Team-Based Consulting

Team-Based Consulting

What Are Working Teams?

STAIR fosters a community of professionals who provide tailored team-based consulting support for research proposal development. Our multidisciplinary teams—comprising subject matter experts, project manager, graphic designers, and funding specialists—help early- and mid-career researchers advance their ideas and increase funding success.

Over five years, STAIR will support up to 25 Working Teams, delivering a combined 14,500 hours of customized consulting and research administration assistance. Through close collaboration with research administrators and faculty consultants, teams receive guidance on strategic planning, proposal enhancement, technical documentation, data visualization, and compliance.
 
This comprehensive support model strengthens collaboration, streamlines proposal development, and boosts the competitiveness of both the Working Teams and their institutions.
Graphic made of 2D icons. Two teams consisting of a Project Manager, Team Leads, Research Administrators, Graphic Designers and Faculty Subject Matter Experts are in the middle. Around them are five project icons labeled "A-E" connected to icons of buildings labeled "Partner Institutions".

Call for Grant Proposals

Eligibility

2D graphic that reads "Applications from ANY field welcome!" with icons of different industries
  • Applicants from any discipline are welcome.
  • Teams must include primary roles for PIs/co-PIs from Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs). 
  • Projects must involve collaborative, cross-institutional teams targeting conventional funding mechanisms (e.g., NSF, NIH, DOE, DoD, USDA, Foundations, etc.). 
  • Priority will be given to early and mid-career PIs. 

Program Overview

Up to five collaborative projects from any field will be selected each year to receive customized support aligned with their funding goals and institutional context. Each selected team will receive up to 580 hours of dedicated support annually from the STAIR team.  

Note: STAIR will only provide consulting and resources to develop and improve the proposal and budgets but will NOT be responsible for submitting the grant unless the PI is from Penn State (not required). The PI institution will be responsible for additional compliance checks and submission within the required timeframe.  

This comprehensive support will be tailored to the specific needs of each team and may include: 

  • Assessment of institutional strengths and team gaps and needs 
  • Project development support, including RFP review, proposal guidance, and technical section templates and reviews 
  • Budget preparation and budget justification assistance 
  • Development of graphics and data visualizations 
  • Red team proposal review process guidance 
  • Guidance on compliance documentation (but submitting institution still responsible for internal review and compliance) 
  • Consultation with PSU Office of Research Protections (ORP) regarding IRB, IACUC, research security, and biosafety requirements 
  • Post-award research administration guidance 

How to Apply

2D icon of two hands next to each other

Please discuss the consultancy support with your PI to ensure support and permission. If helpful, STAIR staff can meet briefly with the research team or research administration team to discuss the benefits and address any questions. Any questions or concerns can be addressed to stair@psu.edu. 

Fill out an Application Form

Deadline for STAIR Submission:

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and applications will be accepted until all available hours are allocated.

Questions?

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a 15-minute meeting to discuss your proposal in more detail, please email us at stair@psu.edu

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