Collaborative Research: RD/RA Support Networks at Diversified Research Institutions (SUNDRI)

不同研究机构（包括新兴的和主要是本科院校）的首席研究人员经常面临寻求外部资金、提出有竞争力的研究建议和管理奖励方面的挑战。该项目的目的是加深对目前研究密集度较低的机构的独特方面的理解，以及资助机构和中介机构如何最好地支持它们蓬勃发展和增加它们的研究贡献。目前的知识是基于相对较少的案例研究和轶事；需要更系统的数据。该项目将对全国随机抽样的大约四分之一的非营利性四年制大学的研发和管理人员进行调查，并利用调查结果建立基于优势和劣势的需求、能力和增长机会模型，清晰具体地表达他们的观点、挑战和需求。由此产生的发现、结论和基线数据将为进一步的研究提供宝贵的新知识，并加强国家专业知识网络、交流和为不同的研究机构提供服务。在机构上分布的一套研究发展/研究管理（RD/RA）——高等教育能力建设方面知识渊博的调查人员和专家顾问将合作建立一个关于如何在四年制学院和大学分配和执行RD/RA职能的全面图景。项目执行主任/项目执行主任和技术人员将首先根据以往的调查和一系列实地考察、咨询和焦点小组、测试和试验措施，制定和完善一项调查工具，以确定目前进行研发/RA活动的方式和效果，并评估需要和资源，以加强这些活动。该项目将使用从IES和NCSES机构普查（如IPEDS和HERD）中收集的数据提供调查工具和相关分析文件。将从IPEDS宇宙中抽取学士、硕士和博士机构的八层随机样本，并选择hbcu等子集作为超样本，目标完成率为70%+，目标N=500+。措施将评估研发工作在深度、资源水平、独特的研发和研发职能的相互渗透程度、优势和劣势方面的差异；以及内部和网络支持的感知需求和优先事项，以提高RD/RA的质量和能力。统计分析将探讨研究支助事业的独特和共同方面，结果将广泛传播。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Principal investigators at diverse research institutions, which includes emerging and primarily undergraduate institutions, often face challenges in seeking external funding, producing competitive research proposals, and managing awards. The project’s aim is to sharpen understanding of the unique aspects of currently less research-intensive institutions and how funding agencies and intermediaries can best support them to flourish and grow their research contributions. Current knowledge is based on relatively small numbers of case studies and anecdotes; more systematic data are needed. This project will survey research development and administration staff at a national random sample of roughly one in four not-for-profit four-year colleges and universities and use the results to develop strengths-based and deficit-based modeling of needs, capacities, and opportunities for growth, providing clear and concrete expression of their perspectives, challenges, and requirements. The resulting findings, conclusions, and baseline data for further studies will provide valuable new knowledge and enhance national networks of expertise, communication, and service to diverse research institutions. An institutionally distributed set of research development/research administration (RD/RA)-knowledgeable investigators and expert advisors in higher education capacity-building will collaborate to build a comprehensive picture of how RD/RA functions are distributed and performed at four-year colleges and universities. The PI/coPIs and technical staff will first develop and refine a survey instrument based on prior surveys and a series of site visits, advisory consultations, and focus groups, testing and piloting measures to determine how and how well RD/RA activity is currently conducted and assessing needs and resources for enhancement. The project will seed the survey instrument and associated analytic files with data harvested from IES and NCSES institutional censuses such as IPEDS and HERD. An eight-stratum random sample of baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral institutions will be drawn from the IPEDS universe, with oversamples of selected subsets such as HBCUs, with a target completion rate of 70%+ and target N=500+. Measures will assess variations in depth, resource levels, and interpenetration of distinctive RD and RA functions, strengths and weaknesses of the RD effort; and perceived needs and priorities for internal and networked support to enhance RD/RA quality and capacity. Statistical analyses will probe unique and common aspects of the research support enterprise and results will be broadly disseminated.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.