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2024–25 Faculty Research Projects

All positions for the 2024–25 Predoctoral Researchers Program year have been filled. If you applied and did not receive an offer, please consider reapplying to the 2025–26 cohort. Check back here in January 2025 for an updated list of faculty projects and application deadlines.

Projects are grouped below by discipline. Click on a particular discipline of interest to jump to the relevant project(s):

Communication

Political science, project a: ai-mediated communication.

Jeff Hancock (Communication)

The Stanford Social Media Lab works on understanding psychological and interpersonal processes in  AI-mediated communication . The predoctoral researcher will work with Professor Jeff Hancock, researchers, and graduate students in the lab to conduct experiments and computational field experiments to understand the dynamics of AI-mediated communication. The position is ideal for individuals with an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology or communication seeking to gain greater familiarity and experience with research before applying to graduate schools. Please contact Sunny Liu at  sunnyxliu [at] stanford.edu (sunnyxliu[at]stanford[dot]edu)  if you have questions. Job responsibilities will include:

• conducting data collection;
• performing statistical analyses; and
• designing and running experiments.

Eligibility Requirements

Familiarity with R and computational skills are highly desired. 

Project B: House Rules and Polarization

Brandice Canes-Wrone (Political Science)

The US House of Representatives has shifted its internal rules over the past decades to give more control to the parties over the lawmaking process. This project will document the House and party rules over time in order to assess how they are associated with polarization of the parties, legislative productivity, and public trust in Congress. Additionally, the project will consider developments in congressional campaign finance practices and how they relate to legislative behavior.

The predoc will contribute to the development of databases, conduct literature reviews, and contribute to the data analysis. Conditional on sufficient contribution to the project, there is the possibility of co-authorship.

Some statistical/data analysis coursework or training; experience with STATA or R preferred, and a willingness to learn these statistical packages is expected; facility with Excel for database management; comfort summarizing academic articles in political science.

What you will learn

The position will enable growth in data analysis, experience with putting together scholarly articles, and a capacity to evaluate social science research.

Project C: Long-run Dynamics of Change in Ideas and Identities

Vicky Fouka (Political Science)

How do ideologies, group identities, and societal values and beliefs change during periods of economic and political transformations? This research agenda studies these changes in Europe and the US from early modernity to the 20th century, taking advantage of new data and techniques to quantify social change. The predoctoral researcher will work on two distinct, but interrelated projects. The first one relies on large text corpora (newspapers, legal, and religious texts) for tracing changes in identity and ideology that followed the Industrial Revolution in Europe, but also changes that preceded and enabled industrialization and modernization. The second project uses data from census and birth registries in Europe and the US to track identity changes of immigrant communities in their new environments, or of religious minority communities in response to economic and political change. The predoc will help with cleaning, merging, and visualizing data from different sources, and analyzing data using NLP and applied statistics methods. Some background work, such as conducting literature reviews or collecting data from historical sources, may also be required.

The ideal candidate will be proficient in STATA and/or R, have a background in applied statistics/econometrics and causal inference and be familiar with Python and text-as-data methods. The most important requirement is willingness to learn more about these methods and the substantive questions they are used to answer.

• Experience in handling and analyzing large historical datasets
• Familiarity with methods used to conduct empirical research at the intersection of history and social science
• Exposure to scholarship on political economy, group identity and social dynamics
• Exposure to the growing field of historical political economy (HPE)
• Active involvement in all the steps of the research process

Project D: GeoMatch

Jens Hainmueller (Political Science)

The Immigration Policy Lab (IPL) is seeking a predoctoral researcher to assist with research associated with its GeoMatch tool, a matching algorithm that helps refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrants find the locations where they are most likely to thrive. Within the GeoMatch portfolio, specific areas of research include testing the tool's effectiveness through randomized control trials, measuring how users interact with the tool, and exploring ways to improve the tool’s effectiveness through algorithmic and methodological innovations.The predoctoral researcher would work with IPL Faculty Directors Jens Hainmueller, David Laitin, and Jeremy Weinstein, and an active product team at IPL focused on deploying the GeoMatch tool and supporting its associated research. They would attend team meetings with the staff at IPL and the faculty team that directs the project. Example projects that the predoctoral researcher would assist with include improving the machine learning models used by GeoMatch by finding and integrating new data sources, creating usability and explainability documentation for the tool, designing and analyzing surveys on immigration location preferences, and analyzing refugee out-migration patterns within administrative datasets.

Candidates should have strong coding proficiency in R. Additional proficiency in Python would be preferred but not required. Candidates should have experience with machine learning and statistics. No specific degree is required, but candidates should have a strong technical background commonly found in economics, statistics, applied mathematics, computer science, or related fields.

