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
- (Wednesday 10/21/26 at 12pm)
- In this webinar, we will discuss popular federal early career funding opportunities and what to consider if you’re interested in applying. We’ll also provide an overview of our annual Commit to Submit (C2S) Program for those interested in applying for the NSF CAREER award.
- (Thursday, 10/29/26, 3-4:30pm in Symposium Hall at the ITC)
- With the rise of generative AI, there are a host of tools that can help – or harm
– faculty researchers working on external funding proposals. In this hands-on workshop,
we’ll cover the most productive ways you can use AI to improve your application process.
We will focus on how AI can augment, not replace, essential grantsmanship skills while
making the task of applying less onerous. Topics will include:
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Creating contexts, agents, and skills to automate tasks
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Evaluating the clarity and effectiveness of your writing style
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Generating outlines based on specific funders or solicitations
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Creating and reviewing supporting documents
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Current federal funder guidelines and recent research findings
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- Critically, we will also cover the major risks and pitfalls for generative AI, as well as the ethical and legal guardrails to keep in mind. You’ll leave with practical guidelines and sample prompts that you can use on your next proposal.
- Space for this workshop is limited, so advance registration is required. Attendees should bring a laptop or other device to the workshop. .
- Additional questions or concerns can be directed to the organizer, Dr. Kevin Boettcher, in the Office of Strategic Research Initiatives (kboettch@binghamton.edu)
- With the rise of generative AI, there are a host of tools that can help – or harm
– faculty researchers working on external funding proposals. In this hands-on workshop,
we’ll cover the most productive ways you can use AI to improve your application process.
We will focus on how AI can augment, not replace, essential grantsmanship skills while
making the task of applying less onerous. Topics will include:
- NSF CAREER Commit-to-Submit Program (January through June 2027)
Proposer's Toolbox (ProTools)
Offered every fall semester. Dates for 2027 will be posted when available.
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.
Schedule
Chart Your Course
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
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
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.