Research Support Office
RSO partners with researchers across the college research enterprise and beyond to build and maintain high-impact and transdisciplinary research and education programs that make positive impacts across society.
We provide strategic and inclusive support to advance high-impact research for the College of Engineering and our strategic partners. We assist researchers in pursuing funding opportunities from a broad range of sponsors; creating competitive proposals; managing awards and agreements; ensuring compliance; cultivating an ecosystem of shared research facilities; and developing plans to broaden impacts by integrating research and education:
- Assist PIs with developing research plans
- Follow agency, foundation, and program visions
- Identify potential sponsors and funding opportunities
- Reach out to potential partners and collaborators
- Connect with program managers, other stakeholders
- Support in developing "broadening impact" statements
- Develop timelines, templates and checklists
- Facilitate internal and external reviews
- Review drafts for strategy and compliance
- Advise in writing, editing, graphics
- Assist with financial components (budget, budget justification, cost share requests)
- Recommend responses to reviewer feedback (for resubmissions)
- Assist with agreements without funds (Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), bailment, data use, materials transfer)
- Liaise to campus offices: Research & Innovation Office/Office of Contracts & Grants (RIO/OCG) Campus Controllers Office (CCO), Research Financial Services (RFS), Venture Partners, legal, compliance, Industry Foundation Relations.
- Monitor/provide support during agreement review and negotiation process through final award set up by RFS.
- Provide oversight and guidance to faculty and staff during award execution.
- Advise faculty on cost principles and applicable agreement terms and conditions
- Advise on Disclosure of External Professional Activities (DEPA) reporting requirements
- Advise employees with effort charged to sponsored projects and the supporting admin staff on ePERS certification policies (post award)
- Advise CEAS centers, programs, and departments on the 1/6 rule for consulting activities
- Support OCG and PIs in submission of technical reports on adherence to due dates and applicable required forms
- Document knowledge regarding support encompassed under “post award support”
- Build and cultivate a project management network for post-award staff
- Prep IRT directors for leadership
- Provide access and advanced training to researchers and students to state-of-the-art shared instrumentation in material nanofabrication and characterization
- Advance fundamental and technical knowledge in the area of nanomaterials characterization, micro- and nano-fabrication technologies
- Provide a platform to enable multidisciplinary research and training for researchers and students
- Support faculty and staff on shared capital instrument acquisition, including assisting with related research proposals
- Cultivate and grow awareness of shared research facilities for the optimum usage of resources
Office of Contracts and Grants
The Office of Contracts and Grants partners with faculty, staff and students across campus to obtain and manage external support for sponsored activities. Here are a few frequently needed support items for engineering faculty: