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One function of the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP) is to aid faculty members in obtaining funds from outside sources for their research, teaching, and service activities. To accomplish this it is necessary to see that information from funding agencies coming into the DSP is funneled to faculty members with matching project interests; thus, the Faculty Interest Database was created.
The Faculty Interest Database is the bridging mechanism to accomplish this match-up of communication. To participate in this information sharing service, the DSP asks faculty members to create an interest profile. This is done by examining a list of terms and codes identifying key areas for research and other sponsored programs, and then checking off those terms that best match the researchers own broad areas of interest. Each faculty member's chosen key interest areas are entered into the database.
DSP directors examine many federal and commercial publications and annual reports for information about funding programs. Every announcement examined is coded for keyword interest areas. The keywords from the proposal solicitation are matched with the keywords selected by faculty members and placed in the Faculty Interest Database. Announcements of potential interest are then sent to individual faculty based on this keyword match.
The DSP is also able to use the Faculty Interest Database to refer bonafide sponsors to faculty members for discussion of research funding. It has also helped to match investigators from different departments on campus wishing to collaborate on specific projects.
Faculty who want to enroll in the Faculty Interest Database may contact Molly Madison at 49-46458 to obtain a copy of the database list of terms and codes. Faculty who are already participating in the database and want to update their entries also may contact Ms. Madison. It is a good idea to update your interest areas every few semesters.
An example of how an interaction might progress follows:
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) publishes a Broad Area Announcement (BAA) for a contract to be awarded in 1993 for MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS research with funding availability of $15,000,000 over a three year period.
The announcement comes to the desk of a DSP director.
The BAA is reviewed and keywords referring to the areas of interest covered by the BAA are assigned. In this case control systems, microelectronics, and electromechanical systems are applied as keywords.
A query of the database is made. The keywords assigned to the BAA are matched with keywords previously selected by faculty members.
The next day copies of the Broad Area Announcement are sent via campus mail to all 64 faculty members whose database entries matched one or more of the BAA's keywords.
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