Before Congress begins its consideration of appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year, NDSU submits “programmatic requests” to the North Dakota delegation articulating the University’s agency and program priorities. Many universities submit these requests, asking their delegation to weigh in with their support of Congressional appropriations for programs they deem significant. The Office of the Vice President for Research and Creative Activity facilitates this process, in coordination with NDSU’s federal relations firm, Lewis-Burke Associates. NDSU may submit a limited number of programmatic requests to the North Dakota Delegation for consideration as part of this annual process. One way NDSU generates potential programmatic requests for consideration is through the process below. Factors used to determine the list of final submissions include but are not limited to: fit within the university’s strategic priorities and needs, funding agency opportunities, collaborations, investigator track record, leveraging of prior campus investments (i.e., infrastructure, instrumentation, hires, etc.), and plans for sustainability of requested programs.

Programmatic Request Process

1. Submit potential research areas for Programmatic Requests to RCA using the web form. Note that a whitepaper is required as part of the submission - see instructions below.
2. RCA works with Lewis-Burke Associates to identify budget lines that are candidates for programmatic increases.
3. RCA coordinates submission of a limited number of Programmatic Requests with Lewis-Burke Associates.
4. Lewis-Burke Associates advocates for NDSU and provides additional information on Programmatic Requests to Congressional Delegation, as requested.
5. Continues monitoring budget and appropriations process to see if requested budget line increases and/or programmatic language makes it into final federal spending bill(s).

Key Things to Remember

• Programmatic Requests are designed to add significant additional funding to federal agencies' pre-existing funding lines with the intent that a Broad Agency Announcement or other competitive grant funding opportunity will be released in connection with the funding plus-up.
• Contact with Program Officer(s) is Key. They can:
  Help identify research areas an agency is interested in funding but doesn't have sufficient resources;
  Help identify potential funding lines; and
  Act as an advocate within the agency.
• Slow and uncertain process. Not all priority requests are typically funded. 

Whitepaper Instructions

In addition to the information on the form, upload a 2-3 page whitepaper that includes the following:

• A description of the proposed program.
• An explanation of how the proposed program aligns with federal priorities (for example, this OSTP memo).
• An explanation of how the proposed program fits within NDSU's strategic priorities, NDSU’s economic development diversification research priorities, or alignment with prior and/or existing research investments at NDSU .
• A description of how this project would increase NDSU's research capacity and infrastructure, beyond your project.
• A description of how the proposed program would advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• A description of external collaborations, including industry partnerships, involved with this program.
• A brief budget justification (what would the project fund).

Requests must also include a biographical sketch that highlights work relevant to the submitted request. Maximum length for the biosketch is 5 pages. 

All requests will be reviewed by the appropriate College Dean(s) before being considered for inclusion in NDSU’s final programmatic request. The Office of the Vice President for Research and Creative Activity will make the final determination as to the number and priority of requests submitted to North Dakota's Congressional Delegation.

Contacts

Colleen Fitzgerald
Vice President, Research and Creative Activity
colleen.fitzgerald@ndsu.edu
701.231.6542

Sheri Anderson
Associate Vice President, Strategic Research Initiatives
sheri.anderson@ndsu.edu
701.231.6573