A current priority for the North Dakota State University Research and Creativity Activity office (RCA) is to boost North Dakota’s National Science Foundation (NSF) competitiveness given recent directives from the NSF to drive more funding into areas like North Dakota. This is particularly important – and means more research opportunities – since North Dakota is an NSF EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) state.

The EPSCoR program seeks to increase research capabilities and funding to states and jurisdictions that have historically received less federal research funding. Language in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 directed the NSF to increase the amount of research dollars going to EPSCoR jurisdictions with a goal to grow the percentage of funding from 15.5 percent in 2023 to 20 percent by 2029. The NSF budget for FY24 was $9 billion.  

North Dakota was in the bottom eight of all EPSCoR jurisdictions in NSF EPSCoR spending for FY2023 and yet, NDSU’s award success rate was 29%.

 “We must be strategic about where, when, and what we submit to the NSF,” said NDSU Vice President of Research Colleen Fitzgerald. “But the numbers are with us – if we submit more and better-quality proposals, NDSU has tremendous potential to increase the number of successful proposals.”

Heidi Grunwald, NDSU associate vice president for research and faculty development, is invested in increasing NSF competitiveness daily. Her role is to educate and raise awareness for NDSU faculty and researchers about funding opportunities, many of which were discussed in Omaha, NE at the NSF EPSCoR national conference in Oct. 2024. Fitzgerald joined Grunwald in giving a presentation to NDSU faculty in November on the topic that was well-received.

“We heard a lot from the NSF leadership about needing more proposals from EPSCoR jurisdictions,” Grunwald said. “Our goal was to get a strategy to communicate that with faculty and to share with them that now is the time when you might consider submitting to NSF, EVEN if you’ve never submitted to the agency before. Equally important is understanding how to best position your work and to make sure you’re explicit about residing in an EPSCoR jurisdiction in your proposals. It’s all about making sure our faculty are capitalizing on this opportunity.”

Grunwald’s previous experience serves her well in her new role at NDSU. She spent 18 years at Temple University, working both as a research administrator and a researcher, and saw the the research process firsthand from two different viewpoints.

“The biggest aspect that gives me a unique perspective is that I started on the administrative side,” she said. “I started as a director of research, creating programs understanding faculty, and doing lots of matchmaking on Temple’s campus. Knowing the pre-award landscape – what are the things that are necessary from start to finish for a faculty member to get something out the door—was critical to my success in the role.”

Grunwald added: “Then I went to the other side. I was a researcher running two large soft-money centers and I was the one having to get proposals out the door and working with the pre-award office. This gives me some insight into programs and activities that I believe faculty will find of high value.”

She is putting her valuable experience to work at NDSU, providing training, resources, mentoring and assistance for NDSU faculty and researchers to build successful research programs. That process often starts with helping and educating on funding opportunities but Grunwald also works on informing individuals about the rules and policies of federal agencies like the NSF and the National Institute of Health (NIH).

“In the sponsored programs landscape, my office is known as the ‘pre’ pre-award office,” Grunwald said. “We support any and all activities that support faculty in securing extramural dollars for their research including helping them understand agencies, helping them find funding opportunities, helping them create scientific teams, whether it’s internal to NDSU or with external partners.”

The research and development team also regularly works with NDSU innovation and economic development director, Cindy Graffeo to leverage private partnerships.  Grunwald and Graffeo are part of a team pursuing a potential healthcare summit on campus that would provide opportunities for NDSU faculty to meet clinicians and physician-scientists that align with their research interests from local healthcare providers. The clinical-translational pipeline requires partners in healthcare and other biomedical industries. The two have also worked on an SBIR/STTR Phase 0 program which allowed faculty to access funding for a consultant to craft winning SBIR/STTR proposals.

“Working together on these efforts allows Cindy to bring her expertise forth on external industry partners and me to put forth faculty doing a particular kind of research so that we are matching NDSU expertise with regional small business needs,” Grunwald said.

Grunwald also does work learning the kind of research different faculty members are pursuing, which can help find the appropriate funding for those projects. “Part of my role is to try to understand, to the extent I can, what people do, what they’re working on, and what their interests are,” she said. “I read hundreds of funding opportunities each month, It happens where one pops up on my radar and I say – this is perfect for this faculty member.”

The Research and Faculty Development office actively engages NDSU faculty, which includes individual mentoring, meeting with departments, and doing education and outreach. Some boot camp type of activities, where the RCA staff walk faculty systemically through specific funding opportunities, are also available. The results of those activities have been positively received according to Grunwald.

“I’ve seen individual growth and success,” she said. “We tried to put a larger focus on NIH, an agency in which I have more background. The goal was to increase the number or R-series awards, R03, R21, R01 progressions over the next couple of years. I see more people engaged in coming to our sessions and I’ve had people actively reaching out to us. They know that we’re here and know what we do. But there are always more people to reach.”

One faculty member who has worked with Grunwald is Dane Mataic, NDSU assistant professor of sociology and anthropology and North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute fellow. He first met Grunwald in Dec. 2023 and said her mentorship and ability to nudge ideas and concepts with him has really helped him grow.

“Heidi has helped with my development substantially over the past year, resulting in new conversations and connections at NDSU, within the Fargo-Moorhead Community, and even across other universities,” he said. “These connections wouldn't have happened without Heidi's nudges.”

Mataic added he appreciates Grunwald’s ability and strength as a mentor. “Heidi has clear expectations, but understands that achieving those expectations and growth of faculty needs to happen through experience and learning. I have gained insight into grant writing, funding sources, contacting other researchers, and supervising teams simply through her guidance. This guidance has been invaluable and has helped me grow as a faculty member, researcher, and leader.”

That philosophy aligns with the EPSCoR mission as well. EPSCoR focuses on building infrastructure, fostering collaborations, and developing human capital to elevate a jurisdiction’s research capacity and to help elevate faculty into larger scientific and technological conversations worldwide. It also strives to improve local and regional economies.

“The goal of the EPSCoR programs is capacity building,” Grunwald said. “If NSF believes your fundamental science is of high quality and has merit, what they really want to see is how you can parlay your work into growing capacity – students, junior faculty, equipment, partnerships, and workforce development.”

The Research and Faculty Development office is key to increasing NSF competitiveness, but it also has a role in assisting NDSU researchers in prioritizing their projects and helping them with the proposal application process.

“We’re allowing the faculty to focus on the science part so we can support the other pieces that are needed to make a successful proposal,” Grunwald said.

Fitzgerald and Grunwald hosted a second NSF competitiveness session on Feb. 5.

“Heidi’s work with faculty is translating directly into greater engagement with funding opportunities,” Fitzgerald said. “She’s been a great addition to the team and her efforts are instrumental to NDSU’s research goals and success. I look forward to seeing more faculty and departments leveraging her energy and willingness to support NDSU researchers.”