Tag: Conference Cameos

#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: Dr. Martin Kirk, Operations Director (Research & Researchers)
Where: King’s College London
Number of years in research development: More than 20
Length of NORDP membership: 4 years
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 3
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A chemist

From an early age I was very interested in science. I always planned to study for a science degree and most likely work in research in industry. However, after spending 10 years in research, I realized that I enjoyed research administration and research development much more than doing actual research. I absolutely relish working with investigators and hearing about their research and helping them reach their goals.

I began my RD career at the University of Calgary where I realized that researchers could greatly benefit from help from an RD team. We started by supporting a specific research infrastructure program that had a novel grant proposal format that challenged researchers and was extremely impact-focused. The RD team/process led to great success and gained national attention because of the disproportionate success rates, etc. I had a fruitful 10 years in research admin and RD at the UofC.

In 2007, I was headhunted to the University of British Columbia (UBC) to lead their research administration and RD unit. Again, a strengthening of the RD unit led to more success. Another 10 years slipped by in a wink.

The headhunters came calling again in 2018, this time looking to fill a position at King’s College London leading the central research admin: awards management, contracts, technology transfer, core facilities, clinical trials, post-grad scholarships, compliance and of course RD.

While at UBC I heard about NORDP and attended my first conference. It was a revelation having a conference dedicated to RD and a program entirely focused around success in RD. I learned many techniques and systems. I was amazed at how much sharing of ideas happened at the conference. I met many fellow RD professionals and found the networking opportunity to be invaluable.

I am very much looking forward to catching up with my colleagues and learning new ideas. RD is a rapidly evolving profession and NORDP, a very exciting forum.

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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.

#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.

#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: Susan Gomes, Director of Research Development and Strategy
Where: Harvard University
Number of years in research development: 20
Length of NORDP membership: 8 years
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 8
What is the most interesting place you’ve visited? I lived in Costa Rica for six months as a graduate student doing field research.

I’ve been in the research development field for nearly 20 years and had the good fortune to work in both public and private research universities and at the department, central, and school level. Starting out at the department level working with faculty in a large research center was wonderful training for my later work in a central office—it made me very aware of the challenges department colleagues face and the value of their contributions. In the central office position, I supported proposal development efforts across the University for large scale grants and individual investigator grants, and developed programming and resources for new faculty. During my time in that position we were successful in increasing our annual research volume from $60M annually to $100M with no additional resources. We also received an EPSCoR grant to build our state’s research infrastructure. In 2010, I was offered an opportunity to build a new research development office at Harvard University in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. With the help of wonderful colleagues and an incredibly talented team, we built a new office. We have since expanded our team to serve our engineering school as well.

The colleagues I have met through NORDP and the programming at the conferences have been an essential part of my professional development. I attribute my success, in part, to the wonderful group of NORDP colleagues I have cultivated over the years. I have attended all of the NORDP annual conferences with the exception of the very first annual meeting in 2008. When I interviewed for my current position, I mentioned that I was a NORDP member and that I would be able to leverage my relationships and the expertise of a strong national network of colleagues across the country.

I encourage any new NORDP attendees to take full advantage of all of the opportunities for networking at the conference and to build new relationships with colleagues as well as new knowledge of your profession. For me, the best part of the organization has been the relationships I have built and the opportunity to learn from my colleagues.  I have also enjoyed the opportunity to share best practices and ideas with colleagues in informal settings at the conference, over coffee or dinner. I look forward to this year’s conference and to connecting with colleagues, both new and old.

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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: Michael Jacobson, Research Development Specialist
Where: Binghamton University
Number of years in research development: 2
Length of NORDP membership: 2 years
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 2
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Archaeologist

My transition to research development began before starting my current role as a research development specialist. For about 12 years, I worked as a contract archaeologist for a university-based cultural resource management firm. In the beginning, my position mostly involved fieldwork, research and travel across New York State and the Northeast. However, as I progressed in the field, my role included more grant writing and contract development. In a sense, I was already serving as a research development specialist. This made my transition to research development relatively simple.

