Overview
Established in 2009, the Research Academy is housed in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since its inception, nearly 200 early-career faculty have completed the semester-long program.
New Assistant Professors often face challenges not addressed in their doctoral or postdoctoral training—such as securing funding, building collaborations, managing research groups and budgets, mentoring students, and communicating research effectively.
The Research Academy equips early-career faculty with the tools and knowledge to launch successful research careers. Its evolving format remains focused on:
- Fostering collaborations within ACES and across campus
- Building grants craft and publication skills to support a strong academic dossier
- Connecting faculty with federal funding agencies through direct engagement
- Supporting time and project management during the critical early-career phase
- Introducing faculty to institutional procedures and contacts for conducting research responsibly
- Providing support for building and maintaining a health and productive research group
Core Component: Grants Craft Workshop
Foundational to the Research Academy is the intensive weeklong Grants Craft Workshop. This intensive workshop helps participants:
- Define a research agenda and identify funding opportunities
- Develop proposal writing skills and funding timelines
- Engage with federal program officers (e.g., USDA, NIH, NSF, DoD)
- Begin drafting proposals and forming lasting peer collaborations
Summary
At its core, the Research Academy serves to provide support for new faculty building new research programs and teams as they start their careers at the University of Illinois. The Research Academy especially emphasizes the importance of collaboration in the research endeavor—within ACES, across campus, and globally.
Acknowledgement
Funding for the Research Academy is generously provided by the L.H Rothfuss Research Program and participating Colleges at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.