In its “Sustaining Research Growth in Today’s Funding Environment” webinar, experts at Hanover Research and university leaders in education research shared their best strategies for adapting to current funding solicitations and proactively preparing for future funding releases. Leadership from the University of Central Florida, Virginia Tech, Penn State University, and University of North Carolina Wilmington emphasized that their investments in investigator readiness, proposal strategy, and grant writing improves competitiveness beyond simply advising faculty to pivot research agendas or tailor to federal funding’s shifting priorities.
Federal agencies are granting fewer but larger awards with short timelines between solicitation announcements and application deadlines. In response to this trend, Hanover Research’s panelists are encouraging their faculty and leading research teams to think ahead and develop projects prior to major grant initiative announcements so they can quickly present fully formed ideas. Building relationships across campus with disciplines that are easily funded, such as Medicine and Engineering, is another strategy that education researchers can use to increase their likelihood of receiving funding.
Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) tools can act beyond the scope of a copy editor. Education researchers can leverage AI as an infrastructure to search for funding or collaboration opportunities, interpret funder language and priorities, and test concept alignment. AI can be especially helpful in seeking and securing industry funding. Hanover Research experts and university leadership highlighted that industry partners’ solicitations require a different approach than a federal grant, including presenting a project less scientifically and using corporate-aligned language.
Please click these corresponding hyperlinks to access the recorded webinar and presentation.