Some of the U’s externally funded research starts with an investment right here at home. Internal funding can help researchers develop a new idea, generate preliminary findings, build collaborations, and position promising work for larger external opportunities.
Now, a new feature in eProposal will help U Research better understand—and share—the impact of those investments.
When completing a Document Summary Sheet (DSS), researchers will now be asked whether their proposal builds on a prior University of Utah internal funding award. If the answer is yes, they can select the internal funding program that supported the work.
“We invest in promising ideas because we want to help them grow,” said Jake Jensen, senior associate vice president for research. “Now we’ll be able to better see what happens next—when an internal award helps generate preliminary results, build a team, or position a researcher to compete successfully for external funding. Those are success stories we want to understand and share.”
The new functionality was added by Isabella Johnsen, who recognized an opportunity to capture information that previously wasn’t systematically connected to the proposal process.
“We wanted to make this as simple as possible for researchers,” Johnsen said. “It’s just a couple of questions in eProposal, but the information will help us connect internal funding with the external proposals that grow out of it. Over time, that gives us a much better picture of the impact of these programs.”
The addition will allow U Research to identify pathways from internal support to external funding, better understand which programs are helping researchers become more competitive, and demonstrate the return generated by investments in the U’s research community.
A reminder: Give OSP five business days
The eProposal update also offers a timely reminder about proposal submission timelines. Researchers should submit their DSS to the Office of Sponsored Projects at least five business days before the sponsor deadline.
That time gives Sponsored Projects Officers an opportunity to work with researchers and departments, answer questions, and address sponsor and institutional requirements before a proposal goes out the door.
“Those five business days really matter,” said Brent Brown, director of the Office of Sponsored Projects. “They give our team time to identify issues, work through requirements with the PI and department, and help make sure the proposal is ready for submission. As more compliance requirements move to the proposal stage, giving OSP adequate review time is increasingly important.”
Submitting early helps ensure that every proposal receives the review and attention it needs—and reduces the risk that last-minute issues could complicate or delay submission.
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