Training Opportunities

Lunch & Learn Sessions and Proposal Workshops

This spring, we're excited to offer a series of 11 new research and proposal development training opportunities.  Our Lunch & Learn sessions will provide information on a specific, focused, proposal-related topic, and will give you the knowledge you need to confidently prepare and submit a competitive proposal.  Our Proposal Workshops will also provide you with valuable information, as well as hands-on experience in crafting aims/objectives, preparing strong scientific/technical proposals, developing innovative broader impact plans, and creating rigorous assessment and evaluation plans. In addition, the CAREER Award workshop will give you the opportunity to have your proposal reviewed by your workshop peers, our professional research development specialists, and faculty members.

All training sessions will benefit you in other important ways, enabling you to: 

• Become familiar with the entire research development and proposal writing process.
• Prioritize your proposal with a set of internal deadlines.
• Write multiple drafts of your proposal.
• Obtain feedback from a proposal development specialist as well as from your peers in the workshop.
• Analyze strategies and techniques others use to present their projects.
• Consider how best to present your own ideas.
• Understand the proposal review process.
• Work in a positive, interdisciplinary, and collaborative environment.
• Meet potential collaborators for future projects.

Please scroll through the descriptions of this spring's training opportunities below for details about each one, and feel free to contact us with questions.  We're excited about having you join us for these events!

Please note:  All Lunch & Learn sessions and Proposal Workshops will be offered in person only.  Lunch will be provided.

Lunch & Learn:  Overview of the Funding Landscape for Early Career and Young Investigator Awards

Navigating the federal research funding landscape as an early-career faculty member can be challenging. This workshop will help early career faculty members disentangle the goals and priorities of several competitive award mechanisms, including those offered by DOD, DOE, NIH, and NSF.

• Date—Wednesday, February 19, 2025
• Time—11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (lunch provided)
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 114
• Eligible Participants—Rice faculty, research scientists, center and institute staff, and postdocs.
• Lunch & Learn Leader—Jon Meyer
• Registration is required and closes at noon on February 18, 2025.

Workshop: Objectives and Metrics: Crafting a Strong Proposal

• Date—Wednesday, February 26, 2025
• Time—11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (lunch provided)
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 114
• Eligible Participants—Rice faculty, research scientists, center and institute staff, and postdocs.
• Workshop Leaders—David Blair, Vasudha Kurapati
• Registration is required and closes at noon on February 25, 2025.

Lunch & Learn: Using Graphics, Figures, and Data Visualization Techniques to Communicate Your Ideas

This workshop will cover three areas of interest:  1) Introductory:  Creating appealing graphics that convey information and ease eye strain;  2) Intermediate:  Understanding the best pictorial style to use for different applications (proposal graphics, schematics, drafting, iconography);  and Advanced:  Designing full-page scientific illustrations, 3D renderings: combining photorealism and non-photorealistic effects.

• Date—Tuesday, March 4, 2025
• Time—10:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. (lunch provided)
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 114
• Eligible Participants—Rice faculty, research scientists, center and institute staff, and postdocs.
• Lunch & Learn Leader—Mario Norton
• Registration is required and closes at noon on March 3, 2025.

Workshop Part 1: Working Collaboratively: Using Team Science to Address Scientific Challenges

Join us for a practical talk by Eduardo Salas, Associate Vice President for Research, Collaborative Engagement, and Team Science and Allyn R. & Gladys M. Cline Professor of Psychological Sciences, and get pragmatic, evidence-based tips for putting the science of team science into practice, both when writing proposals and when conducting research.

• Date—Wednesday, March 5, 2025
• Time—11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (lunch provided)
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 116
• Eligible Participants—Rice faculty, research scientists, center and institute staff, and postdocs.
• Guest Speaker—Eduardo Salas
• Registration is required and closes at noon on March 4, 2025.

Workshop Part 2: Working Collaboratively on Center Proposals: Using Team Science to Address the Challenges of Developing a Strong Proposal

• Note:  Date, time, and location are tentative. 
• Date—Wednesday, March 12, 2025
• Time—11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (lunch provided)
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 114
• Eligible Participants—Rice faculty, research scientists, center and institute staff, and postdocs.
• Guest Panelists—Panel participants being finalized
• Registration is required and closes at noon on March 11, 2025.

