PURSUING CENTER- LEVEL FUNDING Alicia J. Knoedler, CRA, PhD Assistant Vice President for Research Director, Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment

Overview Center-Level Funding Technical Aspects Non-Technical Aspects Significant Challenges Horror Stories Resources

Centers Defined An organizational unit established to enhance the working relationship between and among entities, advance their work, and produce a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts Centers vs Institutes vs Laboratories Common Elements Mission, goals, strategy, objectives Activities (technical and non-technical) Science vs application Types Comprehensive vs program-focused National vs Regional vs Local vs Institutional Resource Virtual

Why Establish a Center? Interdisciplinary solutions to big problems/questions Strategic directions Strong research agendas Thematically-based Visibility and Impact Challenges… Politics Academic and Institutional Structures Tradition (research, teaching, administration) Funding Visibility and Impact If you are doing this because of the money…

Where is the Money? National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center (ERC) Science and Technology Center (STC) Science of Learning Center (SLC) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) National Institutes of Health P01, P20, P30, P50 Department of Energy Energy Innovation Hubs – Batteries and Energy Storage Hub Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) Department of Education Education Research and Development Center Program Department of Homeland Security Department of Defense Department of the Interior National Institute of Food and Agriculture Industry

OU Centers University Strategic Organizations (USOs) The Atmospheric Radar Research Center Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms Center for Applied Social Research Center for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic Compatibility OU Institute for Energy and the Environment Institute for Environmental Genomics K20 Center for Education and Community Renewal Advanced Center for Genome Technology USOs will be re-competed next fiscal year Updated information is forthcoming

Technical Aspects Start with institutional strengths Defining the vision, integrated scope Focus areas and their leaders Identifying partners Planning and writing Mapping across partners

Non-Technical Aspects (“strings-attached”) Management Plans Cost-sharing Cyber Infrastructure (including communication) Broadening Participation Education (K-20+), including Postdocs Outreach/Knowledge Transfer International Collaboration Industrial Collaboration Evaluation/Assessment Data Sharing Plan Site Visits Other items

Significant Challenges Manage expectations Getting your act together Having multiple conversations with the program officers Creating a plan and sticking to it (and know when to quit) Who are the essential partners – core administration What happens when a core partner leaves? Spend time thinking about the non-technical aspects Consensus building Pursuing center-level funding for the right reasons Establishing appropriate records of funding in advance Making sure the team isn’t institutional-centric

Center Development Horror Stories Absent PI Control Freak PI Great Leadership, weak participants Micromanaging Administrator Struggling to obtain cost sharing Partners jumping ship right before the deadline External grant writer ruins the proposal Last minute realizations Lack of institutional support/commitment ($, space, personnel, etc.) Budget woes

Resources Pulling the entire project and process together – CRPDE Assistance with: Management Plans - CRPDE Cost-sharing – CRPDE, VPR Cyber Infrastructure (including communication) – CRPDE Broadening Participation – CRPDE, K20, Graduate College, some college programs Education (K-20+), including Postdocs - CRPDE, K20 Outreach/Knowledge Transfer – CRPDE, Outreach International Collaboration – CRPDE, International Programs Industrial Collaboration – CRPDE, CEO Evaluation/Assessment – CRPDE; Data Sharing Plan – CRPDE, OSCER Site Visits - CRPDE Other items – CRPDE, Writing Center, Institutional Research

CRDPE Seek out challenging new research opportunities Assemble research teams Assist with proposal preparation and planning Assist with proposal preparation resources Assist with the establishment of submission timeline Coordinate review teams Assist with management planning Assist with budget development Serve as liaison with ORS Get the inside scoop, sample proposals, etc.

CRPDE Facilitate preliminary meetings with potential researchers Help identify additional collaborators Explore ways to make project fit sponsors program - Spin Facilitate proposal planning, preparation, university boilerplate Assist with communication links; e.g., listservs, conference calls, meetings, document storage systems Run interference with chairs, deans Assist with non-technical components Review and edits proposal drafts; organize outside reviews Assist in inter-institutional partnerships and major university research centers Help locate supplemental or follow-on funding

Contact Information CRPDE – Alicia Knoedler ORS – Andrea Deaton K20 – Gregg Garn OCCE – Cal Hobson OSCER – Henry Neeman CEO – Cameron McCoy International Programs – Suzette Grillot Writing Center – Michele Eodice Institutional Research - Cheryl K. Jorgenson

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