single session. Participants tend to drop out of multi-week programs.
Workshops that require registration draw much better participation than drop-in workshops.
What did you hear at this presentation that surprised you?
Appalachian State is a PUI, but is currently recruiting more faculty who are “research intensive.”
Most participants who attend a finding funding workshop do not think it works well.
A two hour finding funding workshop tends to be ineffective because too much material is presented in one sitting and people lose focus.
What were the most interesting questions asked by audience members, and what was the presenters’ response?
For finding funding, some research development professionals encourage faculty to set up profiles before attending a hands-on database session.
What didn’t work: one person organized drop-in days for consultations on finding funding that were poorly attended.
Appalachian State has a separate office for undergrad research.
What else from this session should NORDP members know?
Here are two grant writing workshop models that worked well:
A multi-week program that required a sign-off from the faculty member’s department chair. Participants submitted a white paper to apply for the workshop, and the white papers were judged by means of a competitive process. Faculty had to commit to attending a specified minimum number of sessions. Participants identified a scientific mentor. Staff identified a senior mentor with whom the participant met once a month. Participants were also mentored by staff and peers. Only senior mentors were paid, because they had to meet with participants once per month and report back. Mentoring and accountability to the mentor were the reasons for the success of the program. Participants talked about more than just their current proposal with their mentor, so they developed their career paths, too.
Short, internal grant writing workshops 1.5 hours in length. The grant program is reviewed in the session, and participants spend time discussing their proposal ideas to receive feedback. An exercise may encourage participants to write for a very short period of time (e.g., 90 seconds), but they are not required to write during the workshop.
Join the premier organization for corporate-university relations professionals at our annual conference! Now open to anyone interested in corporate relations, university/industry partnerships, and our organization, this year’s conference will be in Atlanta, GA on July 24-26, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Downtown. Whether you’re new to the industry or a veteran, you’ll find opportunities to connect, learn and collaborate with peer institutions and industry representatives throughout the 20+ sessions and breakout groups. For program details and to register visit www.nacrocon.org.
NEW FOR 2018: NORDP members will receive a 25% discount off of conference registration! Contact shymes@asginfo.net for details.
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.
Courtney Hunt, Assistant Director, Center for Drug Discovery, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston
Describe your work in RD: I am currently the Assistant Director, starting up a new research center. I just transferred to this position. Previously, I was in the central Research Development Office in the Division of Research for three years. My current responsibilities include establishing the center recruiting members, developing the research program, educational program, and external outreach; managing the submission of multi-PI and core facility proposals; etc. My former position entailed identifying funding opportunities and matching them to appropriate faculty, running the limited submission program, getting teams together to discuss the potential for large, multi-disciplinary proposal submissions, hosting program officers, hosting or conducting grant writing workshops, etc.
Describe your postdoc work: I did a two-year postdoc at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Along with the expected experimental design, performing experiments, and data analysis, I got involved in a lot of other activities. I mentored summer students and doctoral students in the Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, was an active member (including a board member) of the Postdoctoral Association, researched and negotiated equipment acquisition, was awarded a PhRMA Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, and gave seminars at other departments’ seminar series. I also participated in any career development activity that MDACC offered. My postdoc advisor also went on sabbatical for the second year of my postdoc fellowship, so I operated with a high level of independence.
Describe your transition from your postdoc/research background to RD: My transition was a bit serendipitous. I was looking around and happened upon an interesting job posting at the University of Houston for a Research Liaison Officer. This required a PhD and seemed to fit my skill set and interests quite well. I contacted someone via LinkedIn who previously held the position and got some additional information about what they were really looking for, tailored my application materials accordingly, and prepared thoroughly for the interview.
Describe the benefits your postdoc work provides to your skill set related to RD: My postdoc allowed me to perform with a level of independence that I didn’t have in graduate school, especially with my advisor out of the country and having obtained my own funding. This developed the critical thinking and problem solving that is necessary for a career in research development. It also provided the opportunity to personally talk with faculty members in the department, which is also vital to an RD position. Perhaps equally important are all of the “other” skills that I refined during my postdoc – writing, communication (both email, phone and in person), serving in leadership positions, editing other researcher’s manuscript, abstracts, etc.
