Faculty Programming and Proposal Support

ORSD assists Harvard Chan School faculty with coordinating editorial assistance, graphic design support, and expert reviews for grant proposals:  

• Editing Services: ORSD maintains a pool of experienced scientific editors who have been trained in NIH grant writing and editing. Editors assist with copyediting, reducing length, and strengthening clarity and organization of ideas.  
• Graphic Design Services: ORSD coordinates partnerships between faculty and designers to develop graphics to illustrate key points and concepts in proposals. 
• Proposal Review Services: ORSD coordinates proposal reviews by content experts to help faculty PIs identify opportunities to improve their scientific design and assess the impact and significance of the proposal.  

ORSD coordinates internal competitions for opportunities where the sponsor has limited the number of applications that an institution can submit. In addition, ORSD liaises with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) on internal competitions for limited opportunities where the sponsor considers Harvard University a single institution, as well as to select nominees for university-wide internal funding opportunities.

The School offers several competitive internal funding mechanisms to promote and facilitate faculty research agendas. These opportunities are announced at regular intervals and promoted to all primary tenure-ladder faculty.

The Faculty Research Development (RD) Series features monthly workshops focused on exploring research development strategies and empowering faculty to pursue diverse funding streams. Participants receive tailored training on communicating their science effectively, both verbally and in writing, to industry and foundation representatives. In-person sessions are held monthly throughout the semester.

The HOME: Grant Concierge Program is led the Office of Research Strategy and Development (ORSD) and integrates the efforts of the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA), and Research Administration (RA) with that of mentors and academic departments to provide an individualized research development support system for each new faculty member as they launch their Chan School careers. 

The goal of the program is to provide streamlined and supportive guidance to new faculty through their first grant submission at the Harvard Chan School. Through this program, faculty will establish strong relationships with key administrative departments, receive strategic support to navigate the funding landscape, and be given the tools and resources they need to succeed as members of the Harvard Chan research community as they begin to build their research programs. 

The Office of Research Strategy and Development’s Intranet is a PIN-protected online tool for investigators to find important information meant to support proposal development and funding strategies. Examples of information on the website include sample letters of support and other non-disciplinary grant templates, NIH paylines and research priorities, and Harvard Chan-specific policies and processes. Faculty, research scientists, and post-docs can access curated lists of funding opportunities, links to funding search engines, and other resources to help in finding diverse funding and developing federal, foundation, and industry proposals.