Compelling Narratives for Big Ideas
We provide editorial and administrative support with the primary aim of increasing funded research in the College of Engineering. Formerly known as the Proposal Support Team, we are now the Research Impact and Outreach (RIO) office. With expertise in copy editing, science writing, creative marketing, graphic design, scientific illustration, and project management, our team works collaboratively with PIs and their departments to develop timely, cohesive, and compelling research proposals and outreach materials. To help your research more effectively connect with people—proposal reviewers, industry, the public, and other stakeholders—collaborate with us!
Consulting on Proposal Strategy:
- We support the up-front planning and preparation needed to develop a competitive proposal, including—but not limited to—creating proposal component checklists, proposal development timelines, and templates for non-technical components.
- We collaborate with a network of campus experts to support the creation of effective outreach, engagement, and Broader Impacts plans.
- When our team is engaged early in the development process, we work with the PI and their team to clarify project goals as well as curate key messages to ensure the project’s value proposition is in line with the sponsor- and program-specific objectives.
Creating Impactful Visuals: From proposal figures to 3D illustrations to infographics, our team designs captivating artwork to simplify and translate complex ideas.
Finalizing Proposal Edits and Formatting: The RIO team can help polish the final draft, proofreading and reviewing for grammar, syntax/clarity, and overall formatting.
Branding and Identity Development: When logos and uniform branding are needed for centers and large-scale proposals, we develop unique identity systems that creatively capture and communicate the essence of the research goals.
Website Development: We work alongside PIs to create professional, easy-to-navigate websites, or information hubs, for their research-related centers and outreach efforts.
Science-Driven Creative Marketing: We work to advance engineering research and technology with strategic, science-driven creativity. We consult with researchers to create original 3D artwork for journal covers, as well as graphics, logos, presentations, websites, and outreach materials for research papers as well as industry, federal, and community engagement efforts.