Pursuing Center-Level Funding

1. Pursuing Center-Level Funding Alicia J. Knoedler, CRA, PhD Assistant Vice President for Research Director, Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment

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

3. 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

4. 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… DON’T

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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; http://oerl.sri.com/ • Data Sharing Plan – CRPDE, OSCER • Site Visits - CRPDE • Other items – CRPDE, Writing Center, Institutional Research

12. 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.

13. 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

14. Contact Information • CRPDE – Alicia Knoedler (aknoedler@ou.edu) • ORS – Andrea Deaton (adeaton@ou.edu) • K20 – Gregg Garn (garn@ou.edu) • OCCE – Cal Hobson (calhobson@ou.edu) • OSCER – Henry Neeman (hneeman@ou.edu • CEO – Cameron McCoy (cmccoy@ou.edu) • International Programs – Suzette Grillot (sgrillot@ou.edu) • Writing Center – Michele Eodice (meodice@ou.edu) • Institutional Research - Cheryl K. Jorgenson (cjorgenson@ou.edu)

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