Project E: Causal Inference with Panel Data

Yiqing Xu (Political Science)

This project aims to develop a causal inference toolkit for panel data, specifically designed for social science applications. Relevant examples are available on Professor Xu's website . The predoc will contribute to software development, support methodological advancements in causal inference, and assist in producing tutorials and a textbook on the subject. Additionally, the predoc will have opportunities to engage in applied research on the political economy of China. Regular weekly updates to the supervising professor are mandatory.

• Solid foundation in mathematics, including linear algebra and probability theory
• Completion of intermediate-level courses in econometrics or statistics
• Ability to comprehend original research in applied statistics or econometrics
• Proficiency in programming (e.g., R, Python, or C)
• Proficiency in English, both spoken and written

Desirable (but not required)

• Experience in IMO or IPhO
• Familiarity with Github repository management
• Fluency in Chinese, both spoken and written
• Enhanced understanding of causal inference
• Development of Stata, R, & Python packages
• Advanced data analysis and simulation techniques
• Engagement in political economy research on China

Project F: Motivations for Intergenerational Contact

Laura Carstensen (Psychology)

There has been a sudden and dramatic shift in age distribution in the global population. Whereas a century ago, only 5 % of the population in the United States was over 65, today, there are roughly the same number of five-year-olds and 65-year-olds. Age diversity is a novel resource, yet age segregation limits potentially productive exchanges and relationships. Several projects in my laboratory explore intergenerational relationships within families, workplaces, and neighborhoods. A full-time predoc can be integrated into all of these projects.

The Life-span Development Lab within the Department of Psychology at Stanford University is seeking a highly motivated and organized individual to join our team as a full-time Lab Manager. As the Lab Manager, you will play a crucial role in supporting ongoing research projects and ensuring the smooth operation of the lab. Responsibilities include managing day-to-day activities, overseeing participant recruitment, coordinating research protocols, and maintaining a well-organized and efficient work environment. 

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in psychology, excellent organizational and communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team of researchers. Previous experience in a research setting, familiarity with psychology, and proficiency in basic statistics and relevant software are highly desirable.

Basic familiarity with statistics, data entry, and data analysis

Project G: How the Infant Brain Processes Food Rewards

Cameron Ellis (Psychology)

Predocs are invited to apply for a new project in the Scaffolding of Cognition team focused on how the infant brain supports reinforcement learning and cognitive control. Reinforcement learning is a type of learning that orients behavior towards maximizing reward (e.g., physical comfort, food). Cognitive control is the exertion of mental effort to facilitate goal-directed behavior and inhibit undesirable behavior. Infants are capable of both reinforcement learning and cognitive control, yet how their brains support these capacities remains unknown. In this project, we wish to study how the infant brain responds to the most potent reward they regularly experience: food. Additionally, we will ask how infants can inhibit a response when there is no reward. We will conduct functional magnetic resonance imaging while infants are awake and watching a video screen. They will be given a pacifier that can supply milk. We will then time the delivery of milk to events on the screen they are watching so that they can learn to associate the delivery of milk with the stimuli. This will allow us to measure how the brain processes rewards and whether it predicts upcoming rewards. In other conditions, sucking will not lead to reward, and thus, they are expected to learn to withhold sucking in these contexts.

The position is ideal for individuals who wish to gain experience that will prepare them for a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience. Candidates with undergraduate degrees outside of Psychology and Neuroscience who nonetheless have the appropriate skills will be considered closely.

The predoc's responsibilities will be to construct the food delivery pump, pilot its use, and conduct experiments testing the neural response to food rewards. Developing the pump will require substantial technical and practical skill; however, I will closely guide them throughout this process.

As part of the technical skills, the candidate is expected to be familiar with programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python, high-performance computing), as evidenced by class work or independent research. Additional desirable qualities include statistical rigor, neuroimaging experience, and familiarity with office tools (e.g., MS Office, Slack). Finally, candidates must show initiative, problem-solving skills, and excellent communication.

The successful candidate is unlikely to have all of the skills listed above; however, it is expected that by the end of their time, they will have advanced skills in each of these domains.

Project H: Measuring, Modeling, and Improving Data Visualization Literacy

Judith Fan (Psychology)

Scientists use data visualizations to make new discoveries and communicate their findings to the public. So it is important for everyone to be able to understand data visualizations (and not just professional scientists!). The catch is that researchers are still figuring out how a person’s brain changes as they learn these skills and how to measure these changes reliably. Our project will contribute to this effort by developing improved measures to test different theories of data visualization literacy, with the longer-term goal of improving how core data literacy skills are taught. If you join us, you can expect to be closely involved in designing & conducting the behavioral studies to test existing & new measures of data visualization literacy, as well as coordinate with our partner organizations.

The Cognitive Tools Lab generally looks for prospective lab members who have a positive attitude, strong motivation, scientific curiosity, and willingness to quickly/independently learn new things. For more information, please visit our lab website .

