In support of various aspects of research, the Office of Strategic Research Initiatives (OSRI) plans occasional workshops and webinars in coordination with faculty and other offices in the Division of Research. Please see links below for upcoming and past workshops, and reach out to OSRI staff with any workshop suggestions you may have.
Upcoming Workshops and Webinars
- NSF CAREER Commit-to-Submit Program (January through June 2027)
Proposer's Toolbox (ProTools)
A three-part, hands-on workshop series to help faculty craft engaging and effective grant proposals- September 4, 11, and 25, 2026
Overview
This three-part training series will equip you with the essential knowledge and tried-and-true strategies you need to write winning research proposals for the NSF, NIH, and other major funders. Designed for 91ÉçÇø faculty primarily in engineering, the natural sciences, and the social sciences (but open to all disciplines), these in-person workshops will provide straightforward guidance and hands-on activities to help you tackle the critical elements of a standard research proposal, all within a relaxed, discussion-oriented environment.
Each successive workshop will build on lessons from previous sessions (see below), so participants are strongly encouraged to attend all three sessions. Portions of each meeting will be dedicated to brainstorming, allowing you to develop a clear and compelling pitch for your project by the conclusion of the course. There will also be short assignments between sessions to help you build out your knowledge and skills.
All workshops will be held at the Innovative Technologies Complex, located just off Main Campus. These workshops are discussion- and participation-heavy, so in-person attendance is required. A remote option will not be available. Additional questions can be sent to the organizer, Dr. Kevin Boettcher (kboettch@binghamton.edu).
Space is limited for these events, and registration is required, so please sign up in advance. Important information about each workshop will be emailed out to all registered faculty before each meeting.
Schedule
Chart Your Course
Friday, September 4, 10:30 - 12:00 p.m. Symposium Hall (Center of Excellence)Where (and how, and when) should you apply for external funding? What should you do to maximize your chances? It can be difficult for faculty to know how to invest their limited time and energy in grant proposals, especially as federal and private funding priorities continue to change. This session will cover the current landscape and core components of external funding proposals, along with best practices for grant preparation based on years of work with successful faculty proposers. If you're relatively new to the grant application process, or if you feel like you could use a refresher, this session is for you.
Engage Your Audience
Friday, September 11, 10:30 - 12:00 p.m. Multipurpose Room (Center of Excellence, Room 2011)It's not enough to have a great project. As grant programs everywhere get more competitive, you not only need to find the right funder for your work but you need to tune your project to their priorities. Much of our discussion will center on who you're writing for: What are program officers or reviewers interested in? How do you establish your credibility with them? We'll talk about how and when to make contact with program officers, along with a quick overview of how proposals get reviewed by panels and study sections. We'll share some email templates you can use to make first contact, and you'll start writing up a short pitch that you can use when speaking with funding agency personnel.
Craft a Compelling Message
Friday, September 25, 10:30 - 12:00 p.m. Multipurpose Room (Center of Excellence, Room 2011)If you want to stand out in the pile of applications sitting on your reviewers’ (virtual) desks, your documents need to have a clear, compelling, and memorable vision for your project. (Easier said than done.) In this workshop, we’ll share advice on how to establish the significance/intellectual merit of your project from the very outset of your proposal, and how to write effective aims/objectives for your project. We'll conduct an in-depth review of successful NSF and NIH proposals, and provide you with templates for writing and refining your materials.