“Sponsored Programs is an extremely important component of any academic institution for the growth of its faculty and staff,” explained Dr. Blanks. “Almost all institutions have such a component as an essential part of their programs. BSC, though more than 100 years old did not have such an office. The Office of Institutional Development and Advancement had a vision to start such an office in 2003.” During the past year, the office has made significant impact on the campus, she observed. The office publishes a monthly newsletter, disseminating information about the availability of funds.

“The office has offered several grant writing workshops to augment the faculty and staff in their grant writing skills,” Dr. Pradhan added. “As a result, the grant writing activities have increased on the campus.” The office has also invited members of non-profit organizations to participate in these grant writing workshops. The paper to be presented at the Salt Lake City conference discusses the experiences of the office for the last one year--its successes, pitfalls encountered, and challenges in the future. It will serve as a guide for other colleges that aspire to start an office of sponsored programs in their institutions, Dr. Blanks observed.

Founded in 1967, the Society of Research Administrators International is a nonprofit association dedicated to the education and professional development of research administrators, as well as enhancement of public understanding of the importance of research and its administration.

September 28, 2004