• Data analysis and statistical reasoning
• Web programming for developing behavioral experiments
• Maintaining reproducible research workflows
• Professional communication and organizational skills

Project I: Causality in Cognition

Tobias Gerstenberg (Psychology)

The Causality in Cognition Lab (CiCL) studies how the mind learns to represent the causal structure of the world, and how we use this knowledge to predict what will happen, explain what happened, and hold others responsible for the consequences of their actions. In our research, we formalize people’s mental models as computational models that yield quantitative predictions about a wide range of situations. To test these predictions, we use a combination of large-scale online experiments, interactive experiments in the lab, and eye-tracking experiments. The predoc will help with developing computational models, designing and running online and eye-tracking experiments, analyzing and visualizing data, and preparing conference presentations and manuscripts. Find out more about what we do, what we value, and how to join us .

Project J: Investigating Cognitive Development during Early Childhood Using an Online, Scalable, Meta-Science Platform

Hyowon Gweon (Psychology)

The Social Learning Lab in the Department of Psychology at Stanford University is accepting applications for the IRiSS Predoctoral Researchers Program. The selected predoc will assist with empirical research investigating the cognitive underpinnings of social cognition and communication. Research in the Social Learning Lab asks: How do humans communicate with others by reasoning about their own and others’ mental states, and how does this ability develop in early childhood? To answer these questions we conduct in-person research with adults and children, both in-person (in lab, at partner museums, and at local nursery schools) and online (e.g., Prolific, Zoom, Lookit). This position will offer a great opportunity for prospective PhD students in Cognitive Science and Cognitive Development (Psychology) to gain the expertise and experience critical for a successful application, and sharpen their research interests.

In the Social Learning Lab, the predoc will have the following responsibilities:

• supporting data collection for developmental experiments on online platforms (eg., Lookit) and analyzing the data using automated gaze-coding software, both of which require fluency with JavaScript and Python;
• assisting with data-collection for in-person or live-on-Zoom developmental experiments, which requires being comfortable interacting with families and conducting developmental studies with preschool-aged children;
• aiding in stimuli design, qualitative data coding, quantitative data analysis as well as other aspects of the empirical research process;
• depending on the predoc’s expertise and interest, there may be opportunities to engage in developing experiments for adults in VR environments.

A BA or BS degree in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, or a related field is required. Programming experience (e.g., R, Python, Javascript) is preferred. In the selection process, we will consider all aspects of the applicant’s qualifications, including (but not limited to):

• general quantitative skills for data analysis (e.g., multilevel linear regression);
• technical skills necessary for the main tasks (e.g., fluency in Python, JavaScript, R);
• experience interacting with children and families;
• prior research experience in cognitive science & cognitive development;
• organizational and communicative skills;
• the ability to work independently and in teams.

We also expect the successful candidate to show initiative to learn (both from others and by self-teaching) and demonstrate a clear motivation for engaging in cognitive development research.

The predoctoral researcher will work closely with a postdoc / PhD student and the PI. Through working on research projects, the predoc will gain experience in all aspects of the research process, including but not limited to: designing and programming studies, participant recruitment, data collection, qualitative behavioral coding from video recordings, and quantitative data analysis; these experiences will offer opportunities to acquire and strengthen various technical skills such as R, Matlab, Python, HTML, JavaScript, and video editing software. As one of the core members of the lab, the predoc will benefit from departmental seminars and lab meetings as well as other informal learning opportunities such as regular meetings with the PI and other lab members. The predoc may be able to audit or take courses that are relevant to the research projects and their interests. These opportunities as well as other social events will provide a supportive environment for the predoc’s intellectual and professional development.

Project K: Psychology, Race, and the Real World

Jordan Starck (Psychology)

This predoctoral position will have the opportunity to work on two research programs. The primary program seeks to evaluate how the representations and motivations of one of our partner organizations, Black Girls Code, are perceived by different key constituents, including current and prospective clients from their target client demographic and potential funders. We plan to accomplish this in at least two ways. First, we will build on Dr. Ellen Markman's findings that the linguistic formulations often used to indicate equivalence between two groups can actually backfire. Specifically, subject-complement statements such as "girls are as good at math as boys," lead people to believe that boys are actually naturally more skilled in math than are girls. For Black Girls Code, this raises the possibility that hearing the name of the organization may tacitly prompt them to believe that White boys are the standard when it comes to coding. We will assess whether this perception occurs, the impact of this possible perception, and strategies to address it among client and partner populations. Second, we will build on Dr. Jordan Starck's findings that the reasons organizations provide for why they commit to issues regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, can have diverging impacts on Black and White Americans' perceptions of the organization. While instrumental reasons based on the benefits embracing diversity can provide (e.g., maximizing human capital, boosting employee retention, developing creative team outputs) are particularly appealing among White Americans and make them feel like they will gain greater value, feel greater belonging, and experience greater identity safety there, the opposite tends to be true among Black Americans. For Black Americans, moral reasons focused on the values and principles undergirding diversity commitments are associated with these better outcomes. As such, organizations striving to appeal to diverse stakeholders are in a conundrum in determining how to effectively communicate about the motivations driving their commitments. We will explore the implications of, and possible strategies to address, this conundrum in the case of Black Girls Code.

