Join us for a two-day NIH grant writing intensive, facilitated by Dr. William Riley. Dr. Riley is a JMU alumnus who retired after 17 years of service with the NIH, including 7 years as Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Science Research.

During this two-day intensive, participants will complete at least the Research Plan section of their grant. Dr. Riley will meet individually with participants on each day and will be available to read draft material and discuss. OSP budget specialists will be on hand to assist, and there will be presentations from the IRB and IACUC.

Furthermore, Dr. Riley is requesting that participants send him a draft of their specific aims one week before the start of the intensive; he will provide written feedback on it at the start of the intensive.

Dates: January 13th-14th
Times: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.  Lunch and coffee will be provided.
Location: Lakeview Hall 1109 (9-10:15 on the 13th) and 1104 (otherwise)

Please register in advance.  For assistance in finding an NIH grant, consider using the NIH Matchmaker tool or contacting the Office of Research Development, either via our service request form or email.

Are you an early career researcher in the sciences or social sciences thinking about applying for an NSF CAREER award?  The Office of Research Development is convening a working group to meet throughout the spring semester. 

Why should you participate?

• Presentations from campus NSF experts, including previous CAREER awardees.
• Dedicated time to write your proposal.
• Guidance about NSF-specific resources.
• Feedback on your proposal, from your peers and from the Office of Research Development.
• Have fun and make connections with your fellow researchers!

Registration is not required, but would be appreciated to assist with planning.  Register here if you are able.

Meeting Schedule: (attend as you are able)

• January 24th, EnGeo 1207:
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm: Introduction to NSF CAREER & Related Programs
    Expert: Dr. Gina MacDonald, PECASE awardee
    Video of ORD overview
  • 2:00 - 3:00 pm: NSF Application Structure & Evaluation Procedures
    Expert: Dr. Mindy Capaldi
    Video of presentation
• February 7th, EnGeo 1207:
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm: NSF Project Description: The Research Project
    Expert: Dr. Ravi Shankar
    Video of presentation
• February 21st, EnGeo 1207:
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm: NSF Project Description: Educational Activities
    Expert: Dr. Zareen Aga, CAREER awardee
• March 7th, EnGeo 1207:
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm: NSF Project Description: Broader Impacts
    Expert: Dr. Steve Whitmeyer
  • 2:00 - 3:00 pm: Hands-on with the ARIS BI Wizard and Toolkit
    Expert: Office of Research Development
• Spring break: Dedicated writing sessions (TBD)
• March 28th, EnGeo 1207:
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm: Budget
    Expert: Office of Sponsored Programs
• April 18th, EnGeo 1207:
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm: Data Management Plans & DMPTool
    Expert: Samantha Harmon, JMU Libraries
• May 2nd: EnGeo 1207:
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm: Hands-on with SciENcv
    Expert: Office of Research Development
• May 19th - June 13th: Dedicated writing sessions (TBD)

Writing Timelines:

• Submit your project summary by March 21st, receive feedback by April 4th
• Submit your project description by June 13th, receive feedback by June 30th
• Submit full proposal draft by July 1st, receive ORD formatting check by July 11th

The Office of Research Development is pleased to offer a sequence of workshops for CAL faculty in Spring 2025.  Please register in advance.

The Office of Research Development is pleased to offer a sequence of workshops for CAL faculty in Spring 2025.

• February 7th: Finding funding opportunities in the sciences (recorded)
• February 28th: Tips for a Successful Submission to NSF

The Office of Research Development is excited to announce an arts-related grant writing intensive during spring break. We are partnering with Heidi Johnson, a consultant with more than 25 years of experience writing grant proposals, including developing successful proposals for both the NEA and NEH.

The grant-writing intensive will follow this structure:

March 10th: Participants will send a one-page project description along with the intended grant to Heidi.

March 17th - 18th: Particpants will gather on campus to work on their proposals.  On the 17th, participants will have a 30-60 minute individual meetings with Heidi to discuss their project and intended grant, including receiving feedback based on the project description.  Heidi will be available on site to answer questions and meet with faculty on these days.

March 19th: Participants will send their draft proposal narratives to Heidi.

March 21st: Heidi will hold 30-60 individual zoom meetings with each participant to provide feedback on their draft proposal.

Please register in advance.

About Heidi Johnson:

Heidi Johnson has spent her entire career in the non-profit sector and has been writing grant proposals for more than 25 years. She has worked at New York City cultural institution China Institute, as a program officer for a grant-funded project at Columbia University, and as executive director for two non-profit organizations in Columbia, South Carolina. As Grey Dog Group's principal consultant, Johnson has written successful grant proposals for federal agencies, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, Department of Education, and Department of Justice, and private foundations such as the Hearst Foundations, Ford Foundation, and the Nord Family Foundation. Johnson has been a member of McAllister & Quinn's grants consulting network since 2015. She holds a Master's Degree in Nonprofit Management from The New School's Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment and a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Western Washington University.

The Office of Research Development is planning a week-long NIH grant-writing intensive with Dr. William Riley in May.  Participants should expect to finish a complete draft of their grant.  Details will be coming soon.

We have offered this workshop multiple times with slightly different emphases.  The majority of the content is applicable to all fields of research.  This recording was for the School of Art, Design, and Art History and has some information specific to NEA & NEH funding opportunities.

A sequence of workshops for members of JMU's School of Art, Design, and Art History.

• August 23, 10-11 am:
  • The Arts & Related Fields Funding Landscape
  • Hands-on Experience using the SPIN Database
• August 30, 10-11 am: Pre-Proposals and Program Officers
• September 20, 10:30-11:30 am: The JMU Grant Application Process
• September 27, 10-11 am: Pre-Proposal Peer Evaluation Exercise

Selected participants will be invited to work with the Office of Research Development to produce full proposals.  Contact researchdevelopment@jmu.edu for location and other information.

The Office of Research Development and the College of Arts and Letters are partnering to host multiple events this fall.

Reading Group: Participants will be reading and discussing "The Grant Writing Guide" by Betty S. Lai.  Scheduled discussions are:

• Developing an Idea and Finding Funding: October 8, 3:00-4:30, Harrison 1131
• Drafting a Pre-Proposal: October 29, 3:00-4:30, Harrison 1131

Hands On Searching with the SPIN Database: November 1, 1:00-2:00, Wilson Hall 3040.

NatPoWriMo: For National Proposal Writing Month, we will host two proposal writing sessions:

• November 12, 3:00-4:30, Harrison 1131
• November 19, 3:00-4:30, Harrison 1131

Finally, there will be a pre-proposal peer evaluation exercise and proposal revision time on December 3, 3:00-4:30, Harrison 1131.