Tag: NORDP Consultant Program

NORDP Consultants Program: Announcing Final Cohort and New Authorship Opportunities

In just five years, the NORDP Consultants Program has partnered with 177 institutions across 44 states and territories, helping MSIs and ERIs secure more than $100 million in research funding. Through intensive cohorts, embedded proposal support, and partner-initiated projects, the program is accelerating research capacity nationwide.

These efforts are powered by nearly $11 million in funding from federal and philanthropic partners, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Justice, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, along with additional sponsors committed to strengthening research capacity at MSIs and ERIs.

Now entering the final phase of NSF funding, OIA–2331578, the NORDP Consultants Program is pleased to announce the institutions joining Cohort V. Each has demonstrated a clear commitment to strengthening research activity and connecting scholarship to student learning and societal impact:

  • Morehouse College, a private Historically Black College in Georgia;
  • New York City College of Technology (CUNY City Tech), a public Hispanic-Serving Institution in New York;
  • Hope College, a private primarily undergraduate institution in Michigan; and
  • California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt), a public Hispanic-Serving Institution in California.

Through the cohort model, ERIs receive up to 600 hours of tailored consultant support, a substantial investment in research infrastructure, along with access to professional development and national networks. Cohort V will kick off its two-year engagement in October 2026.

Join the Movement: EMERGE Authorship Opportunities

We’re building a one-of-a-kind space for MSI and ERI research development leaders to share, shape, and lead, and we want you in the conversation.

The EMERGE Library is the first national, peer-reviewed collection of plain-language, collaboratively written resources centering the expertise of MSIs and ERIs. Built from direct engagement with partner institutions, EMERGE captures practical strategies you won’t find anywhere else, created by and for the emerging research enterprise.

With 4,000+ downloads to date, these resources are already shaping practice nationwide. Our flagship guide, Assessing the Impact of Research Development, has been downloaded 1,000+ times.

Now, we’re building the next set, and this is your chance to contribute, collaborate, and be part of a national community advancing MSI and ERI research capacity.

Join our EMERGE author interest meeting to learn more and get involved in upcoming writing groups:

  • EMERGE Author Interest Meeting
    Tuesday, July 28, 2026
    4:00 PM ET

    Register

This work reflects our commitment to a lasting legacy, one where MSI and ERI institutions and leaders are central, visible, and driving the future of the national research ecosystem.

NORDP Consultants Program Partners With NIJ Center for Enhancing Research Capacity for MSIs Led By CUNY John Jay College

The NORDP Consultants Program is partnering with the Center for Enhancing Research Capacity for MSIs, which is led by the City University of New York (CUNY) John Jay College of Criminal Justice (NIJ-CERC-MSIs-JJC) and funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), an institute within the Department of Justice.

NIJ-CERC-MSIs-JJC aims to bolster the research infrastructure and capabilities of MSIs within criminal justice. The center’s mission is threefold: to increase MSIs’ competitiveness in research, to support the growth of research funding for MSI investigators, and to broaden the community of MSI researchers engaged in addressing criminal and juvenile justice issues.

“We are delighted to partner with the NORDP Consultants Program and leverage the program’s expertise strengthening research infrastructure,” said Dr. Joel Capellen, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at John Jay College and principal investigator of NIJ-CERC-MSIs-JJC, “together, we hope to not only support criminal justice researchers but also research enterprise leaders, who are critical to the supporting research infrastructure.”

The NORDP Consultants Program will leverage its expertise in a new collaborative initiative called the Research Enterprise Administrators and Leaders (REAL) Cohort, a one-year cohort program that will provide a forum for research enterprise leaders to engage with peers and national experts to explore topics relevant to strengthening the MSI research enterprise. Research enterprise leaders interested in participating in this virtual program can apply here by September 17, 2025.

NORDP Consultants Program – Year 1 of the NSF GRANTED Program

The NSF GRANTED program funded an expansion of the NORDP Consultants cohort model one year ago to partner with Minority-Serving and Emerging Research Institutions (MSIs and ERIs) to grow research activity and capacity. In the past 12 months, the program has made significant progress on the project’s objectives.

New Consultants Joined

This summer, the program welcomed four new consultants: Amy Carrol, University of Rhode Island, Faye Farmer, Arizona State University, Jorja Kimball, Texas A&M University, and Claudia Scholz, University of Virginia. These individuals join 22 existing consultants bringing the pool of active NORDP Consultants to 26.

Cohort 2 and 3 Launched

Cohort 2 launched in January of 2024 with the City College of New York, NY (AANAPISI, HSI, ERI), Clark Atlanta University, GA (HBCU, ERI), Kean University, NJ (HSI, ERI), and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TX (HSI, ERI). Each partnering institution successfully completed the first two phases, intake and collaborative planning, of the three-phase engagement framework and has transitioned into the implementation phase. In collaboration with their consultants, partners are making plans for the research infrastructure investment provided as a part of the GRANTED-funded expansion. In September, the program kicked off Cohort 3 with Hawai’i Pacific University, HI (ANNH, AANAPISI, ERI), Kentucky State University, KY (HBCU, ERI), McMurry University, TX (HSI, ERI), and University of West Alabama, AL (PBI, ERI). The next call for MSI partners will be disseminated in early 2025.

1st NORDP Consultants Program Cohort Annual Meeting

Attendees at the 1st NORDP Consultants Program Cohort Annual Meeting

In September 2024, the NORDP Consultants Program hosted its 1st Annual Meeting in Miami Gardens, FL at Florida Memorial University’s campus, drawing nearly 40 participants from eight institutions of higher education that are or have been partners in the NORDP Consultants Program. The theme for the event was building and sustaining research culture. The multi-day event provided a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration, focusing on advancing research development initiatives and strengthening aspects of the research ecosystem. Several members of the NORDP Consultants Program presented alongside MSI partners on a wide range of topics, including a socio-ecological approach to the research ecosystem, assessing research culture, balancing institutional commitment with indirect costs, facilities and administration costs, and reinvestment strategies. Additionally, Michele McGuirl from the National Institute for General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) provided an overview of resources available for ERIs through NIGMS.

EMERGE Resource Library

The NORDP Consultants Program also launched the Equipping Minoritized and Emerging Research Institutions to Grow their Enterprises (EMERGE) Resource Library. The EMERGE Resource Library is the first national library of collaboratively written and peer-reviewed plain language research enterprise guides, tools, and other resources that center the voice, perspective, and expertise of MSIs and ERIs. The program is currently calling for authors to join the next sprint to develop additional resources. Prospective authors can register for the October 9, 20204 interest meeting here and submit a short expression of interest here.

Japera Hemming, NORDP Consultants Program
Credit / AJ Shorter Photography

Since its establishment in 2021, the NORDP Consultants Program has worked with 172 institutions, including 73 MSIs, and supported participating institutions in securing more than $90M through its cohort, embedded proposal support, and partner-initiated models. This includes $10.5M from the Advancing Research Capacity at HBCUs – a program referenced by President Biden during his remarks at HBCU Week – and the first successful partner-initiated proposal Identifying Needs and Building Research Capacity at an Historically-Black University led by Delaware State University (NIH – UC2GM157743).

The NORDP Consultants Program is support by Schmidt Futures, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health (ITE-2303003, MCB-2236057, OIA-2331578, ITE-2350104, OIA-2337236, UC2GM157743).