Events and Training

Upcoming Events

Science Communication Workshop | Oct. 15

Elevate your Broader Impacts and take your outreach to the next level. Learn how to engage diverse audiences to promote an appreciation and understanding of your research and the impact it has on society and people’s lives. This interactive workshop focuses on expanding your communication skills and developing strategies to effectively disseminate your research to inspire the next generation of critical thinkers and problem solvers.

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024
Time: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. or 3:30-5 p.m.

Registration: Registration is required and space is limited.
Reserve your seat

Nature Masterclasses On-demand

SDSU faculty and staff now have access to Nature Masterclasses on-demand courses. These on-demand, professional development courses comprise of a range of topics, including writing and publishing research papers, networking and collaboration, peer review, persuasive grant writing and data analysis.

The university holds an institutional subscription to the Nature Masterclasses on-demand courses through Jan. 30, 2025. This gives SDSU faculty and staff access to all available content on the platform (use SDSU single sign-on credentials).

Previous Events and Training

RADCon: Research Administration and Development Conference

The June 2024 conference connected research support professionals from across the Northern Plains’ states and is central to the project, supported by the National Science Foundation’s GRANTED program. Click the title link to learn more about the conference.

Fall 2024

Cayuse Training Sessions
- How to Route Your Proposal in Cayuse
  For researchers new to Cayuse or just needing a refresher, the sessions provided them with the knowledge to streamline their proposal routing.
  - Tuesday, Sept. 3 | noon-12:50 p.m.
  - Monday, Sept. 9 | 4-4:50 p.m.
- How to Submit Your Proposal in Cayuse
  These sessions covered all the critical steps for a successful proposal submission in Cayuse, helping attendees avoid common pitfalls.
  - Friday, Sept. 20 | 3-3:50 p.m.
  - Tuesday, Sept. 24 | 4-4:50 p.m.
SPIN funding database online training session (Sept. 16 | noon-1 p.m)
Bill DeCocco of InfoEd Global will demonstrate how to use the SPIN database to find funding for projects. Attendees will learn different search approaches, saving and automating searches and other best practices.

Competitive Grant Seeking Workshop
CAFES invited SDSU faculty to attend a Competitive Grant Seeking Workshop on Oct. 9-10 at McCrory Gardens, hosted by Hanover Research, an internationally recognized leader in grantsmanship support. This workshop offers a come-and-go format to accommodate your busy schedule. Meals will be provided, so please RSVP.
- Day 1 (Oct. 9, 2024 at 9 a.m.-noon): insights to competitive grant-seeking, from pre-proposal strategies, proposal structure, content logic and narrative writing to more advanced topics involving developing a meta narrative, using graphics to enhance proposals and writing to evaluation criteria. [USDA emphasis]
- Day 2 (Oct. 10, 2024 at 9 a.m.-noon): funder-specific considerations in developing a competitive proposal and long-term grants strategy; using graphics to enhance proposals; proposal resubmissions and responding to reviewer feedback. [NSF emphasis]
  10/10/24 at 1-4 p.m.: funder-specific considerations in developing a competitive proposal and long-term grants strategy; using graphics to enhance proposals; proposal resubmissions and responding to reviewer feedback. [USDA emphasis]

Spring 2024: Federal Sponsor Series

This series provided an in-depth look at key federal grant funding agencies, their missions, purposes and major programs. They also provided strategies and suggestions for researchers to prepare successful funding applications.

SPIN funding database training session with Bill DeCocco of InfoEd Global (April 22)
The event provided a how-to, walkthrough session in using the SPIN database to find funding for projects. Attendees learned the different search approaches, saving and automating searches and other best practices.
National Endowment for the Arts (April 10)
with Patricia Mullaney-Loss, Office of Research Analysis.
U.S. Department of Agriculture NIFA (April 2)
with Suzanne Stluka, deputy director (Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition), and Bob Godfrey, division director (Animal Systems).
NSF EPSCoR E-CORE and E-RISE discussion (March 28)
These two, newer NSF EPSCoR funding opportunities require multi-institution collaboration, and SDSU is allowed to lead only one application for each program (selected via limited submission). This session highlighted program details and best practices applicable to various roles in potential E-CORE or E-RISE projects.
National Institutes of Health (March 20)
with Mercy Prabhudas, program officer - NIAID, and Brittany Haynes, Brittany Haynes, program director - Research Workforce Diversity and Equity.
National Endowment for the Humanities (Feb. 22)
with Suha Kudsieh, program officer, and Carson Sehr, program analyst, with the NIH Research Office.
Meet the National Science Foundation (Feb. 15)
with J.D. Swanson, program officer with NSF EPSCoR.

