The University of Oregon is dedicated to helping its faculty achieve grants to further their careers in research and education. In pursuit of these goals, the university, alongside the Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation (OVPRI), the College of Arts and Sciences, and Research Development Services (RDS), created two programs to aid in this process.
Launched during the 2024-25 academic year, the NIH Academy was created to boost the success of UO researchers applying to a variety of funding mechanisms through the National Institute of Health (NIH) via targeted support and training.
In winter 2026, RDS launched the NSF CAREER Bootcamp to help faculty create a competitive proposal for the NSF CAREER award. The CAREER award is the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) most prestigious award for early-career faculty. After helping seven participants submit a proposal in its inaugural year, the Bootcamp has expanded to 12 people this year.
NIH Academy Aims to Shorten Time to Funding Success
NIH is one of the top funders of research at the UO, and over the past two years the NIH Academy has helped 17 participants complete the program, and the program continues to grow, as this year the Academy will support 12 more individuals. To best support as much of the faculty as possible, the Academy has two separate cohorts, the Early Career Cohort and Community Cohort, each with its own specific target groups.
Early-Career Cohort
The Early Career Cohort aims to help faculty receive their first NIH grant earlier in their careers to help boost their research trajectory. In 2020, the national average age for faculty to receive a first R01 award, the most common NIH grant for independent researchers, was 44.
The UO is prioritizing shortening the time it takes to receive this key funding through the NIH Academy Early Career Cohort, which aims to help faculty receive their first R01 grant earlier in their careers to help boost their long-term research trajectory. Whether by direct application for an R01 grant or through application to a K award—career development awards for researchers at the start of their research careers—the Early Career Cohort supports its participants in their understanding of the grant process, their application, and success in securing a major NIH grant.
The cohort runs throughout the academic year, meeting about once a month, and totaling eight to 10 in-person sessions as well as follow-up meetings with mentors and advisors to receive further support outside of in-person group meetings. Additionally, faculty participate in a peer review process and work with a science mentor who helps refine their scientific approach and provides feedback at several key points throughout the year. Faculty who do not receive funding on their first submission will continue to receive support the following year to help strengthen their resubmission.
“There is no way that I would have produced as strong of a product without the NIH Academy, and the lessons I learned continue to apply as I revise my application for resubmission." — Nicole Giuliani, Evergreen associate professor of school psychology
Community Cohort
The Community Cohort is aimed at UO faculty who have prior grant application experience, but who need support navigating the current federal research environment while also balancing other priorities. The Community Cohort meets eight to 10 times during the school year for in-person half-day training sessions focused on the peer review and accountability in the development of a competitive proposal. The cohort provides support through dedicated support from RDS, peer review, and in-person workshops.
Ultimately, the NIH Academy aims to empower its trainees to submit highly developed grant applications through its workshops, review processes, and continued support, including graphic design. The academy aims to foster a strong community among early-career scholars and to help build structure and accountability during the grant development process.
“The NIH Academy gave me the knowledge, resources, and confidence to submit a competitive R35 application that ultimately received a fundable impact score. I highly recommend the NIH Academy to early-career investigators at the University of Oregon seeking to develop competitive NIH proposals.” — Nicole Kurhanewicz, assistant research professor of biology
Bootcamp Helps Faculty Build Their Careers on a CAREER
NSF CAREER Bootcamp began this past year following the success of the NIH Academy program. Its goal is to help participants create a competitive NSF CAREER proposal. The CAREER program, which offers the NSF’s most prestigious awards to early-career faculty, focuses on both research and education. The UO provides training and assistance to its faculty to help further their personal research and development while securing federal funding.
Emily Gade, an assistant professor of political science, was part of the inaugural Bootcamp and submitted her proposal this July. Gade said the hardest part of the CAREER proposal is how to integrate education and research into a cohesive plan.
“The NSF Bootcamp was invaluable to understanding that process and working out how to do it. Having a structure, a cohort, and people who had read successful CAREER proposals meant I could stop guessing what reviewers expected... and resulted in a much stronger proposal.” — Emily Gade, assistant professor of political science
The bootcamp helps faculty find the correct program for their project, develop effective impact activities, write compelling department letters, connect them with the necessary resources needed to complete their submission, and more. There are monthly in-person workshops from February through May while participants are developing their proposals, as well as continued support and guidance until the grant submission deadline in July.
The Bootcamp uses cohorts to create a structure of what success looks like with advisors who are experienced in writing and reviewing successful proposals. These cohorts help connect participants with other people both within and outside the university who help them win highly competitive grant support from the NSF.
Faculty interested in participating in next year's Bootcamp must submit their application by November 16, 2026. The NIH Academy cohorts have not officially released application dates for next year, but interested faculty can stay up-to-date on the NIH Academy webpage or through updates in OVPRI's Funding Opportunities Newsletter.