The Research Development Office (RDO), within the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), helps researchers succeed with their pursuit of external funding. The RDO team coordinates campus-wide initiatives, manages internal funding programs, oversees limited submission opportunities, connects faculty to resources and collaborators, and provides guidance to maximize the impact of research proposals and creative works. 

Growing Campus Connections

Sign up to be added to the RDO mailing list to receive the RDO Monthly Newsletter and other timely information.

Funding Opportunities

Limited Submission Opportunities

The RDO manages the Limited Submission Opportunities process for grant applications to funding agencies that restrict the number of submissions allowed from an institution. An internal selection process has been established to make sure that multiple applications to the limited program do not render each other ineligible by the sponsor.

Arts and Humanities Initiative

The RDO coordinates the Arts & Humanities Initiative (AHI), an internal funding program within the OVPR that encourages leading edge scholarship, creative activities, and interdisciplinary research. Three grant categories are available.

The deadline for Spring 2026 applications is Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

OVPR Large Grant Development Opportunity

The OVPR invites applications to the Large Grant Development Opportunity for funding to support development of large disciplinary grant proposals, including: building interdisciplinary research teams, conducting pilot research, and finalizing grant submissions.

The application deadline for the next cycle will be January 31, 2027.

Upcoming Events

Navigating the NSF MRI Program: Overview and Lessons Learned promotional image

Navigating the NSF MRI Program: Overview and Lessons Learned

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 10:00am to 11:00am
Virtual

The Research Development Office is hosting a virtual information and panel session on Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 10–11 a.m. Join us virtually to learn more about the NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program. During the session, the RDO will give an overview of the program including how to navigate the institutional limited submission process and three successful MRI awardees will discuss their experiences, share their insights, and respond to your questions.

Moderator

Aliasger Salem (Associate...

ARIS Research Impacts (aka Broader Impacts) Seminar promotional image

ARIS Research Impacts (aka Broader Impacts) Seminar

Thursday, February 19, 2026 10:00am to 3:00pm
Virtual

The National Science Foundation (NSF) considers two criteria in their review of proposals: intellectual merit and broader impacts (BI). Broader impacts relate to how the proposed research will “benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes” and is increasingly used as the differentiator between which excellent proposals to fund or not.

The Training Team from the NSF-supported Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) organization will conduct a virtual workshop on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026...

Planning and Writing Successful Grant Proposals in the Creative Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities Seminar promotional image

Planning and Writing Successful Grant Proposals in the Creative Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities Seminar

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 8:30am to 4:30pm
Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)

This seminar will cover fundamental concepts of proposal planning and writing for the Arts and Humanities faculty backed by concrete tips and operational strategies that support planning and longer-term sustainability.

Planning and Writing Successful Grant Proposals in the Creative Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities Seminar

The Research Development Office is hosting an in person grant writing seminar, Planning and Writing Successful Grant Proposals in the Creative Arts, Social Sciences, and...

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