Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence

Research and Sponsored Programs Workshop Series 

Join us for an exciting series on research and sponsored programs. Workshop session descriptions and information are below. Please contact cafe@tntech.edu with questions. 

---

Research Strategies for Social Impact and Economic Development

April 4, 2025 | 10:30 AM - 2 PM

• » Rural Reimagined and the Tennessee Research Landscape

  Rural Reimagined and the Tennessee Research Landscape 

  10:30 AM
  Michael Aikens, Research & Economic Development 

  How can local and regional partnerships be leveraged to support research activity in Tennessee? Learn about the history of economic development activities in Tennessee and how such activities benefit local communities. Explore the current and future research landscape in the southeastern U.S. and discover emerging partnerships across diverse disciplines for inspiration in forming your own. 

• » Legislative Support for Research & Industry

  Legislative Support for Research & Industry

  11:30 AM
  Terry Saltsman, Legislative Liaison 

  Learn how the Governor’s budget impacts Tennessee research and how legislative funding from the state and federal level is used to advance science and technology. This session will focus on the history of legislative support for research in Tennessee, how fiscal support is allocated, and the many ways critical research topics are identified by policymakers. 

• » Networking Lunch

  Networking Lunch

  12:15 PM

• »  Discussion Panel: Changing the World through Research and Creative Activity

  Discussion Panel: Changing the World through Research and Creative Activity

  1:00 PM
  Colin Hill, School of Music; Kevin Liska, College of Business and iCube; Kimberly Winkle, School of Art, Craft, and Design and Appalachian Center for Craft; Melissa Geist and Jennifer Mabry, School of Nursing and Directors of ESTAR Sanos – Be Healthy

  How does our research change the world? Celebrate the diversity of scholarly and creative activities that happen through Tennessee Tech-community partnerships. Hear from panelists who’ve worked hard to establish connections with local and international communities where their expertise makes a positive impact. Be inspired and identify ways that your work could do the same. Questions welcome! 
  

Register 

---

Previous Events

---

Spring 2025

Managing Multiple Research Projects 
February 28, 2025

Learn how to successfully navigate the challenges of being a PI or Co-PI on multiple projects. Sessions will cover strategies for building and leading research teams, best practices for grant management, and insights from experienced faculty. 

View presentation

High Powered Computing and Artificial Intelligence 
February 8, 2025
Sponsored by the College of Engineering

Interested in using high-powered computing or artificial intelligence in your research? Join us for this 1-day workshop to connect and collaborate with other faculty using these tools. Learn about Tech’s HPC facilities and get started using state-of-the-art AI in your own research.  

Engaging Undergraduates in Research: Methods, Experiences, and Opportunities 
January 24, 2025 
Dr. Dan VandenBerge

This workshop seeks to help faculty grow in their understanding and use of undergraduate research.  Participants will learn how undergraduate research can grow faculty’s research programs as well as benefitting the students with whom they work.  We will explore best practices for connecting students to existing research and mentoring them through the experience.  Both internal and external resources for supporting undergraduate research will be highlighted.  Methods for recruiting students to undergraduate research will also be discussed.  Activities will include an introductory presentation, active group learning and discussions, a brief presentation of funding opportunities, and a panel discussion with faculty and students about their experiences with undergraduate research.

Writing to the Call, Proposal Reviews, and Panel Service
January 31, 2025
Jeanette Luna, Department of Earth Sciences

Take your proposal from good to excellent! This session explores best practices for submitting winning proposals, incorporating feedback from panel reviews, and leveling up your grant writing through panel service. 

---

Fall 2024 

Getting Started with Research Grants 
September 20, 2024 

Join us to discover the research infrastructure at Tennessee Tech that can assist you in applying for and securing external research funding. Sessions will cover the essentials of the grant cycle, introduce key proposal terminology, and explain the pre-award grant process, as well as hear from current faculty regarding their experiences as a New PI. Discover the research infrastructure at Tennessee Tech that can assist you in applying for and securing external research funding. Learn more about each session below. 

• Introduction to the Proposal Process

  Introduction to the Proposal Process
  Mark Lynam, Research & Economic Development 

  This session will summarize the grant cycle, introduce proposal terminology, and describe the pre-award grant process. Learn about research infrastructure available at Tennessee Tech to help you apply for and secure external research funding. 

  View Presentation 

• Grant Activation, Grant Management, and Compliance

  Grant Activation, Grant Management, and Compliance 
  Gail Ligon, Business Office; Neal Hunt, Research & Economic Development

  You got a grant! Now what? This session introduces the policies and procedures that govern grant spending. Build your vocabulary to understand index numbers, annual reports, import/export controls and the important rules (written and unwritten) of federal, state, local, and industry-funded research expenditures. 

  View Presentation 

• Discussion Panel: Lessons Learned as a New PI

  Discussion Panel: Lessons Learned as a New PI
  Victoria Ayres, Agriculture; Gourab Bhattacharya, Earth Sciences; Kyle Murphy, Chemistry; Susmit Shannigrahi, Computer Science 

  Hear from tenure-track faculty who’ve successfully navigated the funding landscape to secure research grants. What challenges did they face? What approach worked best? Questions welcome! 

Identifying Funding Opportunities 
October 25, 2024 
Mark Lynam, Research & Economic Development; Allen MacKenzie, College of Engineering

How do researchers find funding? Master the tools available at Tennessee Tech to monitor and identify sponsored programs that match your area of expertise.

View Presentation

Best Practices for Research Grant Budgets 
November 1, 2024 

Join for the second part of our research series and learn the best practices for creating and managing your research budget. In our first session, you'll learn to create a straightforward budget using good-faith estimates. Dive deeper in our second session, where we tackle complex budgeting scenarios. Gain insights into handling subawards, navigating contract negotiations, managing budget revisions, and more. Plus, hear from experienced budget bookkeepers on best practices and common pitfalls in research budget management. Learn more about each session below. 

• Introduction to Budget Basics in Streamlyne

  Introduction to Budget Basics in Streamlyne
  Neal Hunt, Research & Economic Development 

  Learn to use good faith estimates to create a simple budget in Streamlyne. This discussion will cover basic grant budget items, from indirect costs to cost sharing to subawards. Learn to build a budget during the proposal process that makes grant management easy when the project is awarded!  

  View Presentation

• Complex Budget Showcase

  Complex Budget Showcase
  Mark Lynam, Research & Economic Development; Kelly Kiger, Research & Economic Development

  You mastered proposal budget basics. But, what about complicated budgets? Explore a series of complex budgets in this session to learn tips and tricks for subawards, contract negotiations, budget revisions, and other budget challenges that come up during the full grant cycle. 

  View presentation  View presentation

• Discussion Panel: Working with a Bookkeeper

  Discussion Panel: Working with a Bookkeeper
  Jill DeBord, Research & Economic Development; Sara Howard, Cybersecurity Education Research & Outreach Center; Karin Kopinski-Gilbert, Water Cente; and Shanae Tyree, Center for Energy Systems Research

  Hear from budget bookkeepers about best practices and biggest pitfalls in managing a research budget. Explore the role of a budget bookkeeper to assist you with grant expenditures and review your fiscal responsibilities as Principal Investigator. Questions welcome!