What words of wisdom do you have for current postdocs who might consider an RD career? In RD, you will learn a little about all sorts of different research, but it will no longer be YOUR project and you will not be the expert. Make sure you are ready for that. In exchange, you GET to learn about many different disciplines, which is intellectually rewarding. You enter RD because you want to stay close to science and help people be more successful.
What has been your best experience, so far, with your work in RD? Having a faculty member tell me, “I couldn’t have done this without you.” Being awarded a $10 million grant that I spent hours on was a pretty great experience, too!
Why do you think RD is a good career choice? RD enables you to stay tied to cutting-edge research without focusing on the same protein for your entire career. It is intellectually rewarding while also keeping your nights and weekends free. This is a growing field, with more institutions building RD offices, especially with the funding climate shifting to multidisciplinary research.
Posted on behalf of the Strategic Alliances Committee committee
Brett Bobley, National Endowment for the Humanities
Ashley Sands, Institute of Museum and Library Studies
Session Scribe: Paige Belisle, Harvard University
Key points from the session. We learned:
Both the NEH and IMLS can fund a wide range of project types. The best way to learn about all of the individual programs offered is to visit the funders’ websites.
Both agencies recommend that prospective PIs reach out to a program officer to discuss their proposed projects prior to applying. Program officers can also read proposal drafts.
NEH encourages faculty members from outside of the humanities to apply via interdisciplinary projects.
IMLS has a broad definition of what constitutes a museum or library – so it’s good to check to see if a PI’s project might fit within this agency by looking at the requirements of the individual programs.
Both agencies have an interest in funding projects in the digital humanities and in digital infrastructure.
What did you hear at this presentation that surprised you?
Many faculty and research development professionals alike are under the impression that all research projects supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities must result in a scholarly book. However, this is not the case! The NEH supports a wide range of projects, including programs for the public, preservation and access, and the digital humanities.
What resources did you discover at this presentation?
Both of the program officers emphasized that samples of successful proposals are available on their agencies’ respective websites, organized by individual program.
What was the most interesting question asked by an audience member, and what was the presenters’ response?
One audience member asked how to advise faculty who wanted program officer feedback after the stated draft deadline had passed. Both program officers suggested such faculty members reach out to their respective program officers directly to ask about sending a draft regardless—this is sometimes a feasible option and can be mutually beneficial.
What else from this session should NORDP members know?
NEH and IMLS staff are available to travel to give outreach presentations at institutions. For NEH/IMLS budgeting purposes, it is helpful to request such a presentation well in advance. The presenters also recommended partnering with other institutions in your region to host a joint event, as having the opportunity to present to multiple/larger groups allows the program officers to justify their budget requests more successfully.
This was the elevator pitch used recently when I joined Michael Spires, NORDP board president, at the National Postodoctoral Association (NPA). As NORDP’s Strategic Alliances Committee liaison with the NPA, I helped staff the NORDP booth that welcomed 73 people who picked up brochures and information.
One of the first things Michael and I had to do was to perfect our elevator pitch on what RD as a career path looks like and how NORDP fits in the equation. This was warranted because people had difficulties differentiating us, a professional development organization, from a company that provides professional services like grant writing or grants management (a legitimate confusion, given that there were other companies and organizations there that offered these services). We were, however, able to get over this problem by comparing ourselves to the NPA, which is an analogous organization.
In the past year, NORDP has developed a new professional relationship with the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). To develop this blossoming friendship, the two organizations decided to conference swap. NORDP was invited to attend the NPA annual meeting, with two complementary registrations and exhibit table. In return, Kristen Scott, NPA board member, attended the 10th annual NORDP conference. NORDP’s goal was to advocate for RD as a non-traditional career path, to build awareness of NORDP and its resources, and to increase NORDP membership. The Strategic Alliances Committee developed a four-page brochure that described RD basics and transitions into RD careers from postdoc positions.
