UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 32, Page 1
May 18, 1995
Several initiatives help attract research funds

     The number and size of research awards received by the University
from private and governmental sectors have increased dramatically in
recent years.
     According to statistics from the Office of the Vice Provost for
Research, cumulative first-year award dollars from July 1, 1994,
through April 30, 1995, reached $47.35 million. During the same period
in 1986, the amount was $17.26 million.
     Costel Denson, vice provost for research, said a number of
factors have contributed to the increase, including the number of
faculty making application for awards, the University's efforts to
better inform faculty about award opportunities, improved assistance
in negotiating proposals, increased administrative assistance for
those submitting applications and expanded contact with federal agency
representatives to identify new funding sources.
     "We have to make funding opportunities known to the faculty,"
Denson said, adding that the University has substantially improved its
capabilities to provide contract and grant information faster,
particularly through the use of technololgy.
     Previously, Denson explained, faculty would read about award
opportunities in publications that were days and even weeks old. Over
the last six months, the University has established on-line
communication that delivers award-related information to a faculty
member's desk and PC.
     Periodicals such as the Federal Register and Commercial Business
Daily  are available through U-Discover!, the University's Gopher
system.
     "Since the updated information is delivered daily, the ability to
respond is much more immediate," Denson said. "We've found that we
have decreased the turnaround time and increased service to our
faculty."
     Denson said his office, with assistance from staff in Information
Technologies, is working to add additional refinements to the
information delivery system.
     The Matchmaker Program, currently being tested with the help of
about two dozen faculty, will provide selective award opportunity
information to faculty, depending upon their areas of interest and
expertise.
     "With these refinements," Denson said, "we feel we've been making
worthwhile advances. We've caught up to the leading research
universities in the manner in which we share this important
information."
     Another substantial change, Denson said, is the current parallel
processing of proposals. Three years ago, all proposals and awards for
both the private and governmental sectors and the negotiation of all
contracts and proposals with the various funding agencies and
foundations were conducted serially.
     Denson described that former procedure as a "one-lane road,"
opposed to the "four-lane highway" in place now, which is much more
efficient.
     Currently, one person works with private sector applications,
another handles all National Science Foundation proposals, a third
staff member processes all other government applications and a fourth
person negotiates all contracts and subcontracts of research
agreements.
     As a result of these changes, Denson said applications are
processed rapidly, efficiently and effectively.
     The third major change, Denson explained, is the manner in which
members of the research office staff approach their dealings with
award applicants.
     "I am telling everybody in this office," Denson said, "that we
are in the business of helping faculty succeed in the application
process. We are not a regulating office.
     "If you're in the business of regulation, you tell someone what
they can't do and it can dampen their enthusiasm and cause
frustration. But, if you are facilitating, then you ask yourself:
'What can I do to help you get to your objective, to get to the next
step, to help you succeed?'
     "My cup is half full, versus half empty. That's the message I
want this office to send. 'What can we do for you?' And, I hope it
encourages the faculty to come to us for assistance."
     Structural changes made since 1992 that merged a number of
operations into the Office of the Vice Provost for Research also have
proved positive, Denson said, improving communication, processing and
consolidating responsibility.
     Denson said he is always looking for additional ways to improve
operations and service. To remain competitive for available award
revenue, one also must look to the future and try to discern trends,
he said.
     Some of the areas that Denson considers promising are National
Institutes of Health funding in the biological and life sciences and
various other programs involving multidisciplinary research.
     "We are exploring the possibility of encouraging the
establishment of new interdisciplinary teams that will go after
research funding," Denson said. "I think important opportunities in
this area are going to develop and we are planning to apply in that
way."
     Denson, who served on the engineering faculty for 15 years before
moving to the research office, added that comments and suggestions
from faculty members are appreciated and important.
     "What I've tried to do is build upon my own experiences and those
of various faculty who were in our engineering college over the
years," Denson said. "I've tried to use this information
constructively to improve our research administration, and I intend to
put more emphasis in the future on faculty comments and how the
research office can work for faculty."
                                                         -Ed Okonowicz