The Research Development Office (RDO), within the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), helps researchers succeed with their pursuit of external funding. The RDO team coordinates campus-wide initiatives, manages internal funding programs, oversees limited submission opportunities, connects faculty to resources and collaborators, and provides guidance to maximize the impact of research proposals and creative works. 

Growing Campus Connections

Sign up to be added to the RDO mailing list to receive the RDO Monthly Newsletter and other timely information.

Funding Opportunities

Limited Submission Opportunities

The RDO manages the Limited Submission Opportunities process for grant applications to funding agencies that restrict the number of submissions allowed from an institution. An internal selection process has been established to make sure that multiple applications to the limited program do not render each other ineligible by the sponsor.

Arts and Humanities Initiative

The RDO coordinates the Arts & Humanities Initiative (AHI), an internal funding program within the OVPR that encourages leading edge scholarship, creative activities, and interdisciplinary research. Three grant categories are available.

The application deadline for the Fall 2026 cycle is October 13, 2026.

OVPR Large Grant Development Opportunity

The OVPR invites applications to the Large Grant Development Opportunity for funding to support development of large disciplinary grant proposals, including: building interdisciplinary research teams, conducting pilot research, and finalizing grant submissions.

The application deadline for the next cycle is January 31, 2027.

Upcoming Events

NIH K Club+ 2026-27 Information Session promotional image

NIH K Club+ 2026-27 Information Session

Friday, October 30, 2026 10:00am to 10:45am
Virtual

This is an information session to describe the NIH K Club+. In collaboration with the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science’s K Club, the NIH K Club+ (2026-27) is designed to give you the knowledge and resources to craft competitive K award applications.

Event Information

The Research Development Office is hosting a NIH K Award virtual information session on Friday, October 30 from 10am-10:45am. This event is an introduction to this year's NIH K Club+, click here to learn more about the...

NSF CAREER Club 2026-27 Information Session promotional image

NSF CAREER Club 2026-27 Information Session

Friday, October 30, 2026 11:00am to 11:45am
Virtual

This is an information session to describe the NSF CAREER Club. The NSF CAREER Club (2026-27) is designed to give you the knowledge and resources to craft competitive CAREER applications.

Event Information

The Research Development Office is hosting an NSF CAREER Award virtual information session on Friday, Oct. 30 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. This event is an introduction to this year's NSF CAREER Club, click here to learn more about the club.

Registration

Register here . The RDO will send a calendar...

Winning Service Contracts and Grants Panel Session promotional image

Winning Service Contracts and Grants Panel Session

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 9:00am to 10:00am
Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building

Unlike traditional research grants focused primarily on generating new knowledge, service-oriented awards support the delivery, implementation, expansion, or evaluation of programs and services for defined populations. These awards provide opportunities to apply university expertise to address community and agency needs and may differ from traditional research grants in how opportunities are identified, partnerships are developed, proposals are structured, and success is measured.

This session is...

View more events