Research Administration

Our mission is to deliver comprehensive support in managing research funding, ensuring compliance, and enabling faculty, staff, and students to focus on advancing knowledge and innovation.

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About Us

Empowering Engineering Research Excellence 

The VUSE Research Administration office fosters a dynamic research environment within the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt University.  We support faculty, researchers, and staff throughout the entire research lifecycle, from the initial idea to the project completion.  By providing comprehensive pre-award and post-award services, we aim to streamline processes, ensure compliance, and enhance the impact of engineering research. 

Our Services

  • Pre-Award Services

    Our Pre-Award team assists faculty, staff, and students in developing competitive research proposals. From conception to submission, we provide templates, tools, and one-on-one support to improve funding success.  

    • Budget development and compliance checks 
    • Proposal preparation and submission 
    • Coordination with VU Sponsored Programs Administration and subaward collaborators 
    • Guidance on sponsor guidelines and institutional policies 
  • Post-Award Services

    Once funding is secured, our Post-Award team ensures smooth financial and administrative management, enabling you to stay focused on advancing research and discovery. 

    • Project account setup and activation 
    • Budget monitoring and spending compliance 
    • Subrecipient Monitoring 
    • Award modifications and no-cost extensions 
    • Progress Reporting and project closeout 

Contact Us

Get in touch with our team VUSEResearch@vanderbilt.edu 

Submitting a New Proposal? 

Please complete our Proposal Intake Form, and a Pre-Award staff member will follow up with you shortly. 

Other Support Requests 

IDC Waiver/Cost-Share Approval Request 

Salary Verification Letter  

General Support Request 

Funding Opportunities

Picking the best source or finding new sources of funding for your project can be daunting. Possibilities include government agencies, research and development companies, and charitable organizations. To help identify these sources and expand the School’s funding portfolio, the School of Engineering is dedicated to working with our faculty, students, and staff to provide information on funding opportunities. Investigators can also contact the Research Development Support (RDS) office independently to explore potential funding sources and discuss new grant efforts. 

Finding Funding - External

Limited Submission Opportunities

Limited Submission Opportunities (LSOs) are external funding opportunities where sponsors limit the number or types of applications Vanderbilt can submit, either as pre- or full proposals. Such restrictions are included in the opportunity announcement and can be for awards or research funding. Research Development & Support (RDS), within the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, is responsible for coordinating the review and selection of institutional nominees for LSOs. 

For more information, visit the RDS Limited Submission Webpage 

Internal Seed Funding

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation has several internal funding programs available to faculty 

  • Provost Discovery Bridge Funding Program

    Provost Discovery Bridge Funding Program – a short-term financial support program to help faculty researchers affected by changes in federal policy 

    • 3 to 6 months of support 
  • Scaling Success Program

    Scaling Success Program  - supports faculty as they scale up to more impactful team research and larger awards from federal, foundation, or industry sponsors. 

    • $5,000 to $60,000 to be used within 12 months of award receipt, with larger amounts considered if the proposal warrants and the program budget allows 
    • Applications reviewed on a rolling basis, with requests reviewed monthly from July to May (see program page for dates) 
  • Seeding Success Program

    Seeding Success Program – supports new works or directions with strong potential for impact or funding from federal, foundation, or industry sponsors. 

    • $5,000 to $60,000 per year for up to 2 years, with larger amounts considered of the proposal warrants and the program budget allows 
    • Calls for application for Seeding Success will be released every fall and spring semester 
  • Rapid-Advancement MicroGrant program (RAMP)

    Rapid-Advancement MicroGrant program (RAMP) – is designed for smaller-scale funding opportunities that require a rapid response, allowing faculty to innovate in the moment and to seize strategic and time-sensitive opportunities as they arise. 

    • $500 - $5,000 as the budget allows, with smaller requests encouraged 
    • Applications reviewed on a rolling basis 
    • Awards funding will be rapidly available, with requests reviewed monthly from July to May