Depending on the predoctoral scholar's interests and skillset, they may have the opportunity to pursue an additional line of work related to racial inequality in media, education, or the law.

Strong applicants will have had some prior experience conducting social science research, including designing and implementing experiments and observational studies. They will also have some experience with quantitative and qualitative analyses. Familiarity with psychological research regarding race, prejudice, intergroup relations, and inequality is required. They will also have some proficiency in SPSS or R for statistical analyses.

Predoctoral scholars can expect to gain substantial experience in designing and conducting experiments and observational studies, quantitative and qualitative analyses, literature reviews, and managing research partnerships with professional organizations. They may also gain experience with scientific writing.

Project L: Gentrification and Residential Instability in Oakland, CA

Jackelyn Hwang (Sociology)

This project will examine how gentrification and declining housing affordability affect residential instability in the city of Oakland, CA. The project is in partnership with the City of Oakland's Department of Housing and Community Development. The project involves analyzing patterns of residential displacement, financial instability, and housing conditions and assessing a homelessness prevention pilot program through large-scale consumer data, program applications, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The predoc’s primary responsibilities will be managing and analyzing datasets, producing deliverables for policymakers and broader public audiences, and coordinating data collection. Additionally, the predoc will work closely with project partners to help apply the findings of the research towards the evaluation and improvement of housing policy interventions. Tasks related to data management include documentation, data merges, measures, coding, and analysis, and the predoc will direct undergraduate and graduate students working with these data. The predoc will also prepare data visualizations for academic and non-academic deliverables and write reports and other translation pieces to communicate results to partners, practitioners, and broader public audiences. The predoc will also have opportunities to contribute to academic deliverables stemming from this project. Prof. Hwang will work closely with and mentor the predoc through weekly individual meetings, weekly team meetings with all undergraduate and graduate students working on the project, partner meetings, and frequent communication via slack/email.

Ideal candidates will have strong communication and organizational skills, prior background on social science research design, and experience with qualitative coding (e.g., NVivo) and statistical software (e.g., R). 

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If you are a faculty member who wants to share their research information, please submit your project information below. Please email [email protected] if you need to update or remove your research project. Also, consider listing your on the research position page .

Faculty across every department at Ohio State are engaged in groundbreaking research to produce solutions to real-world problems. Ohio State ranks 5th in industry-sponsored research among all U.S. universities. These faculty members are always looking for eager undergraduates to join their teams.

We gathered information from participating mentors who are always accepting undergraduate assistance in a variety of fields. You will find a brief description of each project, department, requirements, links to lab websites and applicable contact information. Please note that lab projects may change and some faculty might not require assistance at the moment. We encourage you to still reach out to any opportunities that align with your interests.

Be prepared to compose an email with your statement of interest. Include your resume or CV and list all relevant courses or experiences you have related to the field. For resume help, visit Buckeye Careers . For email etiquette, see the "Etiquette Tips" under the Department of Psychology's Be a Research Assistant page .

Faculty-led Projects List

As the nation’s largest public research university, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) aims to catalyze, support and safeguard U-M research and scholarship activity.

The Office of the Vice President for Research oversees a variety of interdisciplinary units that collaborate with faculty, staff, students and external partners to catalyze, support and safeguard research and scholarship activity.

ORSP manages pre-award and some post-award research activity for U-M. We review contracts for sponsored projects applying regulatory, statutory and organizational knowledge to balance the university's mission, the sponsor's objectives, and the investigator's intellectual pursuits.

Ethics and compliance in research covers a broad range of activity from general guidelines about conducting research responsibly to specific regulations governing a type of research (e.g., human subjects research, export controls, conflict of interest).

eResearch is U-M's site for electronic research administration. Access: Regulatory Management (for IRB or IBC rDNA applications); Proposal Management (eRPM) for the e-routing, approval, and submission of proposals (PAFs) and Unfunded Agreements (UFAs) to external entities); and Animal Management (for IACUC protocols and ULAM).

Sponsored Programs manages the post-award financial activities of U-M's research enterprise and other sponsored activities to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws as well as sponsor regulations. The Office of Contract Administration (OCA) is also part of the Office of Finance - Sponsored Programs.

