Research Development

julie thatcherWelcome to the Office of Research Development website! Our office provides all pre-award services to the faculty and staff of Arkansas State University. In our ongoing commitment to nurture and support a rich research and scholarly environment, the website is one of the many tools available to enhance the proposal preparation and submission process. Additionally, we will use this site to keep you up-to-date on the many grantsmanship training opportunities and research events we sponsor. We look forward to working with you and supporting your sponsored projects pursuits.

Best regards,
Julie Thatcher

ORD: Sponsored Opportunities
Student: Faculty:

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Training Modules

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What exactly is the Office of Research Development?
We are the “pre-awards” office here at ASU. Basically, that means we assist with every part of the grant proposal preparation, submission, and tracking process, all the way through contract negotiation. For more information on our process, please see Proposal Process @ ASU under Proposal Development in the How To section of this website.
When do I have to work with the Office of Research Development?
Any time you seek external funding, no matter the source, for research and service activities, you should contact us.
Do I really have to contact you EVERY time I seek external funding?
Short answer? Yes. We are the official point of contact for the University for these types of activities, and Michael Dockter is the authorized individual allowed to sign contracts.
I have an idea for a grant proposal. What do I do?
If you’re in the STEM disciplines, call Josh Potter at 3049. If you’re in a non-STEM area, call Cheryl Goad at 2447. If in doubt, pick a name and call, and we’ll direct you in the right direction.
Will you write my grant for me?
No. Due to the large number of proposals submitted by faculty members here at ASU, we simply do not have the time or manpower to write grants for faculty members. We can, however, assist with template distribution, checklists, reading and understanding solicitations, identifying likely funding sources, editing and reading for content and grammar, and other such activities designed to facilitate the proposal process.
I’m a faculty member in a STEM area. Who do I call to help me with my proposal?
Josh Potter at 3049.
I’m a faculty member in a non-STEM area. Who do I call?
Cheryl Goad at 2447.
How long does the proposal development process take?
That depends entirely upon the funding agency, type of project, your background, and several other factors. Suffice it to say, quality proposals take time to prepare. We strongly advise contacting us as soon as you begin thinking seriously about preparing a proposal, preferably 1+ months in advance of the deadline.
When do I absolutely HAVE to have my proposal into your office?
Again, this is difficult to answer. To ensure that all compliance issues are checked, the budget is approved, all documents are assembled, and the approval process is allowed the necessary time, proposals should be in our office and as complete as realistically possible no fewer than 3 days prior to the due date. Your college may have internal due dates that differ from this.
What is the approval process for external funding here at ASU?
All proposals submitted for external funding MUST be entered into Cayuse and routed for approval. The approval chain includes the Principal Investigator, the chairs of all senior personnel, the deans of all personnel, and the Director of Research Development and the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research.