Upcoming Events
Spring 2024: Research Training
Federal Sponsor Series
Learn more about key federal grant funding agencies during the spring 2024 training series from the SDSU Division of Research and Economic Development. Each session will provide attendees with an overview of the agency's mission, purpose and key programs, plus suggestions on how researchers can prepare to apply for funding.
All sessions are hosted in a hybrid format, though we encourage in-person attendance if possible. Sessions start at Noon Central / 11 a.m. Mountain time and are 50-minutes including Q&A.
Monday, April 22
SPIN funding database training session with Bill DeCocco of InfoEd Global
Join for a how-to, walkthrough session in using the SPIN database to find funding for your projects. Attendees will learn the different search approaches, saving and automating searches, and other best practices. Location: Zoom only.
Session Recordings
Thursday, Feb. 22: National Endowment for the Humanities with Suha Kudsieh, program officer, and Carson Sehr, program analyst, with the NIH Research Office.
Thursday, Feb. 15: Meet the National Science Foundation with J.D. Swanson, program officer with NSF EPSCoR.
Wednesday, March 20:National Institutes of Health with Mercy Prabhudas, program officer - NIAID, and Brittany Haynes, Brittany Haynes, program director - Research Workforce Diversity and Equity.
Thursday, March 28:NSF EPSCoR E-CORE and E-RISE discussion. These two, newer NSF EPSCoR funding opportunities require multi-institution collaboration, and SDSU is allowed to lead only one application for each program (selected via limited submission). For those interested in these programs, this discussion highlighted program details and best practices, regardless of your role in a potential E-CORE or E-RISE project.
Tuesday, April 2:U.S. Department of Agriculture NIFA with Suzanne Stluka, deputy director (Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition), and Bob Godfrey, division director (Animal Systems).
Wednesday, April 10:National Endowment for the Arts with Patricia Mullaney-Loss, Office of Research Analysis.
Nature Masterclasses On-demand
SDSU faculty and staff now have access to Nature Masterclasses On-demand courses. These on-demand, professional development courses comprise of a range of topics, including writing and publishing research papers, networking and collaboration, peer review, persuasive grant writing and data analysis.
The university holds an institutional subscription to the Nature Masterclasses On-demand courses through January 30, 2025. This gives SDSU faculty and staff access to all available content on the platform (use SDSU single sign-on credentials).
RADCon: Research Administration and Development Conference
The June 2024 conference will connect research support professionals from across the Northern Plains’ states and is central to the project, supported by the National Science Foundation’s GRANTED program. Click the title link to learn more about the conference.
Previous Events and Training
FY25 RSCA Challenge Fund:
In this informational webinar (Dec. 6, 2023), staff from the Division of Research and Economic Development and the chair of the RSCA Committee discussed the goal of the RSCA Challenge Fund, how to submit an application, and what to expect from the review process.
View the recording. Learn more about the RSCA Challenge Fund and read the RFA.
Fall 2023 RSCA Training Series
Hosted by the Division of Research and Economic Development
- Orienting yourself in the funding landscape
Tuesday, Sept. 12: This session offered a framework to help identify 1) your potential research themes and topics and 2) the existing resources, barriers and solutions available. - Prospecting: Tools and tips to find funding
Tuesday, Sept. 26: This session reviewed available resources to help find funding opportunities with a focus on tools, specifically the SPIN funding opportunity database and NIH RePORTER and Matchmaker. Note: Due to recording restrictions from SPIN (InfoEd Global), this section is not part of the recording. We recommend reviewing the training videos in SPIN's help menu or ask a grant specialist for support. - Science communication crash course (Not recorded)
Tuesday, Oct. 10: Led by Rhea Waldman, director – South Dakota Discovery Center. Sessions sponsored by the South Dakota NSF EPSCoR Office - Creating a competitive grant proposal
Wednesday, Oct. 18: This session reviewed the key components of a grant proposal, including preparing a budget and justification and understanding how to match your project to the funder. - Aligning project goals, objectives, methods and assessment
Thursday, Nov. 9: This session identified a framework to present a proposal and ensure the components of the proposed work are discernible and in alignment. - Building an effective team
Tuesday, Nov. 28: This session reviewed key considerations in how to build a team, including communication tools, frameworks and some online resources to support your team building efforts.
FY24 RSCA Challenge Fund: Informational Webinar (Dec. 6)
In this webinar, the Division of Research & Economic Development and the RSCA Committee discussed the goal of the RSCA Challenge Fund, how to apply, and what to expect from the review process.
Learn more about the RSCA Challenge Fund and read the RFA.NIH Research Funding Panel (Apr. 2023)
Those seeking grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) attended this session to learn about the peculiarity of NIH funding, gaining tips from a panel of colleagues on competing for awards.
SPARC Kickoff Meeting (Apr. 2023)
This meeting formally kicked off the Seeding Partnerships to Advance Research Collaborations (SPARC) initiative. The Division of Research gave a brief overview of this internal funding opportunity, answered attendee questions, and provided multiple thematic breakout rooms to connect with possible collaborators.
Before the meeting, attendees reviewed this list of research focus areas to help them identify potential research team members from different focus areas. To learn more about the research interests of those listed, view their full responses to the SPARC survey.
DoD Research Funding Panel (Feb. 2023)
Those engaging in research that may be of interest to the Department of Defense (DoD), attended this overview session to learn about this well-resourced federal agency and tips on how to seek DoD awards successfully. The Division of Research and Economic Development provided this event, and the panelists included representatives from DoD EPSCoR (DEPSCOR).
Wokini Challenge Grant Info Session (Dec. 2022)
Presenters: Sarah Bad Warrior-Vrooman and Dianne Nagy This Info Session was for faculty and staff interested in applying for FY24 Wokini Challenge Grant funds. It included an overview of program goals, examples of successful projects, engaging students, building relationships, conducting Tribal research and explaining the application process.
FY24 RSCA Challenge Fund Webinar (Nov. 2022)
The RSCA Challenge Fund aims to support faculty and staff in increasing their competitiveness for funding and elevating their presence in their fields. This webinar reviewed the program's purpose and the application and review process. View the Webinar Recording
USDA Panel Discussion (Nov. 2022)
This session presented tips on the peculiarities of USDA funding from a panel of USDA-funded colleagues on how to successfully compete for awards. Panelists Ali Nafchi, Amber Letcher, Kristine Ramsay Seaner and Krista Ehlert discussed their experiences learning about USDA programs and funding trends, building relationships with program officers, and developing their ideas and teams.
NSF Panel Discussion (Sept. 2022)
This session presented tips on the distinctiveness of NSF funding from a panel of NSF-funded colleagues on how to successfully compete for awards. Panelists Chris Saunders, Carie Green and John McMaine discussed their experiences with NSF programs and funding.
Introduction to RSCA (Sept. 2022)
This session provided a primer to research, scholarship, and creative activity at SDSU with a focus on the lifecycle of research funding, from ideation to proposal submission to award management.
It covered the following: Contextualizing knowledge creation Prospecting/Finding Funding Proposal development Award management Core Facilities Information AY 22/23 professional development opportunities.