Visit the Federal Research Updates 2025 website for current resources.

Other Resources

Developing an Elevator Pitch

“Make Your Pitch Perfect: The Elevator Pitch,” a video presentation from Barclays, provides guidance on developing and delivering an elevator pitch.
“The Best Elevator Pitch,” a video presentation by Science of People, describes how to use body language effectively in an elevator pitch.
“The Art of the Elevator Pitch” from Harvard Business Review offers tips for selling an idea in one compelling sentence.
“How to Write/Present Science: Baby-Werewolf-Silver Bullet,” a blog post by Andrew Hendry and Dan Bolnick, explains a metaphor that can help investigators articulate the importance of their work.

“What to Say – and Not Say – to Program Officers,” an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, provides advice on how to discuss your research with program officers.
“Can We Talk? Contacting Grant Program Officers,” an article from Research Management Review, also provides advice on how to discuss your research with program officers.
The “Guide for a Successful Visit to a Funding Agency” is designed to help investigators make the most of their visits to program officers at federal agencies and other funding organizations.

“Writing a Data Management Plan for your NSF Proposal,” an article in Long Term Ecologic Research Network, provides guidance on writing a data management plan.
“Where Should You Keep Your Data?,” an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, describes the impetus for and formalization of federal funding agencies’ data management requirements.
The Data Management Planning (DMP) Tool, hosted by Stanford University Libraries and the California Digital Library, is a free, interactive program that provides step-by-step guidance on developing a ready-to-use data management plan.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries provides services and resources to assist researchers in developing data management plans. Contact library staff at Datamanagement@unl.edu with questions about your plan.

How to Write Successful Proposals for the NSF CAREER Program was a presentation delivered at UNL by proposal development expert Ms. Lucy Deckard of Academic Research Funding Strategies, LLC.
“Start Your Research Right” is a resource designed to assist early career investigators locate funding opportunities.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services commissioned The Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation to help investigators develop plans to assess project progress, measure impacts, and document successes.
The 2002 User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation is a guide for investigators needing to develop basic evaluation plans for NSF-supported educational projects.
Program Development and Evaluation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides resources and guidance to help investigators plan, design, and evaluate programs.

The Office of Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) provides consultation services to UNL graduate students who are preparing grant proposals and fellowship applications.
The Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will consider faculty travel awards to help defray the costs of travel to external funding agencies. The purpose of these awards is to enhance the competitiveness of research proposals by facilitating interaction with prospective sponsors.

The Nebraska Business Development Center can provide assistance for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant proposals.