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Let's start with an understanding of a research institution. In addition to teaching students and administering degrees, research is integral to the pursuit of scholarship. Research universities, like the University of Michigan, conduct research as a core part of their mission.

Students, research project teams, benefit from the research process, and all, including the public, benefit from the discoveries and outcomes.

The federal government mandates that a central unit at universities administer research activities funded by sponsors.

As a public institution, the University of Michigan's mission is to generate and disseminate knowledge in the public interest for open scholarly exchange and academic freedom. These principles are referred to as "Openness in Research" and are set forth by the Regents' policy, under the Standard Practice Guide (SPG) 303.02.

A university's research and sponsored projects works with both faculty and external sponsors to manage and ensure compliance with  proposals , awards , contracts and agreements , subrecipients , closeouts and more.

What is a sponsored project? 

In the most simple terms, a sponsored project is a grant or an award funded by an external sponsor.

When universities conduct sponsored research, that research is funded by an external sponsor. For example a sponsored project may be funded by a government agency or by a private sponsor, such as a corporation or a non-profit organization.

Faculty who conduct research (investigators) write grants to sponsors to fund the research.

What is an external sponsor?

An external sponsor invests in research to advance knowledge and discovery.

These sponsors might be government (federal agencies, states, or municipalities). 

The largest source of external sponsored funding typically comes from government agencies (the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, Agriculture, Energy or more).

Or the sponsor might be private , as a non-profit or foundation (such as the American Heart Association) or as a for-profit company or industry. The grants help cover the equipment, facilities, and staff for the research activities. 

These sponsors may issue a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement to the university.  When an award is granted by a sponsor, it's time to set up the project and begin the research, managing the project through its completion or close out. 

What is research administration?

The field of research administration involves vigilance and a broad understanding of:

• Policy and agreements with sponsors (whether through contracts, terms and conditions, university policy, or federal regulations)
• allowable and unallowable costs
• Knowledge of the types of third party agreements that may be required
• Proposal budget preparation and how to apply the institution's F&A cost rate;
• Assist a Principal Investigator in finding sources of funding (research development)
• The requirements before a project is awarded.
• Financial reporting
• Non-financial milestone reporting
• Publication and data sharing responsibilities
• Closeout of a sponsored project and audit preparation.
• Compliance areas, including human subjects protections, animal care, export controls, data sharing, research misconduct, subrecipient monitoring, effort reporting, controlled substances, and more.

Understanding the Research Project Lifecycle

Our processes and our website are organized according to the lifecycle of a research project to enable understanding of sponsored projects from the beginning phases (pre-award) to the award start and completion phases (post-award). Learn more on our Getting Started page. 

Contact  [email protected]  with questions! 

Funding searches are handled by the schools/colleges at the unit level. Grants and funding requests are not written and submitted independently. The federal government mandates that a central unit at universities administer research activities funded by sponsors. 

These administrative tasks require a professional staff with broad knowledge of the regulations of federal agencies and to maintain the extensive records required by federal sponsors. Start by working with your Research Administrator.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP) primarily handles pre-award activities and is part of the Office of Research . 

Sponsored Programs primarily handles financial post-award activities, and is part of  Finance .

• For projects that are not a clinical trial, you need only select "Private Sponsor Team" in eRPM from the list of Project Representatives. When you do, ORSP will take on the task of determining the PR.
• For projects that are clinical trials and originate in the Cancer Center, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, select Lark Haunert for sponsors "A" through "L" or select Tricia Haynes for sponsors "M" through "Z."
• For clinical trials that originate in other departments (other than the Cancer Center, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics) select Debra Dill.

For all other questions:

• Contact Reynaldo Martell ( [email protected] , 936-1353), the Administrative Specialist for the Private Sponsors Team. Just share the name of your project's Principal Investigator (PI), your Department or School, and Sponsor, and they can assist you and connect you to the right PR.

So that we can best serve you, when contacting us, please include:

• Proposal Approval Form (PAF) number
• Project Grant (P/G)
• UFA (Unfunded Agreement) number
• SSP (Special Sponsored Project) number
• PI (Principal Investigator) name
• Sponsor name and detailed contact information (if requesting that a central office contact them)

References and Resources

• Navigating the ORSP Website - Wayfinding Video Tutorials
• Navigate Overview of the Research Project Lifecycle

Useful Web Resources for Research Administrators - Annotated by ORSP Communications. Organized by the Research Project Lifecycle.

• Frequently Required Proposal Documents and Data

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Research isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are. Every day, our faculty and students work side by side in a tireless pursuit of discovery, continuing our founding mission to bring knowledge to the world.

Zika’s impact on early brain development

Johns Hopkins researchers contribute to breakthrough study showing likely biological link between Zika virus and microcephaly, a birth defect linked to abnormally small head size and stunted brain development in newborns.

