To enhance support for researchers, IU Research assessed, expanded and streamlined the full suite of services available to principal investigators seeking external funding for research and creative activity, including access to relevant resources provided by other areas of the university.

The new Research Development Services team can help with all stages of the proposal process, from early project ideation and collaborator identification to finalizing and uploading proposal documents for routing to the Office for Research Administration for submission. Research Development Services provides this support for proposals to government, corporate and foundation funders.

The goal is to provide clearer service and quicker access to those resources and services. Research Development Services will also ensure seamless transitions within the team as principal investigators advance to different stages of proposal prep or types of funding — all initiated by filling out one brief request form.

“Research Development Services brings together under one umbrella all those who support faculty working on proposals for external funding,” said Chris Liu, associate vice president for research development. “By integrating these teams, RDS can more effectively share and grow knowledge about faculty expertise and interests across all campuses, enhancing our ability to connect faculty collaborators with each other and funding opportunities, and meet proposal support needs as they evolve.”

To further strengthen this effort, the Office for Research Development has just hired Jennifer Lawrence to lead the office as assistant vice president. Lawrence brings over a decade’s worth of experience to this role, having previously served as IU Research’s senior executive director of foundation relations, where she helped faculty develop their projects and secure funding. In this new position, she will continue integrating workflow across this new team and ensure that resources and services are continually designed and delivered to meet the real-time needs of IU researchers, among other duties.

Research Development Services provides three key areas of support. Because timing is so important during the funding process, please note recommended timeframes to submit the request form to improve Research Development Services’ ability to provide the highest level of support possible:

• Idea and Team Development aims to foster innovative research ideas and connect strong, multidisciplinary teams to execute. This early-phase support is available to refine research concepts, connect faculty with potential collaborators, and provide access to curated tools and resources to identify and pursue external funding. Also important to early-phase efforts is assistance with identifying relevant workshops and training opportunities; recommending key publications and newsletters; and ensuring researchers stay informed about university and funder policies, including necessary compliance trainings. Submit request form: Up to two years in advance.
• Strategic Proposal Support helps faculty with key elements of preparing competitive proposals. This includes planning for large-scale proposals; conducting funding searches across corporate, foundation and government sources; and project management support. This phase also includes limited writing support; review of proposal content and components to ensure clarity and alignment with sponsor guidelines; and budget development and justification assistance. Administrative support, including formatting, completing forms and preparing materials for submission, is also available on a limited basis. Submit request form: Three to 12 months before sponsor deadline.
• Administrative Review and Submission ensures that proposals are completed and submitted with confidence. This late-stage support includes final proposal reviews, verification of compliance with sponsor guidelines and assistance with finalizing budgets, ensuring that all components are correctly formatted, completed and uploaded to the appropriate sponsor systems. Submit request form: At least one month before sponsor deadline to ensure adequate time for internal routing before submission.

Requests for support from all disciplines are reviewed. As the volume of requests grows, priority will be given, when necessary, to projects that advance IU 2030 strategic plan focus areas; serve multiple schools or interdisciplinary teams targeting large-scale opportunities; and/or target areas and opportunities identified as strategic.

Those with ideas or recent experiences with Research Development Services can share their insights via the feedback form. More details about resources are available on IU Research’s website, including extensive proposal preparation tools, funding search tools and workshops and events.

Dan Melnick is assistant director of research communications.