WELCOME BACK FACULTY
FALL 2026
Research starts here.
Whether you’re developing your first research idea, preparing a proposal, building a collaborative team, or managing an active award, Purdue’s Office of Research is here to help. We’ll connect you with the right expertise so you can spend more time advancing discovery—not navigating administrative complexity.
Week 5: Take One Step
This week the Research Starts Here series offers a few practical ways to begin moving your research idea forward.
You do not need a complete proposal – a short description of the idea, a promising funding opportunity or a better understanding of a potential sponsor can help you decide what comes next.
Put your idea on one page. Join the virtual Concept Paper Pop-Up Workshop from noon to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 6). Jackie Thompson, senior proposal strategy and development specialist, and Allison Troutner, lead proposal strategy and development specialist, will share strategies for turning an emerging research idea into a concise concept paper that can support conversations with potential partners, program officers and other audiences. Registration is required.
Explore funding opportunities. Browse Purdue’s weekly funding email for opportunities and deadlines or use Pivot to search more broadly for opportunities aligned with your work. To sign up to receive the weekly email, contact Sherry Fisher.
Check for an internal deadline. Some sponsors limit the number of proposals Purdue can submit. Before pursuing one of these opportunities, check the Limited Submissions page for Purdue’s internal process and deadlines.
Learn more about NIH funding. The NIH Funding Strategies workshop is 1:30-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in Stewart Center, Room 202. It will cover NIH institutes, funding mechanisms, peer review and ways to use award data in proposal planning. Registration is required.
Choose the step that fits where you are today. If you are unsure where to begin, visit Research Starts Here or complete OOR’s request support form to get connected with the right people and resources.
Week 4: Stronger Proposals Start with Strategy
Research Starts Here is a weekly campaign from the Office of Research introducing faculty to the people, services, workshops and tools available throughout the research life cycle.
This week, the focus is on how researchers can make their proposals more competitive. Strong proposals begin well before the submission deadline — with the right funding opportunity, a clear strategy, a compelling narrative and a strong understanding of sponsor expectations.
To help, the campaign this week encourages faculty and research staff to explore Purdue workshops, training opportunities and resources designed to support every stage of the research lifecycle.
Some helpful upcoming sessions include:
- Successful Grant Writing Strategies on Sept. 22
- NIH Funding Strategies on Sept. 30
- Write Winning Grants on Oct. 20
- Understanding Proposal Budgets on Nov. 3
Additional workshops will address Managing Your Award: SPS Post-Award and Contracting on Nov. 10 and Research Regulatory Affairs on Nov. 17. Explore all upcoming workshops and research resources here.
Researchers can also access guidance for finding funding, developing a competitive proposal, and navigating training and compliance requirements throughout the research life cycle.
Week 3: Meet Your Research Partners
Great research takes more than great ideas. It takes the right people and connections to help move those ideas forward.
Across the Office of Research, teams work with faculty throughout the research life cycle—helping researchers identify funding, find collaborators, build interdisciplinary teams, develop proposals, navigate research administration and compliance, and connect with specialized expertise.
This week, meet some of the people behind Purdue’s research support and learn how they can help move your work forward.
Meet Kristi Reynolds
Principal Project Manager, Research Development and Strategic Interdisciplinary Research
Kristi helps faculty navigate funding opportunities, limited submissions, internal research programs, and the resources available to move promising ideas forward.
Meet Kaethe Beck
Associate Vice President for Strategic Impact in Life Sciences
Kaethe connects life-sciences researchers with expertise, facilities, collaborators, and strategic opportunities through Purdue’s Life Sciences Innovation and Collaboration Network.
Meet Jessica Lawrence
Assistant Vice President for Strategic Interdisciplinary Research
Jessica helps faculty build interdisciplinary teams and position complex, collaborative research ideas for large-scale funding opportunities and institutional impact.
Meet Aimee Jo Gibney, PhD
Assistant Director, Proposal Strategy & Development
Aimee Jo helps Purdue researchers strengthen proposal strategy, positioning, and development from early concept through submission.
Meet Zach Shupe
Digital Content Specialist
Zach helps share the people, discoveries, resources, and impact of Purdue research through accessible and engaging digital communications.
Meet Kevin White
Strategic Programs Director
Kevin helps advance strategic initiatives across the Office of Research, connecting people, priorities, and programs that support Purdue’s research enterprise.
Meet Kimberley Gascho
Assistant Director, Electronic Research Administration
Kimberley helps connect Purdue researchers and administrators with the electronic systems and tools that support sponsored research, including Purdue Excellence in Research Administration (PERA).
Meet Kate Stoan
Assistant Vice President of Research Security and Export Controls
Kate helps Purdue researchers navigate research security, export controls, sanctions, and evolving federal requirements while supporting secure national and international collaboration.
Meet Jennifer Freeman, PhD
Assistant Vice President for Research Development
Jennifer leads research development efforts that help faculty identify opportunities, strengthen competitive proposals, and advance Purdue’s research priorities.