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Our 35 interdisciplinary research institutes and centers are the engines that fuel our pathbreaking discoveries..

Spotlight on Sustainablity

Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy

Trienens Institute researchers advance global sustainability and energy solutions through transformational research, interdisciplinary education, and public engagement.

Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy website

Spotlight on Synthetic Biology

Center for Synthetic Biology

CSB researchers build new biological systems to tackle societal challenges such as providing sustainable manufacturing, advanced materials, and targeted therapeutics.

Center for Synthetic Biology website

Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence

Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)

CIERA researchers collaborate across disciplines to find AI solutions to the challenges of modern astronomy.

CIERA website

Research News

Future-proofing U.S. embassies and consulates

Northwestern experts reimagine how hundreds of diplomatic locations around the world can prepare for climate change and other threats

New biomaterial regrows damaged cartilage in joints

A crucial component in joints, cartilage is notoriously difficult to repair

‘Dancing molecules’ heal cartilage damage

Regenerative effects of the molecules might be universal across tissue types

• More Research News

Translational Research

From idea to commercialization.

Northwestern features a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, both for faculty and students. Much of the infrastructure and many of the resources for our success in this arena involve INVO, the University’s Innovation and New Ventures Office. INVO manages our researchers’ intellectual property and helps faculty turn their ideas into companies. Among the assets INVO oversees is the Querrey InQbation Lab, an on-campus technology accelerator designed to turbocharge innovation.

INNOVATION & NEW VENTures OFFICE (INVO)

Undergraduate Research

At northwestern, student research starts on day 1..

The Office of Undergraduate Research awards funding to hundreds of students each year; a majority of these students are engaged in independent research and creative projects.

• Office of Undergraduate Research

Research in Practice

8 libraries. More than 6 million titles and 341 TB of digital content (and counting).

Explore our libraries

Innovative thinking across every discipline and in every program.

Innovation at Northwestern

Proposal Development for Faculty

Proposal development requires a variety of individuals and offices across the university to provide key components for your research project. Here you can find the resources and offices needed to assist in the development of a proposal.

Proposal Development Resources

1: Planning Phase

2: Find Funding

3: Write & Compile Proposal

4: Submit Project

5: Final Requirements Before Acceptance

The planning phase focuses on gaining knowledge, data, and partners to prepare for a future proposal or project.  This may include competitive analysis of your concept/idea, workshops, generating white papers, finding collaborators, identifying mentors, contacting program officials, generating preliminary data, and talking with your Department Chair or Dean. Resources available to faculty during this phase include:

Developing Concepts and Ideas

Concept Development Resources and Services  are offered through the Research Development Office, Medical Corporate and Foundation Relations, and Danforth Campus Foundations Relations or Corporate Engagement Offices. Faculty may also present concept ideas to peers, mentors, or program officials.  Several federal agencies invite concept or white paper submissions on a rolling basis.

Understanding Federal Agencies and Research Landscape

Agency Information Resources including agency information webinars and Q&A panels, awards databases, strategic reports, and links to finding program officials. The Research Development Office offers competitive intelligence analysis and strategic planning for emerging teams.

Finding WashU or Regional Collaborators

The  Research Development Office  assists faculty in identifying collaborators across schools and disciplines, facilitates new team development, and hosts topic specific Research Networking Groups initiated by faculty.

Research Education and Information  hosts an annual  faculty forum  with opportunities to foster collaborative relationships.

‘ Find Collaborator Tools ’ are available through WashU Profiles and SciVal.

Generate Preliminary Data

Internal Seed Funding opportunities provide funds to support research activities that may lead to extramural funding.

There are a variety of federal funding programs offering early career opportunities, as well as private sponsors found in Foundation Relation’s Private Funding Sources catalog .

Federal Funding & Cost Sharing

If you choose to pursue federal funding for your research project, be sure to check your eligibility to apply as a PI.

• School of Medicine
• All other disciplines should check with their School for current policies on PI eligibility.

The university has multiple resources to find funding from a variety of sponsor types, and several offices to support you in finding funding opportunities.

Submit a Concept Paper or White Paper

Some sponsors offer or require the option to submit concepts prior to the formal proposal submission.

• NSF Program Suitability & Proposal Concept Tool (ProSPCT) : for prospective PIs to contact the NSF to determine suitability of a project idea prior to submission of a proposal.
• NSF Broad Agency Announcement Management (BAAM) :  a document management system for submission of letters of intent, preliminary proposals, and full proposals in response to a NSF BAAs.

Contact a Program Officer

“Engaging with Federal Program Officials” – Recording and Slides : Training provided at the 2021 Researcher Forum (Box links require WUSTL Key).

NIH: Program Officials Are Here to Help

NSF 101: 5 tips on how to work with an NSF program officer

Once your grant proposal has been submitted for review, it is not appropriate to contact individuals involved in the review process. The Peer Review Confidentiality Requirements announcement from the Vice Chancellor for Research details important information on confidentiality during the review process.

