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UMD Division of Research Development

Proposal Development and Management Services

The VPR's Proposal Development and Management service aims to facilitate the scientific and administrative development and enhance the competitiveness of complex, visible, and signature research and fellowship proposals from ideation to submission.

Our Proposal Development Managers (PDMs) are scientifically trained with knowledge of a diversity of federal, state, and private funding agencies. In their duties PDMs work closely with faculty and graduate student PIs and relevant stakeholders in tasks including:

  • Refining a competitive strategy through sponsor profiling, solicitation analysis, competitor assessment, and/or strategic team development;
  • Conducting select outreach to external stakeholders, team members, and sponsors;
  • Planning, drafting, and editing proposal content;
  • Reviewing all proposal components for quality, competitiveness, and responsiveness;
  • Coordinating Red Team Reviews;
  • Facilitating graphics development and refinement through our Data Visualization and Multimedia Design Services; and
  • Coordinating overall proposal development process and timeline.

Funding opportunities eligible for PDM support include:

  • Large-scale, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research projects center-level proposals;
  • Signature, defining research opportunities for the University, College/School, Center, or Department;
  • Nationally prominent agency/foundation single-PI opportunities that would be catalytic for the investigator’s career advancement;
  • Applications to competitive graduate fellowship opportunities;
  • Applications to foundation, corporate, and government sponsors with which the University of Maryland desires to create or enhance long-term, strategic research partnerships;
  • Proposals receiving support from Maryland Catalyst Fund Big Opportunity Funds

Questions? Email us at proposals@umd.edu