Office of Research Development

226 Lyman Hall
Phone: 315-443-2492
Email: resdev@syr.edu

What is the Office of Research Development?

The Office of Research Development (ORD) helps faculty secure external funding and resources to support research and creative activity. Its mission includes assisting faculty in proposal planning and development, facilitating collaborative research teams across disciplines, managing internal grant competitions (such as seed grants and limited submissions), and strengthening institutional capacity to compete for large external awards.

Services and Support Offered

ORD offers a variety of services that adapt to researchers’ needs depending on proposal size, complexity, and timing. Major supports include:

Proposal Development Services

• Solicitation analysis: identify sponsor goals, align faculty research interests with funder priorities.
• Competitive intelligence: review prior funding calls and awarded projects, understand what made successful applications stand out.
• Planning documents: provide templates, checklists, timelines, and sample formats (for things like broader impacts, management plans, mentoring plans, etc.).
• Draft and review support: ORD may review proposal drafts, including non-technical components, offer edits for structure, clarity, and persuasiveness. For near-final proposals, ORD offers external peer review.

Connecting Research Teams & Collaboration

• Identifying and facilitating interdisciplinary teams within the University.
  Helping researchers find external collaborators (industry, other universities, community partners).
  Navigating institutional resources (e.g. shared facilities, offices such as Sponsored Programs or Technology Transfer) to support proposals or projects.

Faculty Development & Capacity Building

• Specialized workshops and cohort-based programs such as the NSF CAREER series, NIH R-series cohort development, fellowship writing circles, peer-feedback groups, etc.
• Trainings on grantsmanship: writing, budgeting, proposal organization, developing mentoring plans, data management and sharing plans.
  

Finding Funding Opportunities

• Strategic consultation to help faculty plan three- to five-year funding trajectories.
• Tracking and sharing external funding opportunities.
• Helping researchers navigate databases of funding calls, foundation and federal solicitations.
  

Internal Funding Programs

ORD administers internal grants to seed new research, support resubmissions, assist with bridge funding during gaps, and facilitate team formation for large external proposals. Programs include small seed or creative activity awards, collaborative/team building programs, bridge funding, and specific programs for book publishing or fellowship preparation.

Key Responsibilities

The Office of Research Development is responsible for:

• Acting as a strategic advisor to faculty regarding external funding, building institutional capacity to win grants.
• Assisting with proposal planning, reviews, editing, and alignment with funder expectations.
• Helping to build and support interdisciplinary research teams.
• Managing internal competitions and limited submission processes (when the institution must select among multiple faculty to apply).
• Supporting faculty in developing long-term funding strategies and strengthening the quality of proposals over time.

How to Get Started & Contact

When to reach out:

As early as possible—once you know you intend to prepare a grant or when you become aware of a funding opportunity. Early engagement maximizes ability to use ORD services.

What to prepare:

• A description of your project idea, including objectives, methods, and anticipated outcomes.
• Any solicitation or funding call text, if available.
• Information about collaborators, timeline, and budget needs.
• Drafts of key documents if ready (e.g. concept note, project narrative).

Contact Information:

Office of Research Development
226 Lyman Hall
Phone: 315-443-2492
Email: resdev@syr.edu