Research Development

Research Development

Office of Research Development

The Office of Research Development (ORD) at Rowan University is dedicated to empowering faculty, staff, and administrators in securing competitive external funding to advance innovative research. Our expert team collaborates closely with researchers to elevate the quality and impact of grant proposals, ensuring alignment with sponsor guidelines, fostering clear and compelling communication, and assembling dynamic, interdisciplinary teams. With a commitment to academic excellence and research advancement, ORD provides comprehensive services designed to maximize funding opportunities and drive scholarly success. Explore our resources and discover how we can support your research journey. For more information, contact us at ord@rowan.edu.

Federal Funding Updates 2025

The Division of University Research is actively monitoring updates from federal agencies. Please visit the Federal Funding Updates 2025 webpage for more information.

Announcements and Resources

Webinar: Writing a Successful Transitional/Mentored Research Grant

Jumpstart Your Independent Academic Career: Writing A Successful Transitional/Mentored Research Grant

February 12, 2 p.m. EST

Register here

So, you are part way through your postdoc training, but what’s next? You aren’t quite ready for an R01, but it’s time to get a faculty position and transition to independence. There’s a transitional grant for that! Mentored research grants and career development awards are the perfect bridge to independence. This panel discussion will focus on successfully applying for these unique grants in the United States. Gain insights from recent grant recipients, senior investigators that are current or previous members of study sections for these specialized grants, and an NHLBI program director who oversees these awards. Registered participants will have the opportunity to submit questions for our moderated Q&A to be answered by our esteemed panelists.

The webinar panel includes Diana Martinez, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical sciences at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.

Call for Nominations: 2025 Rowan University Research Awards
The Division of University Research is pleased to announce the 2025 awards nominations for excellence in research, scholarly, and/or creative activities by faculty and students. All nominations will be judged by a faculty panel appointed by the Vice President for Research.
 
Awards will be presented as part of Rowan University Research Day held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, and will be publicly recognized at the Awards Ceremony.
 

Rowan University Research Achievement Award ($2,000)

This award recognizes full-time permanent faculty members for their outstanding achievements in research activity, either for a specific project or for a body of work accumulated over multiple years. An individual or a group of faculty members working on the same project may be nominated. The awardee(s) must be employed by Rowan University at the time of the award presentation. 
 
Award criteria:
1. Quality: has the project resulted in a significant advancement in the applicant’s field of interest?
2. Institutional impact: has this research included students and/or been applied in the classroom?
3. Recognition: have publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at professional society meetings, and/or honors and awards resulted from this work?
 
The application package must include:
  1. A letter of nomination from another faculty member or administrator, addressing the evaluation criteria listed above.
  2. A letter of support from the nominee’s college dean(s).
  3. A nominee-written one to two-page summary of their research activity, addressing the criteria listed above.
  4. A two-page resume from each nominee.
 
The entire application must be submitted electronically in a Word document format to the Office of Research Development, ORD@rowan.edu, no later than 12 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2025.
 

Award for Excellence in Graduate Research ($500)

This award recognizes achievements in research as a graduate student. Students must be enrolled at the University for the entirety of the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters.
 
The award is for a single project or for a series of projects that demonstrate the student’s skills in planning, conducting, and disseminating research as well as the innovation and impact of the research. An individual student or a group of students working on the same project may be nominated. Students must be nominated by a faculty member. 
 
Award criteria:
  1. Originality and novelty: is the project at the forefront of the applicant’s professional field?
  2. Impact: is there potential for the project to result in a significant advancement in the applicant’s field of interest?
  3. Quality: is the research work presented with appropriate technical content, style, and language?
 
The application package must include:
  1. A letter of nomination from a faculty member.
  2. A student-written one to two-page summary of their research.
  3. A student-written one-page biographical sketch (per student, if a team is nominated) that includes a description of their role in the research, the impact of the research on their knowledge and skills, and their future goals.
 
The entire application must be submitted electronically in a Word document format to the Office of Research Development, ORD@rowan.edu, no later than 12 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2025.
 

Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research ($500)

This award recognizes research achievements by undergraduate students who are accepted in their chosen major or program. Also, students must be in attendance at the University for the entirety of the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters.
 
The award recognizes a single project or a series of projects that demonstrate the student’s skills in planning, conducting, and disseminating research. An individual student or a group of students working on the same project may be nominated. Students must be nominated by a faculty member.
 
Award criteria:
  1. Originality: is the project at the forefront of the applicant’s professional field?
  2. Impact: is there potential for the project to result in a significant advancement in the applicant’s field of interest?
  3. Quality: is the research work presented with appropriate technical content, style, and language?
 
