The Research Development Division was established in 2008 as the Office of Proposal Development to assist USU researchers in developing stronger proposals for submission to external sponsors. The division was renamed Research Development in 2015 to more accurately reflect the work being done. Since its establishment, the division has grown from a one-person shop to a network of college-based specialists, whose primary goal is to relieve researchers of the logistics of proposal development and submission to allow more time to focus on technical writing. To achieve this, network specialists can help researchers from beginning to end of the proposal development and submission process, or at any point throughout depending on needs and/or wants.
The ultimate goal of the Division is to foster a competitive advantage in the search for external funding by helping researchers develop strong and successful proposal writing skills and research portfolios, and ultimately expand the revenue created by externally funded research at USU.
Upcoming Deadlines Calendar icon
LIMITED SUBMISSION Notice of Intent
USDA Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields (WAMS) Program
January 25, 2022
The purpose of this program is to support research, education/teaching, and extension projects that increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in STEM. USDA will support projects with a target audience of K-14 students (kindergarten through twelfth grade plus two years of post-secondary schooling (e.g., vocational technical institutions or community or junior colleges)).
LIMITED SUBMISSION Notice of Intent
Foundation for Food & Agricultural Research (FFAR) New Innovator Award
January 26, 2022
The New Innovator Award seeks to promote career advancement of highly creative and promising new scientists who intend to make a long-term career commitment to research in food and agriculture and bring innovative, ground-breaking research initiatives and thinking to bear on problems facing food and agriculture.
2022 Proposal Writing Institute Applications
February 18, 2022
Applications for the 2022 Proposal Writing Institute are due February 18, 2022. Be sure to check with your Dean's Office on internal deadline.
FY23 Cycle 1 Seed Grants
June 15, 2022
FY23 cycle 1 seed grant applications are due June 15, 2022. Be sure to check with your Dean’s Office on internal deadline. Awarded grants will begin September 1, 2022.
Upcoming Events & Workshops Calendar icon
2022 DC Fellows Program
Interacting with Program Officers Workshop (virtual)
February 1, 2022
3:00-4:30pm Mountain
The 2022 DC Fellows Program will be virtual via a workshop that will help faculty better understand the role of funding agency program officers/leaders and why their feedback is important to increasing funding chances; how to develop a relationship with program officers/leaders, including advice on effective communication and common mistakes to avoid; and the importance of confirming research alignment with funding agency/program goals. The workshop will also include a panel discussion with former program officers/leaders who are now at USU. The primary target audience for the DC Fellows Program has traditionally been early-career faculty, but this year's virtual workshop is open to all interested faculty and research personnel, including postdocs.
Arts & Humanities Proposal Writing Seminar (virtual)
February 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2022
1:00-3:00pm Mountain
The goal of this seminar is to provide arts and humanities faculty and advanced graduate students with the proposal writing techniques they need to competitively apply to the specialized sponsors of creative activities and research. The approaches taught during the seminar will help demystify the proposal writing process but at the same time provide concrete tools to use in organizing the information and arguments necessary for the development of a compelling proposal.
2022 Proposal Writing Institute
May 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, June 2, 6, and 9, 2022
10:00am-noon Mountain
The Proposal Writing Institute (PWI) is the annual, intensive training workshop offered each Spring by the Research Development division that is designed to assist researchers in learning the tools and techniques to develop high-quality proposals. The PWI features a small-group setting, allowing for individualized attention, and participants actively work on a proposal during the workshop sessions that they will ultimately submit to an external funding agency at the conclusion of the Institute.
Seed Grants and Funding