Research Development Community

Connecting the UIUC Research Community

The Illinois Research Development Community (RDC) is a network that strengthens awareness of campus research resources, promotes activities and events, and ultimately helps to support the productive conduct of research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

What Is Research Development?

Research development* at UIUC includes a range of activities:

  • Identifying and disseminating funding opportunities.
  • Developing grant/contract proposals.
  • Building research teams.
  • Interacting with funding agencies and institutional research administration and leadership.
  • Interacting with institutional federal and philanthropic relations, and communications and outreach activities and training.

*Text borrowed heavily from the National Organization of Research Development Professionals.

What Does RDC Do?

The group has four distinct, but interrelated, charges:

  • To share information about policies, events, and opportunities that affect the Illinois research community.
  • To develop and maintain templates, processes, and best practices for supporting Illinois researchers.
  • To build and support member literacy in a range of topics related to research development.
  • To collaborate with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation and the campus research community to identify research development. challenges and support changes that enhance campuswide research development activities.

Learn More

Melissa Edwards
Executive Director of Strategic Research Communications
217-265-5446
mme@illinois.edu