Partnerships for Enhancing ERI Research (PEER)

布拉德利大学加强ERI研究的伙伴关系（PEER）是美国国家科学基金会授予的项目，将改变中型新兴研究机构（ERI）的研究企业。有限的研究管理和支持会阻碍对研究经费的竞争。通过加强ERIs提供的服务，国家的研究企业受益于利用这些有才华的研究人员来帮助取得有影响力的科学进步。布拉德利大学的对等项目将作为对等机构可以实施的战略模型，以可持续的方式支持他们的教师和加强他们的研究基础设施。这个为期五年的项目的结果是，布拉德利大学将看到大学员工提交的提案数量和质量的显著提高，研究活跃的教师产生的出版物数量增加，参与合作研究的学生数量增加。研究和评估工作将产生关于小型机构（主要是本科机构（PUIs）和ERIs）的研究和赞助项目管理的最佳实践和可持续模式的新知识。该项目将为教师提供研究机会和寻求资助，否则他们将无法从事这些活动，反过来，将增加学生对指导研究的参与。这种高影响力的实践将增加学生毕业后的成功和收入潜力。研究和评价工作的结果将通过以下形式分发给同行机构的听众：在全国会议上作报告、向有关研究管理的同行评审期刊投稿、以及通过相关的名单服务和同行团体分发。PEER项目的总体目标是以创新和可持续的方式加强布拉德利大学的研究事业，作为同行机构的典范，并为研究机构的研究管理知识库做出贡献。项目团队将实现三个关键目标：(1)通过对人力资本和培训的量身定制投资来增强赞助项目办公室（OSP）的功能；(2)激发鼓励和庆祝研究和寻求资助的校园文化；(3)研究、评估和传播项目有效性的结果。PEER项目将通过研究和项目评估产生关于PUI/ERIs研究管理干预效果的新知识。将对两种创新干预措施的价值进行混合方法研究——OSP倡导者计划和多机构同行评审计划。OSP倡导者计划将由五名倡导者组成，分别来自布拉德利的五所学院，他们将作为个人网络，在奖励前和奖励后的实践中接受培训和熟悉，并将支持整个机构的研究和寻求资助的努力。多机构同行评议计划将首先与西伊利诺伊大学合作，并在完成试点研究后加入其他机构。对于这项倡议，来自一个机构的教师将审查由另一个机构的相关领域的教师撰写的提案。这些创新的干预措施都没有在文献中讨论它们将如何在PEER项目中实施。因此，这项研究将为可实现和可持续的倡议提供宝贵的见解，这些倡议将加强类似机构的研究和寻求资助的努力。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。

Bradley University's Partnerships for Enhancing ERI Research (PEER) is an NSF GRANTED project that will transform the research enterprise at a mid-sized emerging research institution (ERI). Limited research administration and support can hamper competition for research funding. By enhancing the services provided at ERIs, the nation's research enterprise benefits by utilizing these talented investigators to help make impactful scientific advances. Bradley University's PEER project will serve as a model for strategies that peer institutions can implement to support their faculty and enhance their research infrastructure in sustainable ways. As a result of this five-year project, Bradley University will see measurable increases in the number and quality of proposals submitted by university employees, the number of publications generated by research-active faculty, and the number of students involved in collaborative research. Research and evaluation efforts will generate new knowledge on best practices and sustainable models of research and sponsored program administration at smaller institutions, primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) and ERIs. This project will open research opportunities and grant-seeking to faculty that otherwise would not have been able to pursue those activities and, in turn, will increase student engagement in mentored research. This high-impact practice will increase student success and earning potential after graduation. Results from the research studies and evaluation efforts will be distributed to audiences of peer institutions through formats such as presentations at national conferences, submissions to peer-reviewed journals on research administration, and distribution through relevant listservs and peer groups. The overarching goals of the PEER project are to enhance Bradley University's research enterprise in innovative and sustainable ways, to serve as a model for peer institutions, and to contribute to the knowledge base on research administration at ERIs. The project team will accomplish three key objectives: (1) Enhance the function of the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) through tailored investments in human capital and training, (2) stimulate a campus culture that encourages and celebrates research and grant seeking, and (3) research, evaluate, and disseminate results on program effectiveness. The PEER project will generate new knowledge on the efficacy of research administration interventions at PUI/ERIs through research and program evaluation. Mixed-methods research will be conducted on the value of two innovative interventions – the OSP Advocate program and the multi-institution peer review program. The OSP Advocate program will consist of five advocates, one each from Bradley's five colleges, who will serve as a network of individuals with training and familiarity in both pre- and post-award practices and will support research and grant-seeking efforts across the institution. The multi-institution peer review program will begin with a partnership with Western Illinois University and add others after completing the pilot study. For this initiative, faculty from one institution will review proposals written by faculty in a related field at the other institution. Neither of these innovative interventions has been discussed in the literature in the manner they will be implemented in the PEER project. As such, this study will provide valuable insight into attainable and sustainable initiatives that will enhance similar institutions' research and grant-seeking efforts.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.