Fall 2023 RSCA Training

FY24 RSCA Challenge Fund: Informational Webinar (Dec. 6)
In this webinar, the Division of Research and Economic Development and the RSCA Committee discussed the goal of the RSCA Challenge Fund, how to apply and what to expect from the review process.
Learn more about the RSCA Challenge Fund and read the RFA.
Orienting yourself in the funding landscape
Tuesday, Sept. 12: This session offered a framework to help identify 1) your potential research themes and topics and 2) the existing resources, barriers and solutions available.
Prospecting: Tools and tips to find funding
Tuesday, Sept. 26: This session reviewed available resources to help find funding opportunities with a focus on tools, specifically the SPIN funding opportunity database and NIH RePORTER and Matchmaker. Note: Due to recording restrictions from SPIN (InfoEd Global), this section is not part of the recording. We recommend reviewing the training videos in SPIN's help menu or asking a grant specialist for support.
Science communication crash course (Not recorded)
Tuesday, Oct. 10: Led by Rhea Waldman, director – South Dakota Discovery Center. Sessions sponsored by the South Dakota NSF EPSCoR Office
Creating a competitive grant proposal
Wednesday, Oct. 18: This session reviewed the key components of a grant proposal, including preparing a budget and justification and understanding how to match your project to the funder.
Aligning project goals, objectives, methods and assessment
Thursday, Nov. 9: This session identified a framework to present a proposal and ensure the components of the proposed work are discernible and in alignment.
Building an effective team
Tuesday, Nov. 28: This session reviewed key considerations in how to build a team, including communication tools, frameworks and some online resources to support your team building efforts.

Spring 2023

NIH Research Funding Panel (April 2023)
Those seeking grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) attended this session to learn about the peculiarity of NIH funding, gaining tips from a panel of colleagues on competing for awards.
SPARC Kickoff Meeting (April 2023)
This meeting formally kicked off the Seeding Partnerships to Advance Research Collaborations (SPARC) initiative. The Division of Research gave a brief overview of this internal funding opportunity, answered attendee questions and provided multiple thematic breakout rooms to connect with possible collaborators.
Before the meeting, attendees reviewed this list of research focus areas to help them identify potential research team members from different focus areas. To learn more about the research interests of those listed, view their full responses to the SPARC survey.
DoD Research Funding Panel (February 2023)
Those engaging in research that may be of interest to the Department of Defense (DoD), attended this overview session to learn about this well-resourced federal agency and tips on how to seek DoD awards successfully. The Division of Research and Economic Development provided this event, and the panelists included representatives from DoD EPSCoR (DEPSCOR).

Fall 2023

Wokini Challenge Grant Info Session (December 2022)
Presenters: Sarah Bad Warrior-Vrooman and Dianne Nagy This Info Session was for faculty and staff interested in applying for FY24 Wokini Challenge Grant funds. It included an overview of program goals, examples of successful projects, engaging students, building relationships, conducting Tribal research and explaining the application process.
FY24 RSCA Challenge Fund Webinar (November 2022)
The RSCA Challenge Fund aims to support faculty and staff in increasing their competitiveness for funding and elevating their presence in their fields. This webinar reviewed the program's purpose and the application and review process. View the Webinar Recording
USDA Panel Discussion (November 2022)
This session presented tips on the peculiarities of USDA funding from a panel of USDA-funded colleagues on how to successfully compete for awards. Panelists Ali Nafchi, Amber Letcher, Kristine Ramsay Seaner and Krista Ehlert discussed their experiences learning about USDA programs and funding trends, building relationships with program officers and developing their ideas and teams.
View the Recording
NSF Panel Discussion (September 2022)
This session presented tips on the distinctiveness of NSF funding from a panel of NSF-funded colleagues on how to successfully compete for awards. Panelists Chris Saunders, Carie Green and John McMaine discussed their experiences with NSF programs and funding.
Introduction to RSCA (September 2022)
This session provided a primer to research, scholarship and creative activity at SDSU with a focus on the lifecycle of research funding, from ideation to proposal submission to award management.
It covered the following: Contextualizing knowledge creation Prospecting/Finding Funding Proposal development Award management Core Facilities Information AY 22/23 professional development opportunities.