Research Development Fellows Program

Overview

The Research Development Fellows Program (RDFP) is an Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) initiative designed to provide early career faculty with the information, resources, and approaches necessary to position themselves for success in securing external funding for their research, scholarship, and creative activity.

Content

The RDFP is an academic year-long program consisting of a combination of learning sessions and interactive workshops. These activities are designed to help fellows be strategic in laying a strong foundation for research success as an early career faculty member. RDFP learning activities are complemented by consultations with University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) administrators and faculty colleagues.

Program Outcomes

Fellows will enhance competitiveness for extramural funding by:

  1. Constructing a concept paper summarizing a project for which they will pursue external funding.
  2. Devising a five-year plan to strategically pursue external funding.
  3. Developing a concise verbal presentation to effectively communicate their research to various audiences.

Eligibility

Applications are welcome from full-time UNL faculty at the assistant-level rank who are in the early stages of developing a research, scholarship, or creative activity program. Fellows who participate in the RDFP may not re-apply in subsequent years.

Information Session

ORED will host a virtual information session to answer questions about the program on Thursday, September 7, 10 to 10:30 a.m., register for this session here.

Application Process

Applications to participate in the 2023-24 RDFP must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, September 22, 2023. The application form for the 2023-24 RDFP will be available Sept. 1, but below is some information to help you start getting ready to apply.

Application Materials

To apply to participate in the Research Development Fellows Program (RDFP), please prepare the following materials:

1) A document (no more than two pages) that:

2) Your full curriculum vitae or resume.

Application Submission

The application portal will open Sept. 1. Once your application materials are prepared, please complete the form at the portal. You must upload and submit your application materials as a single PDF file to complete the application submission process.

Selection Criteria

Several criteria are used to select faculty invited to participate in RDFP, including:

Applicant Notification

The applicant notification process will be completed in early October. Fellows are expected to attend all program activities, which occur roughly once per month from October to May.

2023-2024 Schedule

DateTimeLocation
October 123 to 4:30 P.M.Whittier 152
November 143 to 4:30 P.M.Whittier 152
December 143 to 4:30 P.M.Whittier 152
January 183 to 4:30 P.M.Whittier 152
February 223 to 4:30 P.M.Whittier 152
TBD Grant Writing Seminar8 A.M. to 5 P.M.TBD
March 193 to 4:30 P.M.Whittier 152
April 182:30 to 4:30 P.M.TBD
May 92:30 to 4:30 P.M.TBD

For More Information

For more information, contact Tisha Gilreath Mullen, director of proposal development, at 402-472-2894.

Related Resources

Office of Proposal Development
Office of Sponsored Programs
Research Administration Essentials (formerly NURAMP)
NuRamp
Research Days