Review Funding Trends

Federal Agency Information : This resource connects you with current funding priorities from a variety of federal agencies, as well as recordings from recent federal agency presentations at WashU, hosted by the Research Development Office.

WashU Research Analytics (WUSTL Key required): A series of interactive dashboards useful for analyzing various aspects of extramural funding.

Account Registration for Submissions

WashU’s Institutional Data Quick Reference Sheet : Includes important information, like WashU’s UEI number, required for some system registrations.

FedConnect : lists opportunities for federal contracts, grants, and other types of funding.

eRA Commons : A system managed by NIH that allows applicants, recipients and federal staff to securely share, manage and process grant-related  information. This application is submitted to your Department Administrator.

Application Submission System & Interface for Submission Tracking (ASSIST) : is used to prepare and submit applications electronically to NIH and other Public Health Service agencies.

SciENcv : This tool allows researchers to track and share their biosketch and current and pending support . Biosketch samples can be found in the  WUSTL Grants Library>Standard Grant Language Templates  in Box.

Proposal Timeline

The process to submit a proposal can take six months or longer, and requires the involvement of several people from departments and central offices.

Writing Resources

Grant Writing Resources :  The OVCR shares a listing of several grant writing resources at the university and beyond.

ICTS – WUSTL Grant’s Library :  This is a centralized resource for grant writers with access to samples of award training, career, and research grant applications (NIH, private, and institutional), as well as general stock language and proposal templates and tools.

Other Proposal Resources

Broader Impacts Partners and Resources :  These resources help faculty define and develop their broader impacts as well as potential university and local partners.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion : This webpage provides a primer for the research community on activities and planning that build diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The RDO encourages all researchers to utilize this primer, to adopt practices that connect to your research and build DEI. Further, researchers applying to funding opportunities that require DEI plans can utilize this primer to strengthen their application and their impact toward DEI.

Institutional Data : This list provides frequently requested institutional data for WashU. 

Financial Disclosures : Disclosure is required for all External Professional Activities that appear to be related to a  Covered Individual’s  professional, academic, or scientific expertise or Institutional Responsibilities regardless of remuneration, unless otherwise exempted below. Covered entities include: all foreign and domestic governments, institutions and entities; public or non-publicly traded companies; non-profit organizations; university/academic organizations, and government and professional societies.

International Collaborators : Issues surrounding foreign influence and international activities in federally funded research has been an evolving topic, in which the US Government has shown increasing concern. With the heightened sensitivity around intellectual property and proper disclosures, it is imperative to report on international research and scholarly activities.

Transparency of Foreign Connections : The university has compiled a series of responses to the information requested from funding agencies, especially the DOE, related to foreign connections.

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) : Security requirements for protection of CUI are required when the originating or immediate sponsor is the US Government, and the mechanism used to fund the work will be a contract or subcontract (rather than a grant or cooperative agreement).

Digital Personal Identifier (DPI): One of the NSPM-33 objectives is to strengthen disclosure requirements and processes. While it is not yet a requirement, it is recommended that individual researchers on any federal research grant register with a service that provides them with a digital persistent identifier. Currently ORCID is the tool accepted for DPIs by federal agencies. The Becker Library ORCID guide shares tutorials, videos, and other information on DPIs.

Biosketch : A collection of information on a researcher’s education, employment, research activities, publications, and more. A biosketch can be created with the  SciENcv  tool, and information can be made public to share with others. The biosketch may also include information on  Other Support/Current & Pending Support . Sponsors may request information on other active and pending support to ensure there is no scientific, budgetary, or commitment overlap.

SciENcv : This tool allows researchers to track and share their  biosketch  and  current and pending support . Biosketch samples can be found in the  WUSTL Grants Library>Standard Grant Language Templates  in Box.

Tips & Reminders for Pre-Award:  OSRS provides a wealth of tips on how to submit your application on time and avoid errors.

Correcting an Application : Sometimes after an application is submitted you may want to pull it back from the sponsor to make an edit or correction.

• NIH: Submit a Changed/Corrected Application
• Research.gov: Proposal Submission>Proposal FAQs>Editing a Submitted Proposal

Research Management System (RMS)

Every proposal with a budget requirement (including pre-proposals) must go through RMS and the approval process. Because the system calculates salary and fringe rates, it is recommended to start this process early.

*Every proposal with a budget requirement (including pre-proposals) must go through RMS and the approval process. Because RMS calculates salary and fringe rates, do this early in the process.

**Once the budget meets the PI’s approval, admin routes to the central Office of Sponsored Research Services (OSRS)for Partial Review. OSRS may approve or request changes. Admin makes requested changes, in consultation with PI (if necessary). Once approved, admin generates Proposal Certification forms (PC forms) and sends to PI for signature, followed by the department chair.

