Crafting Your Research Agenda

If you're a researcher, sooner or later, you'll feel the need to craft a research agenda. You may be asked to submit your research agenda when applying for faculty or PostDoc jobs, but even if you're not, at some point you will need to articulate who you are as a researcher and where you're going. So, even if you don't have to have a research agenda right now, it's better to have one sooner than later.

So, what is a research agenda? Simple - it's your plan for your research, the trajectory for your anticipated projects, grants, and publications. But, it's not just a list or timeline for these items. Rather, it's a comprehensive document that outlines your focus area(s) as a researcher, including research questions and goals and how these all fit together to define you as a researcher. Sometimes, if a research agenda is requested of you, the inquirer is looking for a two-page summary or sometimes a 10-page comprehensive description.

But regardless of whether someone has asked for it, it's wise for you to create a written research agenda to help you clarify your research goals and plans and to help you keep your eye on the prize. As you've likely noticed, the research world is full of opportunities and many of them look great, but saying yes to too many disparate research opportunities can leave you with a body of work that doesn't make sense to anyone besides you. So, use your research agenda to help you know what to say 'yes' to.

When putting your research agenda together, below are some tips:

• Identify one-three strands in your research: When outlining your research agenda, you want to identify at least one solid research focus, but no more than three. Some researchers suggest that you have at least one of your research foci be dependable where it's easy to see how you can succeed at it. A second research focus might be a bit more high risk.
• Integrate: If you have more than one research focus, you need to clearly justify how all these pieces fit together. Why does research focus #1 bolster your work in research focus #2? You have to do the work to make sense of yourself as a researcher to your research community.
• Demonstrate your expertise: It's not enough to show that you have great research ideas or that your planned research fills a much-needed niche, you must also show your track record in the area so that anyone reading your research agenda can have confidence that you will be successful.
• Dream a little: Do not forget in your research agenda to look far enough into your research future that you can dream a little. What will you have accomplished in 10 years? Share your vision for yourself and your research in your agenda.

Research agendas are great communication tools that allow others to better understand what research is all about. But, they can also serve as your guide, as you navigate your research goals.

Resources
The role and purpose of a research agenda - Higher Ed Professor
Writing the Research Plan for Your Academic Job Application - Jason G. Gillmore

Starting off as a Research Professor

As we get close to the start of another academic year and new faculty orientations are upon us, I thought I'd offer some advice for brand new and returning early career investigators based on that suggested by seasoned faculty researchers. From our vantage point in ORDE, we often see new faculty set aside their research for the first year, which then sometimes slides into continued avoidance in the second year. This is understandable, given the loads that most faculty are carrying, but it's also dangerous to set aside your research for that long. So, to help you to focus in on your research as soon as possible, we offer the following tips.

Do what counts:
There are so many opportunities as a new faculty member that it can get overwhelming. So, spend your time doing what really counts. Perform mini ROI (return on investment) assessments on all tasks and ask yourself, is this where my time is best spent. Is this going to get me where I need to be for tenure and to be the kind of researcher I want to be in 5-10 years?

Be ready to say no:
Along these same lines as doing what counts, researchers must get used to saying no. Inevitably, you'll be asked to be on a slew of committees. And, yes, service is necessary, but as a new tenured faculty and budding researcher, you want to say no to most of these requests. Now, you can be apologetic and cordial while saying no, but say no, nonetheless. Folks will understand you're trying to protect your time and focus on your research and writing early on.

Develop a mentoring network:
Because you may feel overwhelmed, you want to have a network to support you. Identify what kind of support and guidance would be most helpful. Then, be on the lookout for people who fit that bill. And make a point to invite multiple people to be part of your mentoring network instead of looking for one person to be everything.

Meet the right people:
If you're at a new institution, figure out who the major players are. Who has money? Who has influence? Seek them out and introduce yourself. Look for opportunities to invite them to lunch. Perhaps these folks become part of your support/mentor network.

Be kind to yourself:
Most faculty researchers don't accomplish what they set out to in the first year or two. But, beating yourself up about not meeting goals that may have been unrealistic doesn't help your productivity. Take time to reflect on your goals and if they are realistic. Forgive yourself for goals not reached and move on. Certainly feeling bad about your work will not help you to be any more productive.

Lastly, always remember that your friendly Office of Research Development and Education (ORDE) and Office of Research Services are here to support you so don't hesitate to reach out!

Resources:
I survived year 1 as a tenured professor, and you can too! - Tenure, she wrote
Advice for new assistant professors - Chris Blattman
Advice for your first year on the tenure track - Karen Kelsky

Funding for New Investigators

I'm happy to announce that we've just released our updated e-book featuring grant programs for new and early career investigators. Find the book here!

WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE I APPLY?
Below are four questions you'll want to answer before applying to any new investigator grant program.

1. How does the agency define new investigator? If you're a new investigator, you're a new investigator, right? Well, maybe. Different agencies define new investigator differently. Some are looking at how many years since you received your terminal degree(s). Some are looking at how long you've been in your research position. And, some are looking at whether or not you've received major funding previously.

2. Is it a mentored grant? Some new investigator programs are the same sort of research-focused programs as those that are not for new investigators. And others are considered mentored awards, where in your proposal you must address your own career development plan, and also identify a mentor who will work with you throughout the award period. The NIH Career Development or K Awards are generally framed in this way. While K applicants must identify a research project in their proposal, the larger focus is on the candidate, their mentor, and their career development. On the other hand, the NSF's CAREER program is research-focused. While applicants are wise to show how their CAREER project fits in with their and their department's larger research goals, this is peripheral to the research project itself. Other agencies run the gamut.

3. Do your past grants affect eligibility? At some agencies, the new investigator programs are targeted at bringing very early career investigators and their research up to speed. Thus, if you have shown that you are competitive for major funding previously, this could make you ineligible for some new investigator awards. For instance, at the NIH, if you have secured major funding as the PI, e.g., received an R01, you lose your new investigator status and would not be a good candidate for a K Award. But, for the NSF CAREER program, about half of CAREER awardees have received previous awards from the NSF and it puts them in a better place to compete for the CAREER and certainly does not make them ineligible.

4. What are the goals of the program? The questions above really all lead to this question. Before you decide whether or not to apply for a new investigator grant, you must first understand the goals of the agency and the new investigator program. Is the agency hoping to create new independent investigators with their program by funding career development? Or is the agency looking to promote those newer investigators who have already proven that they are independent and productive researchers? When you understand the program, you can consider if it is a good fit for you at your current stage.

Resource:
Research Funding Opportunities for New Investigators - ORDE