Funding (Fridays on) Thursdays Session 1: Framing and Broader Impacts in a Brave New World
How do you translate your research agenda into focused, doable, fundable research questions and/or specific aims? How do you think about “Broader Impacts” in the current funding climate? How have UMass faculty navigated these questions successfully in the past year? Join our first 2025-26 Funding (Fridays on) Thursdays to find out!
You’ll hear a short presentation, participate in guided conversation, and do some writing activities to get you moving on that research proposal. The workshop will be co-led by Remy Housley, Ph.D., and Simone Flynn, Ph.D., Proposal Development Specialists in the Office of Research Development. We will be joined by Viviana Wu, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, former ISSR Scholar, and recent NSF grantee, who will discuss her successful strategies.
Participant biographies:
Remy Housley (they/them) has a PhD in English Literature and Gender Studies; their research focused on ethics, temporality, and queerness in early medieval vernacular poetry. Prior to joining ORD as a Proposal Development Specialist, they taught writing for several years and worked in the private sector as a project manager and content writer.
Simone Flynn (she/her) has a PhD in Cultural Anthropology with a research focus on online communities and identity making. Prior to joining the Office of Research Development as a Proposal Development Specialist, Simone worked as a research manager and technical writer.
Viviana Wu (she/her) is Assistant Professor of Public Policy and a 2023-24 ISSR Scholar. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the RGK Foundation, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), and the University of Pennsylvania.
About the Funding (Fridays on) Thursdays Series
Grants funding can be critical to faculty careers, but difficult to pull off on your own given limited time. ISSR invites you to take part in a flexible, workshop series aimed at motivating, informing, and supporting faculty writing grants for submission.
Stop by each session for collaborative learning and work sessions that will help you stay on track for your goals, or hop in for only the sessions you need. Our registration form offers you a one-stop chance to sign up for the Funding (Fridays on) Thursdays sessions that interest you most, all semester long. An online option is also available by request. (*Note: a separate registration is required for the November 20 session on the ABCs of the IRB).
All registered participants will be joined to the Funding (Fridays on) Thursdays Canvas course, where you will find a full library of helpful resources for all stages of the grant writing process. New registrants can review past materials, and seek support from ISSR for early stages of grant development.
Sessions meet on selected Thursdays from 12:00 am - 1:15 pm - with food and drinks provided in the ISSR Lab.
FALL 2025 Funding and Research Support Events
Thursday, September 11 | FFOT 1: Framing and Broader Impacts in a Brave New World