The application package must include:
  1. A letter of nomination from a faculty member.
  2. A student-written one to two-page summary of their research.
  3. A student-written one-page biographical sketch (per student, if a team is nominated) that includes a description of their role in the research, the impact of the research on their knowledge and skills, and their future goals.
 
The entire application must be submitted electronically in a Word document format to the Office of Research Development, ORD@rowan.edu, no later than 12 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2025.
 

The Rowan University Breakthrough of the Year Award ($2,000)

This award for a research team led by a full-time permanent faculty member for their recent breakthrough which represents a significant advancement in understanding of a particular subject or problem-solving approach. The breakthrough must show evidence of public dissemination and documented impact that the work has led to discovery of new information, developed an innovative technology, technique, or approach, or has explained a previously unexplained phenomenon. 
 
This award will go to the research team (comprised of faculty, staff, students, and internal/external collaborators) who have made significant advancements beyond current knowledge with work that has the potential for profound impact in a field of study or on society as a whole. 
 
Award criteria:
  1. Timeliness:  Has the project undergone public dissemination and shown documented impact in the recent 12 months (prior to this application)?
  2. Quality: has the project resulted in significant advancements beyond current knowledge with work that has the potential for profound impact?
  3. Institutional impact: Can the research idea be primarily attributed to a Rowan personnel (faculty, staff, or student) such as to bring recognition to Rowan as an institution at the leading edge on societal impact and discovery?
  4. Recognition: have the publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at professional society meetings resulted in nationwide press/publicity or honors/awards from others knowledgeable or expert in the field?
 
The application package must include:
  1. A letter of nomination or self-nomination from the team. The letter must acknowledge all involved in the work and show that all involved have been notified of their nomination. The letter should address the criteria written above.
  2. A letter of support from the nominee’s college dean(s).
  3. Supporting evidence that the work has resulted in nationwide press/publicity or honors/awards from others knowledgeable or expert in the field. This could be in the form of reviewer comments from peer reviewed publications.
  4. A bio sketch (one to two paragraphs) of each team member recognized in the nomination.
The entire application must be submitted electronically in a Word document format to the Office of Research Development, ORD@rowan.edu, no later than 12 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2025.
 
For questions or additional information, please contact: 

John Manuel
Manager, Office of Research Development
Division of University Research
manuel@rowan.edu 
Webinar: Writing a Successful Transitional/Mentored Research Grant

Jumpstart Your Independent Academic Career: Writing A Successful Transitional/Mentored Research Grant

Feburary 12, 2025, 2 p.m. 
Register here
 
So, you are part way through your postdoc training, but what’s next? You aren’t quite ready for an R01, but it’s time to get a faculty position and transition to independence. There’s a transitional grant for that! Mentored research grants and career development awards are the perfect bridge to independence. This panel discussion will focus on successfully applying for these unique grants in the United States. Gain insights from recent grant recipients, senior investigators that are current or previous members of study sections for these specialized grants, and an NHLBI program director who oversees these awards. Registered participants will have the opportunity to submit questions for our moderated Q&A to be answered by our esteemed panelists.
Art of Rowan Research Contest
The Art of Rowan Research Contest & Exhibition celebrates student-created imagery revealing the artistry of scientific research and creative inquiry underway at Rowan University. The top prize is $500. 
 
What can be submitted:
Submissions must be original images of research affiliated with Rowan University. Entries may include microscopy, photographs taken in the lab or in the field, graphic illustrations or drawings. Rules and guidelines are posted at go.rowan.edu/artofresearch.
 
Who can submit:
Open to all Rowan-affiliated students.  
 
How to enter: 
Upload entries at go.rowan.edu/artofresearch.
 
Deadline for submissions: March 4, 2025
Winners will be announced during Rowan Research Day on March 26, 2025. 
 
Questions about the contest? Email us at artofresearch@rowan.edu.
Library Research Support Services
This new cross-campus team within Rowan University Libraries is led by Susan Cavanaugh, Director of CMSRU Library, and includes two librarians: Benjamin Saracco, Scholarly Publishing and Open Research Librarian and Denise Brush, Institutional Repository and Data Curation Librarian. Services include:
  • Support for Research Data Management - consult us about creating a Data Management Plan, identifying an appropriate data repository, and other research data issues.
  • Journal Selection Reports - get help identifying a journal to submit your manuscript.
  • Support for Open Access Publishing - learn more about how to publish your work Open Access with the help of various library services.
  • ORCID @ Rowan - set up an ORCID account that is connected to your Rowan affiliation.
  • Researcher Impact - analyze and show the impact of your work using metrics.
For more information, view the complete list of research support services. Contact Researcher Support Services at rss@rowan.edu for assistance with any of the services.
Pivot Funding Database
Pivot is the Office of Research Development's comprehensive database for finding funding opportunities and discovering research collaborators. This platform empowers faculty members to actively showcase and promote their research, scholarly, and creative activity to all corners of the Rowan community and other research institutions within the Pivot network.