The NORDP Board, Communications Working Group, and Strategic Alliances Committee are working on an official elevator pitch and other communications tools. They would love to harness the wisdom of the crowd and invite you to share your thoughts.
What is the elevator pitch you use to explain your job to your faculty, to your research administration, to your friends and to your grandma? If you have ideas that we can use to stitch together to come up with a common voice, send them to us by email at liaison@nordp.org.
What was the most interesting question asked by an audience member, and what was the presenter(s)’ response?
Q: How to convey to the faculty the needed time for graphics?
A: I actually like late requests because there isn’t time for a ton of revisions! But, I also like being involved in early meetings so know what they need and what their primary content will be really well. Some offices will only work on grants with large dollar requests. And they will require early involvement.
General notes
The times are changing – we’re in an information overload and people don’t have time to read
Changed consumption habits
Transient Attention span of 8 seconds, sustained attention span in 20 minutes
Reading on a screen, and reading print
People might be reading only 20% of what’s presented to them – we want to draw their attention to useful parts of the proposal for that 20%
Need to be resilient to the changes
Data visualization- on twitter follow #dataviz and #scicomm to get ideas about how people are visualizing data
#sciart great resource for graphics
Making the most of graphics
Simple graph can be made more readable by tweaking where legends and titles are, taking away boundary lines
Key design rules
Balance
Rhythm (e.g., eye leads naturally from left to right and top to bottom)
Proportion
Dominance (think about what needs to be the star of the graphic)
Unity (tie it together)
Repetition of form
PPT still a useful tool for nice looking images – you don’t need the fancy tool
But space does matter. How much room do you have for this graphic?
Quick figures – things that don’t take long to construct
e.g., use a molecule and define the parts for your proposal
Org chart
Make it look different than everyone else – like a pedigree perhaps
Tables
Add color
Keep tables consistent in form
Infographics better than a bulleted list – just find a graphic to go in the middle and put the bulleted list around the outside
Design is not a silver bullet, but can be a silver lining
Branding and identity – a proposal is an extension of your brand.
Beyond color and logo. Headings, spacing
Figure on first page — grab attention!
Action caption
The caption can take text out of paragraphs by adding action to it (e.g., caption to org chart talks about ability to respond to needs)
Know your audience!
They are likely to have divided attention that you’ll need to capture
They may not know your area as well as you do – be clear!
Keep in mind what’s in it for them
To convince others, need to combine and convey: ethos (expertise, authority), pathos (emotion) and logos (reason)
Cultivate a culture
The field resists right now
We have opportunities to work with those who aren’t as resistant to start making changes
Talk with people about possibilities of deleting whole paragraph and using a graphic instead
Transform faculty from mechanics to artists — get them into their creative minds using pointed questions about what the reviewers need to understand and see
Find people you can hire – if you’re talking about millions of dollars, it’s worth a little money up front. Be sure to talk to the designer about how they got to their end products in their portfolio.
Freelancers who do science comics
Get to know your university marketing and communications team
Hire a student!
Help them think about what they want their final images to look like
The Holly J. Falk-Krzesinski Service Award is conferred by the NORDP Board of Directors in recognition of the commitment of a NORDP member to the growth of NORDP as an organization, strong efforts toward furtherance of the research development profession, and service to peers. It is named in honor of NORDP’s founder and first president, Holly J. Falk-Krzesinski. An award is presented at the annual conference to one NORDP member in good standing. The 2018 Awardee is Jeff Agnoli.
Jeff Agnoli receiving the award from Holly Falk-Krzesinski at the 2018 NORDP Conference in Arlington, VA.
Who: Jeffrey T. Agnoli; Education, Funding and Research Development; Office of the Vice President for Research Where: The Ohio State University Number of years in research development: 25 Length of NORDP membership: 8
What initiative are you the most proud of in your role as a NORDP volunteer?
