WSSU’s Office of Research & Innovation partners with NORDP to strengthen research infrastructure

Winston-Salem State University is proud to announce its selection as a partner institution in the prestigious NORDP Consultants Program, an initiative of the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP). This multi-year partnership with the university’s Office of Research and Innovation will support strategic planning, research development services and capacity-building efforts aimed at enhancing WSSU’s research enterprise.

The NORDP Consultants Program offers long-term, hands-on support from experienced research development professionals. Through a $150,000 grant offered by the program, NORDP consultants partner directly with institutions to implement tailored strategies that foster sustainable growth in research infrastructure and output.

“We are extremely pleased to have been selected to join the NORDP Consultants Program,” said Dr. Shawn E. Holt, chief research officer at WSSU. “This partnership aligns with our commitment to advancing research excellence and increasing capacity. The expertise and support provided by NORDP Consultants will be instrumental in helping WSSU achieve our strategic research goals.”

The administration of a grant doesn’t end with a Notice of Award – it only just begins, Holt said. For a research project/program to be successful, there needs to be strong support for investigators together with efficient processes to reduce the administrative burden on WSSU faculty, staff and students to allow them to focus on their research.

The plan is to increase awareness and research capacity at WSSU through instituting modernized practices from idea development and grant submission to managing funding and final closeout.

WSSU has already started working with a team of experienced research administrators who can help streamline operations and introduce best practices to strengthen the university’s research enterprise, bringing it in line with peer HBCUs recognized nationally for high research activity.

NORDP Consultants will focus on increasing proposal development and submissions at WSSU, building an internal and external grant review process, and supporting commercialization of investigator discoveries.

The WSSU Office of Research & Innovation plans to offer elevated customer service with individualized proposal development support, grant writing workshops, processes for pre-submission grant review, and mentoring for early-/later-career investigators as part of increasing research capacity and commercialization.

This engagement is part of a broader effort led by Dr. Kimberly Eck, past president of NORDP and associate vice president at Emory University, and Dr. Japera Hemming, project director.

“We are excited to collaborate with Winston-Salem State University and support their journey toward research growth and equity,” said Eck and Hemming in a joint statement. “This partnership reflects NORDP’s mission to build inclusive and impactful research ecosystems.”

For more information about the NORDP Consultants Program, visit https://researchdevelopmentconsultants.emory.edu