Simplifying the Process for Finding Research Funding: A Cross-Campus Collaboration at a Large Academic Institution

Abstract

The objective was an interdisciplinary cross-unit partnership to develop a comprehensive online portal and consultation service to facilitate funding opportunity success for researchers. To better understand and meet the needs of our researchers, an online survey was distributed to researchers across our campus that were identified as individuals interested in health sciences research. The emergent themes in the survey highlighted the time needed to search for funding, the difficulty in finding relevant opportunities, and the ability to find precise funding applicable to their particular research project. In light of the key challenges identified through the survey, the primary goals of the collaborative project were to create a research funding portal and consultation service that could serve all faculty on campus in harvesting resources within our university and beyond, regardless of discipline, to assist in their funding search. The foremost design priority was to make the guide both visually inviting and easy to navigate. The design incorporates intelligent redundancy throughout so that key resources are included on each page of the guide. The guide provides access to a Research Funding Search Consultation form for researches to request a personalized grant-seeking consultation. The collaborative effort to design and produce the guide and consultation service can serve as a model for others seeking to partner with stakeholders. Establishing and proactively maintaining a collaborative relationship with units across the research enterprise can build a sustainable system to help researchers navigate the complex funding process.