OSRS recommended timeline for review :

• 10+ business days for Partial Review
• 5+ business days for Full Review
• 2+ business days for Final Review

Pre-Award Compliance

There are many policies and regulations setting the training requirements for researchers. The Trainings for Researchers page provides information on several of the required compliance trainings, as well as resources for staff to monitor completions. Failure to complete and submit all required training will delay the award acceptance.

Just-in-Time Procedures

If the NIH decides to fund your proposal, they must have certain information before making the award. This may include current other support, IRB approvals , IACUC approvals , human subjects education , SBIR/STTR funding agreements , and more. There are several important steps for both the PI and OSRS administrators to follow during the JIT process .

Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

• Deadline Date Timeline
• Department of Energy Foreign National Access Request
• Executive Order 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs”
• Individual Development Plans (IDP)
• IRB/IACUC Review and Approval Matrix
• Just-In-Time (JIT) via eRACommons Procedure
• NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
• NIH Submissions – Defining Key Personnel and Other Significant Contributors (OSCs)
• NIH T Grant Harassment Policy & Institutional Letter
• NIH/eRA Commons RPPR procedures
• NSF Policy for Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus or Off-Site Research
• PI Departure Checklist
• Principal Investigator Eligibility Matrix – School of Medicine
• Program Types and Purpose Codes
• RMS PD/PT User Guide
• RMS Post Submission Checklist
• SBIR/STTR Guidelines
• Small Business Subcontracting Plan
• SNAP RPPR Tips for Departments
• Uniform Guidance
• Veterans Affairs Appointments and MOUs
• WashU Record Management Policy (Financial Services)
• What to Submit to the OSRS
• Address Overlap in Other Support
• Award Document Quick Guide
• Budget Considerations
• Charge IRB Fees to a Grant
• Charge Radioactive Waste to a Grant
• Contact Staff About School of Medicine Gifts and Endowments
• Create a Data Management Plan
• Create a New NSF Account
• Define Organized Research
• Distinguish Between a Grant, Contract, and Gift
• Distinguish Between Subaward, Vendor, and Consultant
• Find Notaries at WashU
• Find Research Administrators in Other Departments/Divisions
• Find WashU School of Medicine’s Facilities and Administrative Rates (F&A, Overhead, Indirect Cost Rates)
• Find WashU’s Federally Negotiated Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Rate Agreement & Fringe Benefit Rate
• NIH eRA Commons Account Requests
• Obtain A WashU W-9
• Respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests
• Securing Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
• Send Checks or Wire Money to WashU
• Sign Up for Research Administration Listservs
• Submit a Limited Submission Application
• Translate Documents

Tools for New Faculty

• New Investigator Resources for Animal Studies

Systems and Tools

• Bases in RMS Budgets – What is Excluded?
• Budget Spreadsheet Tool for NIH Training Grants
• Data Warehouse Analytics
• Draft Letters to Agencies for Prior Approval Requests
• F&A Rate Flow Chart
• Fringe Calculation Spreadsheet
• Grant Writing Resources
• Grants Library (WUSTL)
• Institutional Data and Budget Quick Reference Sheet
• Research Administration Process Overview
• RMS PD/PT Approval Routes and Status Maps
• RMS PD/PT Reference Materials
• RMS: Research Management System
• Salary Caps and Exclusions – Sponsors Configured in RMS
• Scientific Editing Service for Proposals
• Super Users of RMS PD/PT Contact List
• Tips and Reminders for Pre-Award
• Tips and Reminders for RMS

Forms and Templates

• Agency Letter
• Animal Subjects Approval Letter – Non-Federal
• Change in Human/Animal Subjects Protocol Status Template
• Consortium Letter Template (Letter of Intent)
• Human Subjects Approval Letter (Non-Federal)
• Human Subjects Approval OMB Form 0990-0263 – Federal
• Human Subjects Education Letter
• Just-In-Time Cover Letter
• Key Personnel Not Engaged in Human Subjects Research Template
• Pending Animal Subjects Approval Letter & Instructions
• Pending Human Subjects Approval Letter & Instructions
• PHS 2590 Face Page
• PHS 398 Checklist
• PHS 398 Face Page
• Proposal Certification Form Assurances for Foreign Influence
• Report Request Form
• RMS Incident Report Form
• Standard Form 424 Research & Related (SF424 R&R) – Direct Pay WUSTL
• Transparency of Foreign Connections

Offices and Committees

• Office of Sponsored Research Services (OSRS)
• Research Development Office (RDO)
• Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA)

Education and Training

• HRPO Education
• RMS PD/PT In-Person Training Opportunities
• RMS PD/PT Training in Learn@Work
• Trainings for Researchers