Purpose: To evaluate a peer-to-peer mentor research team model (PPMRTM) in building investigators' research skills (i.e., research methods and grant writing) at a historically Black college/university (HBCU) in the United States. Method: Three different theories (i.e., planned change, critical mass, and self-efficacy), contemporary study findings,…

While much is known about faculty time allocation, we know very little about how traditional managerial factors influence faculty time allocation behaviors. We know even less about the possible downsides associated with relying on these traditional managerial factors. Using survey data from the National Science Foundation/Department of Energy…

The Boston Foundation--one of the nation's oldest community foundations--had always been committed to equity and even played an important role during Boston's fractious school desegregation era. But the board knew it could do more and needed to do more; the future well-being of individuals, families, communities and the city as a whole demanded…

Graduate student socialization is an important part of a university's mission. Research on how writing shapes this process is needed. This study contributes to knowledge of academic literacy practices socializing students in their disciplines through a social practice perspective. Specifically I focus on aspects of the social in this study of…

To blind or not researcher's identity has often been a topic of debate in the context of peer-review process for scientific publication and research grant application. This article reports on how knowing the name and experience of researchers/institutions influences the qualification of a proposal. We present our experience of managing the…

The breadth of doctoral education has expanded to include professional development activities in order to prepare students for academic and nonacademic careers. This mixed methods study focused on students' perceptions of professional development opportunities at a Research One university. The findings suggest that most students feel prepared in…

Learning communities (LCs) provide an ideal context for civic learning because they foreground the integrative and interactive nature of learning and skills development. While the academic benefits of LCs have been well documented, their potential to promote civic learning and engagement has received less attention. Indeed, the potential of LCs to…

Applying for financial aid can be a complicated, time-consuming endeavor for students and their families. Fortunately, many state aid programs have taken strides to align aid applications to the form used for federal aid programs, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), making state aid more readily accessible. New conversations…

The federal role in higher education has grown over the past two decades, and now a new administration has the opportunity to strengthen policies that support students and their colleges and universities. To help inform these decisions, the Urban Institute convened a bipartisan group of scholars and policy advisers to write a series of memos…

While Elizabeth Barrett Browning counted 25 ways in which she loves her husband in her poem, "How Do I Love Thee? Let me Count the Ways," we identified only eight ways to evaluate the potential for success of a federal research grant proposal. This may be surprising, as it seems upon initial glance of the review criteria used by various…

Securing funding for undergraduate research activities is critical to a vibrant program. Strategies for obtaining funding are described in this chapter.

The federal role in higher education has grown over the past two decades, and now a new administration has the opportunity to strengthen policies that support students and their colleges and universities. To help inform these decisions, the Urban Institute convened a bipartisan group of scholars and policy advisers to write a series of memos…

Funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Institute on Aging and Social Work played an integral role in the professional development of select faculty members engaged in gerontological research in schools or departments of social work. It offered faculty participants the opportunities to enhance knowledge of research methods, develop a…

Academic careers and institutional reputations are closely linked with the ability to secure funding and publish work. In today's competitive environment, it is essential for research to be clearly communicated. In our experience, many researchers need assistance with communication skills, and institutions that offer professional services in…

In this essay, I reflect on my experiences and lessons learned while serving as Commissioner of the National Center for Special Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Although I was in the grant writing business for my nearly 30 years as a professor of special education, I learned that I knew very little…