The Critical Role of Grants Facilitation for Supporting Individual and Team Science

Dr. Erica Chedin describes her journey from graduate school to postdoctoral years to her current position as the Director of the Grants Facilitation Unit at the UC Davis School of Medicine Office of Research (SOMOR). She recounts the trajectory from conducting laboratory research to assisting investigators in obtaining grant funding for a wide variety of research projects, including individual grants, clinical research, early career, training, and center grant funding. She describes her recent appointment as Director of the SOMOR Grants Facilitation Unit (GFU) and the recruitment of her team of PhD scientists that aids investigators with any grant requirements. Through the GFU, she and her team provide strategic planning, proposal writing assistance, and grant writing training to researchers at all stages of their careers. Their goal is to provide support and guidance to investigators and maximize the potential for successful grant applications. Dr. Chedin has helped to build an extensive network of resources for investigators, including resources for identifying funding opportunities and developing and submitting grant proposals. In addition, she has been instrumental in creating educational programs to help investigators develop the skills and knowledge they need to become successful grant writers.