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B.U.I.L.D. Research Challenge

Complete the following tasks to increase your knowledge and prepare you to reach your future research goals.

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  • “Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) is an electronic system that helps researchers assemble the professional profile needed for application of federal funds.” This platform will help you create your biosketch and current and pending docs.

    A biosketch is a document highlighting the qualifications of key personnel for a specific role in a proposed grant project. Both the NIH and the NSF require a biosketch for senior or key personnel applying for and renewing grants with each agency. You will need to routinely update and customize your biosketch to the grant you are applying for.

    • Click here
    • Log in with your eRA commons or NSF ID. If you don’t have those yet, find that challenge to walk you through how to obtain those logins 
    • Scroll down to SciENcv and create a new document 
    • Select NIH or NSF and follow the directions in each section of the document 
    • Find the Add Brittany as a delegate challenge in section Do and follow those instructions so she can help you edit and refine your biosketch 
    • FAQ pdf

  • ORCID: Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier. ORCID strives to enable transparent and trustworthy connections between researchers, their contributions, and their affiliations by providing a unique, persistent identifier for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities.

  • PIVOT uses online search engines to access a large database of funding opportunities covering most academic disciplines including federal and private grant sources.

    • See RDO’s Discover and Claim Your Pivot Account
    • Register here
    • To Create Your Login: 
      Use Institutional Login Credentials (SSO)
    • To Explore: 
      Select “advanced search” located below the search bar and enter key words associated with your project in mind
    • Select Search 
    • Use the bar on the left to filter your search to better fit your project needs. (Research 
      Grant, Academic Institution/Non-Profit, Submission Deadline Dates, Keywords, etc.) 
      Then, explore the grant opportunities available for your area of research
    • Browse Area Specific Funding here

  • “eRA commons is an online interface where grant applicants, recipients, and federal staff at NIH and grantor agencies can access and share administrative information relating to research grants”

    • Click here to visit the website
    • Please email Susie@byu.edu to begin the process of creating an ERa commons ID
      • Provide her with 3 possible ID names between 6 and 30 characters long  
      • This ID cannot be changed later on so please be thoughtful in what you select your ID to be
      • Please reach out to Brittany with any questions
    • Click here to visit the help page

  • If your research involves human subjects, you are required to submit an IRB application.

  • Published journal articles are a way for reviewers to see that you are an expert in your field and that you are active in research.

    Collaborations are also important when it comes to receiving funding. If you have been working with someone and have not published together yet (or need to increase the number of articles together), start drafting an article with your collaborator.

    • Start drafting a journal article about your recent research

  • This number is what BYU uses to calculate your summer salary for your grant proposals.

    • Your 8-month base will be located at the bottom of your most recent contract letter. There will be a section that states your 8-month base pay. This is the number used to calculate your summer salary
    • Building collaborations and community within your field can be the key to successful proposals. Reach out to a prominent person in your field and see if a collaboration would be an option for the future

  • The IDR Origination Awards foster new interdisciplinary research projects at BYU that lead to future external funding. Research proposals should rely on collaborative partnerships across departments and colleges. These partnerships should emerge from shared research interests and be developed in light of external funding opportunities, institutional strengths, and academic priorities. PIs and Co-PIs must be CFS-track faculty. This award is made possible by the Simmons Research Endowment.

    If you are interested in applying for an IDR, send Brittany an email to let her know. She will send a reminder when the opportunity opens again and can help you prepare the proposal. She can also help you look for external funding opportunities (part of the application process).

    • The IDR Awards are a great way to start your journey in research. These internal awards are ideal for collecting pilot data and finding collaborators for your project
    • There is now and IDR for Environmental Stewardship. These awards are available until funds are exhausted so apply now if you are interested in this opportunity
    • There is also an IDR for Cancer Research. These funds have been dispersed, but keep an eye out for if they become available again

  • Make the process of finding your journal articles easier when you are creating your biosketch by merging your ORCiD to your SciENcv profile. With these merged, you will be able to populate the relevant articles right into the form.

    • Section B - Video Guide
    • If you experience any problems with this, please reach out to Brittany and she can help you
    • Email Brittany a short synopsis of your project along with 3-5 key words that best describe the topic/funding you are looking for. She and her Research Assistants will work to put together a list of funders that would be the best fit for you and your project
    • Contact: brittany_roueche@byu.edu 
      801-422-5869
    • Take the time to praise and build up a colleague in your field. Tag a researcher on social media and share what you learned from their past or recent research
    • Schedule a meeting with your faculty mentor/mentee to discuss funding outlets
    • Follow some of the up and coming or prominent names in your field to stay current in your field
    • Take the opportunity to connect with someone you never followed up with from a conference or reach out to someone you haven’t connected with in a while
    • Let others in your field know what you are doing and give them the opportunity to connect with you
    • Tag BYU Research Development in a post about your latest research
      Instagram
      Facebook
      X
      LinkedIN
    • If you have a personal website, update it with a recent research highlight

    • Or, think about creating a website that highlights your research. A webpage is a great way for collaborators to find you for you to share your knowledge with the world

  • Faculty Profile is the system BYU uses for faculty to record their professional activities A primary purpose is to maintain accurate information about faculty achievements and experiences to use in: Annual stewardship interviews, Rank and Status review, Discipline-specific and university accreditation, Identifying opportunities for scholarly collaboration, Printing vitas, Reporting on faculty scholarly work and productivity.