Meet Lisa Snider, CPIA
IACUC Director
Lisa helps researchers understand and navigate Purdue’s animal care and use requirements while supporting the responsible, ethical conduct of research involving vertebrate animals.
Meet Allison Troutner
Lead Proposal Strategy and Development Specialist
Allison Troutner is a lead proposal strategy and development specialist in the Strategic Interdisciplinary Research division of Purdue University’s Office of Research. She provides proposal strategy and grant-writing support to faculty and interdisciplinary teams pursuing large-scale and strategic funding opportunities.
Meet Amanda Hamaker
Director of Pre-Award, Sponsored Program Services
Amanda leads the Pre-Award team, helping Purdue researchers navigate proposal development and submission requirements. With nearly 20 years at Purdue, she has helped build a comprehensive, full-service operation that supports faculty throughout the proposal-development process.
More Research Partners Are Ready to Help
The colleagues featured here represent just a few of the more than 120 Office of Research staff members who support Purdue researchers—from the earliest spark of an idea through funding, proposal development, award management, compliance, collaboration, and impact.
We look forward to introducing you to more of our research partners in the months ahead. In the meantime, visit the Office of Research directory to find the people and expertise you need.
Week 2: Better Research Begins with Better Connections
Research rarely moves forward through one office, system or area of expertise alone. Purdue faculty are supported by a network of teams that help identify collaborators, build interdisciplinary partnerships, develop research skills and navigate the administrative and regulatory processes that make research possible. Explore the connections below to find the people, training and resources that can help move your research forward.
Complex and Center-Level Proposals
Strategic Interdisciplinary Research helps shape collaborative concepts, identify expertise and organize teams for complex opportunities.
Find Expertise and Collaborators in Life Sciences
LINC connects life-sciences researchers with Purdue expertise, facilities, resources and potential partners.
Navigate Research Administration
SPS (Sponsored Program Services) and PERA support proposal submission, award establishment and sponsored-project administration.
Protect Human Research Participants
Purdue’s Human Research Protection Program provides guidance, training and support for the ethical conduct of human-subjects research and facilitates protocol submission to the Institutional Review Board.
Prepare for Vertebrate Animal Research
Find the qualifications and required training needed before participating in research involving vertebrate animals at Purdue.
Build Your Research Skills
Attend Office of Research workshops and training sessions designed to help faculty find funding, develop stronger proposals, navigate research requirements and connect with Purdue experts.
Week 1: Welcome Back Faculty
Dear Purdue Faculty,
Welcome back! As we begin a new academic year, Purdue’s Office of Research is here to help you move your research forward — from the first spark of an idea through funding, proposal development, award management and, ultimately, impact.
A New Place to Start
We’ve designed our updated website around the questions and needs researchers have — not around our organizational structure. Whether you are searching for funding, developing a collaborative team, preparing a proposal, navigating research requirements or looking for the right person to help, the site can point you in the right direction.
We are also introducing a new Office of Research Support. If you know what you need (or even if you don’t), the form gives you one place to tell us how we can help. Our team will connect you and your request with the appropriate research support resources.
This fall, we are launching Research Starts Here, an effort to make it easier to find and connect with the research support, expertise and resources available to you across Purdue.
Wherever you are in your research journey, start here:
Over the next six weeks…
Watch for a series of short messages introducing the people, services, tools and resources available throughout the Office of Research. We’ll highlight how Purdue’s research support teams can help at different stages of your work and make it easier to know where to turn when you need us.
You bring the ideas, expertise and ambition that drive Purdue research forward. Our job is to help you get where you want to go.
Wherever you are in your research journey, Research Starts HERE.
Welcome back, and I wish you a productive and exciting semester.
Best regards,
Dan DeLaurentis, PhD
Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships
Purdue University
FEATURED THIS WEEK
FUNDING NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to the Research Development Weekly Newsletter for selected funding opportunities and deadlines, limited submissions, and important research announcements.
OOR STAFF FEATURE
Meet Kristi M. Reynolds, CFRE, CFRM Project Manager, Principal | Research Development & Strategic Interdisciplinary Research
Kristi helps keep research development moving, from coordinating programs and projects to connecting faculty with the people, tools, and guidance they need. Whether you’re exploring an idea, navigating a process, or figuring out your next step, she can help you get started.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Concept Paper Virtual Pop-up Workshop
October 6 | Noon–12:45 p.m. | Virtual
Have a research idea you’re ready to share? Join the Office of Research for a 45-minute workshop on writing a one-page concept paper, sometimes called a white paper. Learn how to shape your idea into a concise pitch, tailor it for different audiences, and use it to start conversations with program officers and potential collaborators.
NOT SURE WHERE TO START?
START HERE
You don’t need to know which office to contact.
Tell us what you’re trying to accomplish, and we’ll connect you with the right people and resources.