Workshop:  NSF CAREER Award Program:  Phase 1—Information Session

This informative, hands-on workshop series is divided into two segments.  Phase 1 includes three (3) information sessions during which you'll learn about the NSF CAREER Award and its requirements and expectations, become familiar with campus offices that can support your work, query past winners on their experiences and insights, become familiar with the Project Summary, and learn how to design a sound, assessable, and compelling educational plan for your proposal.  

• Dates and Locations—
  • Phase 1:  Three sessions: 
    • March 26:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 112
    • April 2:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 110
    • April 9:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 112
• Time—12:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. (lunch will be provided)
• Eligible Participants:  Rice tenure-track faculty who are working in any of the disciplines supported by NSF.
• Workshop Leaders—Tanya Karamchandani and Vasudha Kurapati
• Registration is required and closes at noon on March 25, 2025.
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Workshop:  NSF CAREER Award Program:  Phase 2—Peer Review

This informative, hands-on workshop series is divided into two segments.  Phase 2 includes six (6) peer review sessions followed by a mock review panel with experts in your field.  During this phase, you'll write and revise a project summary and receive detailed peer feedback, draft a project description, analyze strategies and techniques in winning CAREER proposals, hear what reviewers look for when evaluating proposals, benefit from one-on-one developmental editing feedback from staff in the Office of Research Development, receive technical feedback from experts in your field, and establish a writing practice.

• Dates and Locations— 
  • Phase 2:  Six sessions:
    • May 7:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 112
    • May 14:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 112
    • May 21:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 110
    • May 28:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 110
    • June 4:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 110
    • June 11:  Cambridge Office Building, Room 112
• Time—12:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. (lunch will be provided)
  • Eligible Participants:  Rice tenure-track faculty who are working in any of the disciplines supported by NSF.
  • Workshop Leaders—Tanya Karamchandani and Vasudha Kurapati
  • Registration is required and closes at noon on May 6, 2025.

Lunch & Learn: Find Research and Limited Submission Funding Opportunities

In this session, we'll explore the various resources and strategies available to help you identify and secure funding opportunities for your research. Whether you're just starting your research journey or looking to expand your funding network, we'll cover key tips and tools to help you navigate the funding landscape effectively.

• Date—Wednesday, April 2, 2025
• Time—11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (lunch will be provided)
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 112
• Eligible Participants—Rice faculty, research scientists, center and institute staff, and postdocs.
• Lunch & Learn Leaders—Jalon Martin and Jon Meyer
• Registration is required and closes at noon on April 1, 2025.

Lunch & Learn:  Project Management for Proposals

Join us as we share best practices for successfully carrying out critical project management processes:  Holding proposal kick-off and progress meetings; identifying team roles and responsibilities; developing a feasible proposal production timeline; helping researchers become aware of and connect to key university resources; outlining the proposal; tracking receipt of proposal sections; vetting the proposal to ensure compliance, clarity, and competitiveness; and troubleshooting issues as they arise.

• Date—Thursday, April 10, 2025
• Time—10:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. (lunch provided)
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 112
• Eligible Participants—Rice faculty, research scientists, center and institute staff, and postdocs.
• Lunch & Learn Leaders—Phyllis McBride and Molly Slattery
• Registration is required and closes at noon on April 9, 2025.

Lunch & Learn: Data Management Plans

• Date—Thursday, April 17, 2025
• Time—10:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. (lunch provided) 
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 112
• Eligible Participants—Rice faculty, research scientists, center and institute staff, and postdocs
• Lunch & Learn Leaders—Sean Smith, Lisa Spiro
• Registration is required and closes at noon on April 16, 2025.

Lunch & Learn: Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellowships

This session is dedicated to helping Rice's graduate students and postdocs navigate the research landscape to further their professional development and academic prowess. We'll identify where to locate funding resources and cover the initial steps of the funding process. 

• Date—Thursday, April 24, 2025
• Time—10:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. (lunch provided) 
• Location—Cambridge Office Building, Room 116
• Eligible Participants—Rice graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.  
• Lunch & Learn Leader—Jalon Martin
• Registration is required and closes at noon on April 23, 2025.