I have enjoyed my role in enhancing the general and fiscal operations of NORDP as well as my contributions to the field through presentations and pre-conference workshops.
How has your service to NORDP enhanced your career?
My understanding of the RD professional role/function and how it works on different campuses enables me to adopt best practices for my own university.
Describe how NORDP has changed from when you initially joined.
When I joined NORDP in 2012 we had ~600 members and we are now close to ~900 members and still growing. Our committee structure and organizational operation have morphed from what was a small nonprofit to a much more sophisticated organization. As we have grown, we have been able to offer more services to our members and contribute to expanding the RD profession. Two-thirds of our members are early-career professionals — that was not the case in 2009 when NORDP began.
Compiled by Daniel Campbell, Member Services Committee. Read more about Jeff’s efforts on behalf of NORDP here. Congrats, Jeff!
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 Mentoring Committee is part way through a series of webinars to support mentors/mentees/peer mentors. The series focuses on tools provided within the OnBoarding Packet. The remaining webinars will help provide direction for your mentoring relationship, as well generally support your professional development. This includes assessing your skills to identify strengths and gaps, identifying individuals in your network that can provide mentorship, expertise, support or helping hands (my MESHH Network), and developing an individual professional development plan.
These webinars are open to the entire NORDP community, regardless of current participation in the NORDP Mentoring Program. Join us for one or all, and committee members will share tips as to how to use the tool, strategies for success, and other best practices.
We invite you to join us for the final three webinars in this series:
Self-Assessment Worksheet: Capitalizing on Strengths and Targeting Areas of Growth for Professional Development (June 27) Where do you want to be professionally in one year? In five years? What skills do you need to achieve your career goals? Self-awareness is an important part of professional development. The OnBoarding Packet contains a Self-Assessment Worksheet. The tool has several categories of skills that are relevant for research development, as well as open sections so that it can be tailored to each individual. The skills assessment can foster continual professional improvement for both mentees and mentors. By completing the skills assessment you can identify and target areas of growth needed to achieve your career goals. You can develop a plan to improve those skills with the help of your mentoring (MESHH) network. Over time, you can evaluate your growth by reassessing your skills, which can lead to new target areas for your professional development.
Presenter: Kathy Partlow, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
My MESHH Network: Developing Your Own Personalized Mentoring Network to Achieve Your Goals (July 11) Now that you have had the opportunity to assess your skills, abilities, strengths, and challenges with your mentor/mentee/peer mentor, what are some good ways to organize and manage your personal and professional development? This webinar will help you weave your network of support. A MESHH network consists of those people who provide Mentorship, Expertise, Support, and Helping Hands. The My MESHH Network tool builds on the Initial Conversation Guide and the Self-Assessment Worksheet to help you identify and connect with key individuals who can support your success. This webinar will provide an overview of the tool and explore how to form a customized mosaic of support.
Presenter: Christina Papke, Ph.D., Texas A&M University
The NORDP Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP): Your Personalized Map for Success (July 18) The primary goal of a mentoring relationship is to ensure the mentee is well-positioned for targeted success and meaningful outcomes. Critical components of an effective mentoring experience are knowing the mentee’s needs, understanding how your mentor (and others identified through your MESHH network) can help address or meet your needs, and ultimately mapping out a course for your personal and professional development. Pulling from effective professional development plan models and based on the SMART goals concept, the NORDP IPDP serves as a tangible tool and thoughtful guidepost toward success and enrichment. The IPDP serves as a template for the mentor/mentee pair to work from to set their relationship up for success, both during and beyond the NORDP mentoring experience. This webinar session will briefly explain the importance of creating a professional development plan, walk participants through elements of the NORDP IPDP tool, offer examples of specific content in response to each section, and provide some additional resources to help develop the plan.
Presenters: Etta Ward, M.A., NORDP Board, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Hilda McMackin, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
NORDP News 