    • Click here to visit the website

  • Stay in the know about upcoming events like Research Networking where faculty share their work and look for collaborations, GRASP where we offer trainings and support to faculty seeking external funding, and Bootcamps that help with specific opportunities (R15, CAREER, etc) or general writing assistance.

    • Bookmark our link so you can have easy access to upcoming events and research development resources

  • “The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Communications and Public Liaison is happy to offer a free email subscription service, which allows you to receive alerts by e-mail when new information is available. With a subscription profile, you get the updated information on the items of interest to you automatically without having to return to the Web site and check for changes.”

    • Click here to sign up for the listserv

  • Get updates from the NSF about upcoming solicitations and updates to current opportunities.

    • Click here to sign up for the listserv

  • “The Broader Impacts Wizard will help you develop a broader impacts plan that will satisfy the National Science Foundation (NSF) Broader Impact requirements and fulfill your interest in communicating your science.”

    • Click here for a resource that will help you develop your Broader Impacts portion of your study

  • Did you know that BYU has a system that lets you search for people by what they study? Take advantage of this website and learn who on campus has the expertise you need for your research project.

    • Type in your research topic and look for faculty that match your search. If there are matches, scan their profiles and consider reaching out to collaborate

  • BYU FHSS offers multiple grants to faculty to support their research. This is a great opportunity to collect pilot data and prepare for external funding. See what is available for your project!

  • Did you know that each department has a librarian assigned to help them with their library needs? The Library also offers classes each semester, has faculty research rooms available, has equipment that may assist your research, and so much more. Find a service that the library offers that you didn’t know about.

    • Start here
    • Find your librarian
    • Spend some time learning about the collections, databases, classes, how to book a room, or other services offered by the library for faculty 

  • The Research Administration Office Supports faculty, students, staff and university administration in efforts to encourage and enable research, creative activities, and other expressions of academic scholarship.

    • Access it here
    • Check out the RAO resources here for external funding

  • BYU provides support to faculty through the Research Development Office, Research Administration Office, and Grants and Contracts Accounting for those who are applying for external funding so you don’t have to do it alone.

    • Take a look here at your team at BYU from Pre-Award to Post-Award by scrolling down to the College of Family, Home, & Social Sciences

  • The WFRDC is a secure research environment used by qualified researchers with approved projects where they can analyze restricted data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal statistical agencies. 

    • Access it here
    • Check out the topics and subtopics of data that the WFRDC has available here!

  • The Russell Sage Foundation prioritizes social science research into today’s most pressing social and economic concerns. See if they have a grant that would work for your research idea!

    • Explore opportunities here

  • “Scopus is a trusted, source-neutral abstract and citation database curated by independent subject matter experts who are recognized leaders in their fields."

    • Explore documents and researchers here

  • Use the NIH Matchmaker tool to help you find the Program Officer that can best support your external funding efforts.

    • Access the Matchmaker Tool here
    • Put your topic of research into the Matchmaker search box and see what research projects have been funded and which institutes have funded them
    • Next, click on the Program Officials tab to explore which program officers may be the best fit for your research projects
    • Reach out to Brittany to learn about professors in the Big 12 that may be in your field of study
    • The Scholarly Communications workshops, which happen each semester on topics like data management and research impact are a great resource for faculty.  This website lists the courses and a sign up link when sign-ups are open

  • “Supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.” Click here to see the website.

  • Become familiar with the NIH funding process. Take a look at their Information for Researchers page that gives an overview of finding funding, the grants process, and more. 

    • Click here to see the website

  • “As of March 2024, students, faculty and staff now have access to use Microsoft Copilot Enterprise (formally Bing Chat Enterprise), at no cost to the user. Microsoft Copilot Enterprise is a Generative AI service similar to other AI services on the market (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, etc). Access to Microsoft Copilot Enterprise can be gained through logging into the Copilot service with a BYU Net ID and password. Doing so will give users access to a special version of Microsoft Copilot that, according to BYU's contractual agreement, should not store data entered into the service. Despite these security measures, BYU users should still ensure they follow BYU's Data Use, Privacy, and Security policy. Specifically, Nonpublic Institutional Data should not be shared through Microsoft Copilot chat” Click here to see the full announcement.

    • Click here to get started

  • “ScholarsArchive is Brigham Young University’s institutional repository for the scholarly and creative content produced by the University. ScholarsArchive makes research, publications, data, and journals produced by BYU faculty and students available to a global research audience."

    • Click here to visit the website

  • Many US funding agencies (including the NSF and NIH) require researchers to provide detailed Data Management and Sharing Plans (DMSPs) for managing research data.

    • Find more information here
    • Click here to begin creating your DMP

  • Learn about Research Rabbit and see if this could help you in your research efforts.

