The Office of Research Development positions Boston University at the forefront of emerging and convergent research areas—particularly those not yet fully “owned” by any single department, college, or school. Our mission is to catalyze the next generation of high-growth fields by advancing large-scale, multi-investigator research initiatives and building the infrastructure that allows interdisciplinary collaborations to thrive.
We do this by:
- Connecting people and ideas: Linking faculty, departments, and external partners around convergent themes to create transformative collaborations.
- Lowering barriers and enabling impact: Providing resources, administrative support, and targeted incentives that empower teams to pursue ambitious, cross-disciplinary projects.
- Measuring and amplifying success: Tracking progress, assessing impact, and sharing stories that elevate BU’s role in shaping the research frontiers of tomorrow.
We provide strategic support by:
- Guiding complex proposals: Helping multi-investigator, cross-disciplinary teams compete successfully for large, strategically significant federal opportunities—including center-level programs (NSF, NIH, DOE, DoD) and institutional training grants (e.g., NSF NRT, NIH T32).
- Leveraging data intelligence: Using advanced analytics to anticipate trends, identify high-growth federal research priorities, and position BU for leadership in emerging fields.
