Scientific Writing & Grant Development

Research Computing Center

 


Mentor

Sarah Lain, MFA, Grant and Program Development Manager, Research Computing Center

Background

The Research Computing Center (RCC) is a rapidly growing unit of the Office of Research, Innovation, and National Laboratories that provides high-end research computing resources to researchers at the University of Chicago. To date the RCC has served more than 1,500 active users from the research groups of 290 faculty members in departments across the Biological Sciences, Humanities, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences Divisions as well as the Booth School of Business and the Institute for Molecular Engineering. High Performance computing and data-intensive science are increasingly vital parts of scientific inquiry, and to support researchers and groups of all skill levels, the RCC operates the “Midway” supercomputer and provides high level, domain-specific technical support as well as education and training. Grant development is an important part of our mission at the RCC. The RCC leverages federal grants to expand its own hardware and software development capabilities; it also lends its technical expertise to investigators who take advantage of computational approaches in their own proposals.

Internship Description

During the quarter, the intern will work closely with the mentor on a grant submission and will participate in planning, writing, and revising documents at every stage of development. Through this process, the intern will also develop an understanding of how high performance computing and data-intensive approaches are shaping the cutting edge of research.

Specific Objectives

The intern(s) will learn to:

  • Critically read a funding solicitation and perform comparative analysis of existing grants

  • Target a research proposal for a specific funding opportunity

  • Collaborate with faculty and technical experts to develop a research strategy

  • Write effectively to make a convincing case to reviewers

  • Prepare critical documents like Data Management Plans, Budgets, and Budget Justifications

Qualifications

The successful intern will be self-motivated, a meticulous writer, possess the ability to work with faculty, staff, students, and other researchers, and willing to learn new skills.

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