    • Here is a video that gives you an idea of what this site offers
    • Login/create an account here

  • “The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers over 400 awards in more than 135 countries for U.S. citizens to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects around the world." Learn about how you can conduct research or teach around the world.

    • Click here to visit the website
    • The IDR Awards are a great way to start your journey in research. These internal awards are ideal for collecting pilot data and finding collaborators for your project
    • There is now and IDR for Environmental Stewardship. These awards are available until funds are exhausted so apply now if you are interested in this opportunity 
    •  There is also an IDR for Cancer Research. These funds have been dispersed, but keep an eye out for if they become available again

  • Watch this video of a mock panel to help you understand how your proposal will be reviewed.

  • BYU is offering a fellowship for faculty to build collaborations and exchange ideas with members of other institutions.

    • Check out this PDF for more information
    • Open up your GoogleScholar account. Update any out-of-date information and add new or relevant information
    • Start here

  • A 1-minute research pitch, often called an "elevator pitch," aims to summarize your research project, highlighting key points, significance, and potential impact, to quickly capture a listener’s interest and encourage further discussion or collaboration. Essentially, it's a brief sales pitch for your research idea to a potential collaborator or funder. Take some time to put together a 1-minute elevator pitch about your research.

  • Create a 3-5 year plan that outlines your goals for publishing, research, grant submissions, and other professional development tasks. It can be in any format and can be done with graphics, Excel, Word, etc. Make it yours and make it specific.

    • It can be in any format and can be done with graphics, Excel, Word, etc.
    • Email this plan to Brittany so she knows when to reach out to help you find internal or external funding
    • Here’s a resource to get started

  • Send a thank you to someone you cited recently. This is a great way to make someone’s day and make connections for future collaborations.

    • Is there potential to mentor this colleague? If so, start the conversation
    • Ask if you can support them in some way
    • Login to your google scholar account
    • Locate where it states that you can download your citations (RIS format)
    • Save that on your computer
    • Login to SciENcv
    • Select “My bibliography”
    • Click “Add citation button”
    • Select “From a file”
    • Browse your computer for your downloaded copy from your google scholar account
    • If you run into any problems, email Brittany!

  • Graphics can be a powerful way to deliver complex or long-winded information in a concise and easy-to-read setting. Reviewers love a break from text and well-done graphics can go a long way. Think about the parts of your research that could or need to be explained within a graphic and create it.

  • Follow these steps to help you create your own biosketch:

    • Login to your profile here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv/ --remove all periods at ends of bullets 
    • Locate SciENcv at the bottom right of the screen
    • Select “Create new document” 
    • Give the Biosketch a name (project title, your name, etc.)
    • Select “NIH Biosketch” or “NSF Biosketch” 
    • Select if you want to make it public or private
    • Select “Create” 
    • Select each edit tab and enter updated information
    • Use the attached guide to get you started in creating your biosketch 

  • Brittany can help you with edit and can have access to print your biosketch if you grant her access as a delegate.

    • Login to your profile here
    • Click on your name in the upper right-hand corner
    • Select “Settings” 
    • Scroll down to where it says delegate
    • Add brittany_roueche@byu.edu as a delegate to your account so she can help you edit and create your biosketch and current and pending documents
    • Access the training here
    • The linked website provides step by step tutorials on how to access the CITI program through BYU credentials. Other workshops are included on the link as well

  • A letter of intent is an opportunity to show potential funders your research project and plan. The goal is that potential funders will request a full proposal.

    • Put together a Letter of Interest/Intent that is 1-3 pages. Use figures, graphs, or other images that can help the reader understand your research project. Make sure they understand what problem you are addressing, why this is a problem, what you plan to do to fix it, why this method is the best method, why the people on this project are the best people to solve this problem, and how your project will help to solve/alleviate this problem

  • The Specific Aims page is a one page document requested by NIH that outlines all of the crucial areas of your project and demonstrates that your project is meaningful, achievable, and aligned well. Research Development does a workshop that

    • If you are interested in applying for a federal grant, an exceptional Aims page is crucial
    • Use Brittany's guide to help you in this process
    • Here is one more helpful resource

  • Put together a preliminary budget to see what kind of funding you need to support your research project. This will help Brittany know what opportunities will best work for you.

    • Use the Budget Planning Sheet 2025 on this link to get you started
    • Need help with your budget, reach out to Brittany
    • You can do it! Submit an article that you have been working on

  • One of the best ways to become familiar with the grant process is to become a reviewer. Follow the directions on how to do this.

    • Instructions are at the bottom of this page

  • One of the best ways to become familiar with the grant process is to become a reviewer. Follow the directions on how to do this.

    • Click here to get started

  • BYU is offering a fellowship for faculty to build collaborations and exchange ideas with members of other institutions. Apply now and start building collaborations with other faculty in the Big 12.

    • Start the process with this PDF

  • Presenting at conferences is a great way to meet potential collaborators, disseminate knowledge, and build your portfolio.

    • Create a conference abstract with or without final outcomes or analysis. Be sure to focus on clearly outlining the background, research question, methodology, and anticipated outcomes of your study, emphasizing the significance of the topic and the outcomes and potential impact of your research, even if you have no definitive findings