ORDA informs students, faculty of research funding opportunities

Office of Research and Development and Administration works on grant narratives, budgets and has a representative that will work on data collection methods, software transcription and survey design as well. They handle things in regards to teaching fellowships, international studies, Fulbright scholars and post-doctoral research appointments.

On Wednesday the ORDA hosted a workshop from noon to 1 p.m.

Donelle Goerlitz, who led the workshop works in the ORDA She offered assistance with identifying funding sources, sponsored research, grant writing, submissions, service contracts, and post award staff.

Goerlitz recommended starting with your department, college and Provost’s office to look for internal funding. It is as if research funding trickles down through a network.

Even external funding has annual and biannual budgetary allocations awaiting application or even designation.

It was recommended that faculty integrate students into their research and that students join or “latch on” to existing researchers’ work for experience and teaching. Students can present their research at Eastern Michigan University’s annual Undergraduate Symposium.

Goerlitz also works with issues relating to sabbatical and one to two year terms of release from duties. There are search engines and websites for federal and private funding, as well as an internal funding site at EMU.

There was some talk with a workshop participant about whether or not EMU would steer towards becoming a “research college” or a “teaching college.” There is currently an Undergraduate Research Stimulus Program.

“Grants can be linked to a specific project or agency and can be from foundation, state or federal,” said Goerlitz.

Many professors are doing research in the summer months while they are not teaching. Lamar Stewart, for example, wished to utilize ORDA for machine design and analysis.

It was also discussed how old-school courting methods of donors can be successful. The four main internal awards currently at EMU that were highlighted in the workshop’s packet are the Faculty Research Fellowship, Sabbatical Leaves, Provost’s New Faculty Award and Provost’s Research Support Award.

At the workshop participants were encouraged to sign up for the Grants Resource Center’s list for weekly and monthly updates and to look at its library of funded proposals for guidance.

For students or faculty looking to prime their research methods such as basic qualitative, quantitative or randomized controlled trials, there is a plethora of literature on Amazon.com to get started.

ORDA will be holding workshops throughout the spring and summer semester to work more with students and faculty, for more information about the schedule of workshops go to the ORDA events calendar.