Standing Ready to Rev Up Your Research Success
The Grants Hub team helps faculty and research staff find funding, craft winning proposals, and lead high-performing teams.
We serve as Iowa State’s central research development unit within the Office of the Vice President for Research. We are proactive and future-focused, providing strategic pre-award support and consultation to help researchers successfully compete for funding and build high-impact research teams. Our broad range of services are available to new and experienced investigators from all colleges, departments, and disciplines.
What we do.
The research development professionals on the Grants Hub team support Iowa State PIs and research teams from the ideation stage to award notice:
- Facilitate large-scale, complex proposals by helping interdisciplinary teams manage the logistics of major funding opportunities;
- Offer strategic planning for faculty to identify research priorities and new opportunities for collaboration, both internally and with external partners;
- Help identify funding source opportunities, including federal agencies, state agencies, foundations, and industry and other private-sector partners;
- Help researchers craft compelling grant proposals by providing grant-writing and editing and graphic support to more effectively communicate a project’s vision and impact; and
- Bolster team building by identifying and connecting researchers from varied backgrounds and disciplines to assemble strong teams capable of tackling complex, interdisciplinary challenges.
Who should work with Grants Hub?
Grants Hub support services are available to all Iowa State researchers, whether you’re just starting or ready to submit a proposal. How we work with you depends on your specific needs.
Funding agencies increasingly prioritize interdisciplinary research, and Grants Hub excels in helping teams meet those expectations. Whether your team is established or just taking shape, our staff can embed with you throughout the pre-award phase to provide hands-on coaching and coordination. Our full-service strategic and tactical support includes:
- Facilitated team-building, ideation, and strategy sessions;
- Introductions to potential collaborators;
- Help finding funding opportunities and understanding sponsor priorities;
- Proposal editing, writing support, and red team reviews;
- Custom graphics, logos, and visual identity packages for proposals and new centers;
- Budget development;
- Management of proposal timelines, required documents, and submission process;
- Facilitation of site visits and reverse site visits; and
- Coordination with other campus units and external partners.
Whether you choose to work with the Grants Hub or your college’s pre-award support unit for budget development and proposal submission, Grants Hub’s unique suite of research development services can make your proposal more competitive:
- Proposal graphics;
- Editing and writing support;
- Team building and facilitation; and
- Consultation on broader societal impacts.
The Grants Hub is your go-to resource for finding and applying to external funding opportunities, especially if your unit lacks a dedicated pre-award support office. We assist principal investigators (PIs) from all academic and non-academic units with:
- Finding funding opportunities;
- Full proposal and budget development;
- Streamlyne routing; and
- Non-research proposals and agreements (NDAs, MTAs, consortiums).
We guide you through every step—even if you’re new to the process.
Grants Hub research development professionals collaborate with Iowa State research administrators to:
- Coordinate training, resources, and networking through the OVPR;
- Provide guidance and answer questions; and
- Offer extra capacity to college pre-award units as needed.
Engage with Grants Hub at any stage
READY
Explore READYBuild skills, relationships, and awareness before the request for proposal drops.
Grants Hub Concierge
We can help you find the right resources wherever you are on your research development journey.