Our Office of Strategic Research Initiatives at Binghamton University focuses on preparing proposals for large interdisciplinary teams. This involves more than just grant writing. We are often called on to be facilitators by helping with faculty training and team building. My background in anthropology is an asset in working with faculty across campus and in different disciplines. Acknowledging that different disciplines have their own practices and working with these various perspectives in their own terms helps with facilitating research teams for large proposals. My research background also made me appreciate the value of public engagement with research. I try to continue this interest by advising our faculty on developing plans for broader impacts and public engagement resulting from their research.

Last year was my first time at a NORDP conference and it was nice to see that there was a large community of people dealing with the same issues. The NORDP membership is more than willing to share their best practices and solutions to the issues we face in research development. I brought back a number of ideas from last year’s conference for discussion at our university. These include expanding partnerships with campus libraries for help with proposal development and developing retreats with interdisciplinary teams to improve collaboration and proposal development. One specific example inspired me to expand our NSF CAREER faculty training from one annual workshop to a workshop series that went into more detail on proposal writing and broader impacts.  The keynote addresses identifying funding agency priorities and trends within scientific research were also valuable.

My suggestion for attending the conference would be to be open, present, and engaged, but also be sure to get in line early for the events.

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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: Kate Petcosky-Kulkarni, Director of Strategic Research Initiatives
Where: University of Oregon
Number of years in research development: 5
Length of NORDP membership: 1
Number of NORDP conferences attended: 1
What is the most interesting place you’ve visited? For our honeymoon, my spouse and I stayed at an old fort in Madya Pradesh, India, that was converted into a hotel. It was on a river, and we spent our days people-watching on beautiful ghats.

Like many of my peers, I essentially “fell into” research development. I initially pursued a traditional academic route and completed a Master’s in Food Studies from NYU with the intention of working for a few years before applying for a PhD program in anthropology or sociology. I worked for a small non-profit that supported refugee and immigrant farmers for a few years, and discovered that I wanted to ask questions about food studies through a more applied focus, rather than strictly academic. I enrolled in Boston University’s Masters in Public Health program and began working in the proposal development office at BU’s medical school; I  found that my career path and training prepared me well to support faculty with their grant submissions. I could manage multiple projects simultaneously and communicate effectively for a variety of audiences. I found that I enjoyed being able to help faculty across disciplines articulate their research ideas, rather than pursue one specific line of research myself.

After two years, due to the support of a fantastic boss and mentor, I became Director of the Office of Proposal Development. Our team largely managed traditional pre-award functions, but I recognized the need to help our faculty learn how to navigate the research enterprise and be strategic in their approach to seeking external funding. I discovered NORDP in 2018 when I was researching best practices in early career faculty training. The conference was fantastic—much more personal and engaging than the research administration workshops I had attended in the past. I left the conference invigorated with new ideas for supporting our faculty. Indeed, had I not attended the NORDP conference, I would not have had the confidence to apply for my current position as Director of Strategic Research Initiatives at University of Oregon.

I joined UO this October to launch the Office of Research Development, which was in the middle of a major staffing transition. The office had been unstaffed for 4 months and I was brought on to build the team from the ground up. It’s an incredible opportunity and I look to NORDP for support and ideas on a regular basis. The listserv is beyond helpful and the NORDP community is smart, engaging, and supportive.

I am very much looking forward to this year’s conference and the opportunity to connect in person with many of my peers who have provided insight and guidance to me by e-mail or by phone. My new role involves operations that I did not previously coordinate at BU, such as managing internal awards and facilitating limited submissions. I am eager to learn how my peers approach this work and how they evaluate these activities. As my office moves in a new direction, I need to demonstrate efficacy in our approach, so I will be having many conversations about metrics and evaluation.

I am thrilled to be a part of the NORDP community, and I cannot wait to attend the 2019 conference!

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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.