To access Pivot, you must be a faculty member, staff member, or student at Rowan University. You may access Pivot by creating an account and claiming your profile. Please access go.rowan.edu/pivot to begin this process. If you have questions, please access our Pivot how-to guide and frequently asked questions.
 
In addition, please see video tutorials with step-by-step instructions on how to get started using Pivot.
Grant Workshops
Virtual workshops are regularly offered on finding funding, the submission process, managing awards and related topics to support the research community. For more information, please visit the workshop schedule.
New Rowan University's Statistical Consulting Group

Get expert, low-cost support from the Rowan Statistical Consulting Group (SCG). The benefits of working with our faculty statisticians include:

  • Lowering study costs by optimizing statistical methodology aligned with your research needs
  • Grant and future publication preparation support related to statistical methodology and analyses, including responses to reviewer comments - shown to improve funding outcomes! 
  • Peace of mind knowing that your study used appropriate and effective statistical analyses.
  • Receiving an additional portion of indirect costs returned when you include a Rowan SCG statistician in your grant.

SCG faculty have expertise in a variety of fields and approaches. Examples include:

  • Biostatistics: study design, data cleaning, and statistical analyses such as t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, regressions, survival analysis, modeling, multivariate analysis, meta-analysis, propensity-score matching
  • Data Mining/Deep Learning/Machine Learning: dimensionality reduction, classification, clustering, decision trees, neural networks
  • Platforms: SAS, R, Python, JMP, SPSS
We have experience working with a variety of clients and projects, including academic institutions, hospitals and health care systems, and non-profit organizations.
 
USDR Federal Grant Finder Tool
Rowan University faculty now have the opportunity to streamline their grant discovery efforts with access to the U.S. Digital Response (USDR) Federal Grant Finder Tool. In collaboration with the USDR team and the New Jersey Department of the Treasury Grants Management Office, this tool automates the search for federal funding opportunities and helps identify potential partnerships easily. 
 
This resource is available at no cost to Rowan faculty, making it easier than ever to explore funding avenues. To access the tool, you will need login credentials. Simply submit a request, and the team will guide you through the onboarding process. For department-wide access, please reach out, and the team will provide additional details.
 
For more information and to submit your request, visit www.grants.nj.gov.
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs: Funding Opportunities
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) offer funding opportunities for novel biomedical research that addresses the specific needs of various stakeholders, including the American public, the military and Congress.
 
 
All pre-applications must be submitted electronically to the Electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) https://ebrap.org. Full applications must be submitted electronically to the Grants.gov website https://grants.gov.

Highlighted Funding Opportunities

Google Research Scholar Program
The Office of Research Development is excited to announce the Google Research Scholar Program, a unique opportunity for early-career faculty to secure funding for groundbreaking research in fields relevant to Google.
 
This prestigious program provides unrestricted gifts of up to $60,000 USD to support world-class research efforts. Designed for assistant, associate, or full professors, the program fosters global collaborations and long-term partnerships with Google.
 
Key Details:
  • Applications Open: December 20, 2024
  • Deadline: January 27, 2025, at 11:59:59 PM UTC-12
  • Award Decisions: Announced by June 30, 2025
Eligibility Highlights:
  • Full-time faculty with a Ph.D. earned within the last seven years (exceptions for career delays are considered).
  • Applicants may submit one application per round, with a maximum of three submissions within seven years post-Ph.D.
Don’t miss this chance to advance your research and build lasting academic-industry relationships.
 
For additional information or support, contact the Office of Research Development at ORD@rowan.edu. Let’s take this exciting step toward innovation together!
Limited Submission: NSF Designing Material to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future
Limited Submission Announcement
 
National Science Foundation (NSF) - Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF)
 
The Office of Research Development invites faculty to submit internal applications for the NSF’s Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) program. This limited submission opportunity is restricted to five (5) proposals per organization as lead, and proposals must align with NSF’s guidelines and goals for advancing materials research through collaborative, iterative approaches integrating experiment, computation, and theory.
 
