Flat is the new up.

That was one of the messages offered by federal research funding specialists during a Tuesday lunch presentation on the future of federal research funding. In addition to discussing the impacts of sequestration on the federal research agenda,  presenters from the Washington, D.C. specialty consulting and government relations firm Lewis-Burke offered strategies for accessing grants and other federal awards  in the current environment.

Titled “Current Federal Funding Landscape FY2014 and Beyond: Interdisciplinary Topics and Themes,” Tuesday’s lunch was part of October Research Month. Sponsored jointly by University Advancement and the office for Research, Innovation and Graduate Education (RIGE), the event kicked off three days of information panels, including a series of research funding “spotlight sessions” aimed at faculty PIs, post-doctoral fellows and advanced graduate students.

The luncheon concluded with questions from the audience to a panel that included representatives from Lewis-Burke, Cascade Associates and Betsy Boyd, the UO’s associate vice president for public and government affairs.

Agencies need universities, said Michael Ledford, a partner and vice president for Lewis-Burke, offering one of many reasons for UO faculty to be optimistic despite the hurdles ahead. In an era in which public-private partnerships are a favored mechanism for large-scale research efforts, universities such as the UO are well positioned to help partner agencies leverage research opportunities, Ledford said.

That was one of many strategies mentioned by Ledford and the firm’s founder, April Burke. The firm identified some potential opportunities for the UO, including research into specific areas such as water (availability, quantity, quality), which has been getting increasing federal attention. Ledford reviewed how the various federal agencies are prioritizing their resources and where they are focusing their funding. He mentioned the UO’s strengths in education research and prevention science, and offered some suggestions on how to take advantage of those areas of expertise.

Tuesday’s lunch was followed by a series of spotlight sessions designed to discuss successful strategies for engaging with federal agencies/programs. The sessions focused on the following areas: 

• Navigating mission-driven federal research agencies: NASA, USAID, DOE, DOD, NIST
• Federal opportunities in social sciences, arts, and humanities: NEA, NEH, IMLS, Smithsonian, NSF-SBE, DOJ, DOD and Urban Opportunity
• Federal opportunities related to energy and environmental research: DOE, NSF-GEO/BIO, USDA, DOD, DOI, EPA, NOAA, USGS, DOT
• Policy outlook and federal funding trends for education research

University Advancement and RIGE have collaborated to retain Lewis-Burke, which has represented research universities, research facilities and scientific association for more than 20 years. The firm has deep knowledge and expertise in federal research agency processes and strong working relations on Capitol Hill and with the presidential administration. Moving forward, Lewis-Burke will be continuing to connect with UO faculty members in an effort to identify future funding opportunities and stay ahead of shifting federal budget dynamics. The partnership is part of an effort by the UO to diversify its federal relations program to include a focus on systematically working with federal agencies to identify and shape new areas of competition. 

Those who missed this week’s information sessions may contact the UO's Research Development Services (rds@uoregon.edu) for copies of the materials and information that was presented.

- by Lewis Taylor, UO office of Research, Innovation and Graduate Education