Key Program Details:
  • Program Overview: DMREF seeks to accelerate the materials discovery-to-deployment timeline through interdisciplinary research teams leveraging data science, machine learning, and the materials innovation infrastructure. The program emphasizes collaborative, iterative “closed-loop” processes among theorists, computational scientists, and experimentalists.
    Funding Amount: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000 over four years (pending availability of funds).
  • Estimated Number of Awards: 20–25.
  • Eligibility: Proposals must involve at least two Senior/Key Personnel with complementary Each PI/Co-PI may only participate in one proposal submitted as part of this solicitation.
Internal Competition Details:
Rowan University may serve as the lead institution on up to five (5) proposals. To ensure compliance with NSF’s submission limits, an internal competition will determine which proposals are selected for submission to NSF.
 
Internal Application Requirements:
  1. Cover Page: Project title, names of PIs and Co-PIs, and departmental
  2. Project Summary (2 pages max): Overview of the research goals, interdisciplinary collaboration, and alignment with DMREF priorities.
  3. Preliminary Budget: Estimated costs and
  4. PI and Co-PI CVs: (2 pages max per person).
  5. Team Composition and Roles: Brief description of how team members’ expertise complements the project.
Internal Due Date: December 13, 2024, by 5:00 PM (local time).
Submit applications via email to ORD@rowan.edu with the subject line “NSF DMREF Internal Submission.”
 
Important Dates:
  • Internal Deadline: December 13,
  • NSF Proposal Window: January 21, 2025 – February 4,
Additional Information:
Detailed program guidelines and eligibility criteria can be found in the NSF solicitation. Faculty members are encouraged to contact the Office of Research Development for guidance and resources to strengthen their submissions.
 
Contact Information:
Office of Research Development Email: ORD@rowan.edu
 
DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA)
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award (YFA) program aims to identify and engage rising stars in junior research positions in academia and equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions, particularly those without prior DARPA funding, to expose them to Department of Defense (DoD) needs and DARPA’s mission to create and prevent technological surprise for national security. The YFA program will provide high impact funding to researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research that enables transformative DoD capabilities. Ultimately, the YFA program is developing the next generation of researchers focused on national security issues.
 
Before preparing an executive summary or proposal submission, proposers are encouraged to review the DARPA mission statement and current program descriptions at the DARPA website to familiarize themselves with examples of current DARPA investments. This is not meant as instruction to duplicate those efforts, but rather to illustrate that current programs are aimed at research that will substantially advance our capabilities in these areas. Once awards are made, each YFA program performer will be assigned a DARPA Program Manager with interests closely related to their research topic. The Program Manager will act as project manager and mentor to the YFA award recipients.
 
DARPA is soliciting innovative research proposals in the areas of interest to the following DARPA technical offices: the Defense Sciences Office (DSO), the Information Innovation Office (I2O), the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), and the Tactical Technology Office (TTO). Further detail regarding the specific technical areas of interest can be found below under “Open Office Topics”. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.
 
Deadlines:
  • Executive Summary Due Date: November 18, 2024, 4:00 p.m.
  • Proposal Due Date: February 5, 2025, 4:00 p.m.
 
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be employed at a U.S. institution in a current tenured track faculty position, tenured faculty within 3 years of their tenure date, or an equivalent at a nonprofit research institution within 12 years of the receipt of their doctorate. Applicants that have received funding greater than $500,000 from DARPA or $1,250,000 from all other DoD sources combined as either a prime or subawardee are not eligible to apply for the YFA program. Additional eligibility information can be found in Section IV.
 
Amount Description
Each award will include a 24-month base period (a maximum of $500,000). Each 12-month interval of the base period shall not exceed $250,000 and a 12-month option period (a maximum of $500,000).
EPA Thriving Communities Program
Dear Colleagues,
 
As you might be aware, we have an opportunity to apply to the EPA Region 2, Thriving Communities program administered by Fordham University. Several faculty members participated in development sessions with the program’s co-lead, Dr. Julie Gafney, this past spring. This program will provide awards “to help uplift disadvantaged and hard-to-reach communities” in the region (NY, NJ, PR, VI) ranging from $75K to $350K. A priority will be placed on projects that leverage community-driven projects. Projects related to Assessments, Capacity Building, and Shovel Ready projects will be considered.
 
Per Dr. Gafney’s recommendation, if you are thinking about a larger-scale project, you may wish to consider applying early in the process, as the window for completion will be three years from the launch of the RFP.  
 
 
For your reference, here are the EPA’s and Fordham’s award announcements:
If you have any additional questions, please contact Sean Fischer at fischers@rowan.edu.
National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship
 
This program's purpose is to support individual scholars pursuing projects that embody exceptional humanistic research, rigorous analysis, and clear writing. Fellowships provide recipients with time to conduct research or produce books, monographs, peer-reviewed articles, e-books, digital materials, translations with annotations or a critical apparatus, or critical editions resulting from previous research.