Sept. 3, 2026
As funding priorities continue to evolve, Mizzou researchers are finding value in a program designed to help them rethink how their work connects to potential sponsors. The Division of Research's Charting Research Pathways Program gives faculty an opportunity to explore new funding streams, refine how they communicate their research and develop a personalized strategy for future proposals. The six-week hybrid program returns this fall, with registration open through Sept. 15.
The program helps faculty at all career stages reframe their research, identify opportunities across federal, foundation and industry funding sources, and create funder-aligned concept papers through expert-led sessions, personalized coaching, peer feedback and follow-up support.
For researchers who have completed the program, the biggest benefit has often been learning how to position their work more strategically while building connections across campus.
Finding the right language for funders
When Tanushree Sarkar joined the program during her first year as an assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development, she was still refining how to communicate her research agenda to potential sponsors.
An interdisciplinary scholar whose work spans critical disability studies, comparative and international education, time studies, and decolonial and post-colonial studies, Sarkar examines how disability is produced through policy and how educational systems affect disabled youth and teachers, particularly in the Global South.
"I was part of the Charting Research Pathways program as a first-year assistant professor, and it helped me clearly articulate what I was trying to do in my research, to be able to state it clearly and in a way that made sense to funders," Sarkar said. "It gave me helpful tools to plan my work and identify opportunities I could apply to."
Since participating, Sarkar received an Arts & Humanities Research and Creative Works Fellowship at Mizzou. She credits the program with helping her refine and strengthen the project through multiple iterations.
"The fellowship is a great stepping stone as I continue to build my research program," she said.
Just as valuable was the sense of community the cohort created.
"I highly recommend this program," Sarkar said. "It is great to be in community with other researchers across campus. It helps you feel a little less isolated, and you can brainstorm, or commiserate, together."
She added that participating during a period of rapid change in the research funding landscape gave her a dedicated space to think strategically about future directions.
"It was really helpful to have a space to think through next steps," Sarkar said.
Turning connections into opportunities
For Jayedi Aman, assistant professor in the College of Arts and Science, the program opened doors to new funding possibilities and campus resources.
Aman's research combines architecture, machine learning and digital twins, computational models that can help researchers and communities better understand buildings and cities. His work explores how these tools can support sustainability while also examining their limitations.
"The Charting Research Pathways program came at a great time for me," Aman said.
Through the program, Aman connected with Mizzou's industry relations liaison and later submitted a grant proposal that emerged directly from that relationship. He also met with foundation funding experts who helped him think about how portions of his research might be repositioned for future opportunities.
One element that stood out was the individualized funding report provided through the program.
"It showed my existing sponsored programs of activity and network, along with potential funders and awards relevant to my work," Aman said. "Having that kind of personalized analytics laid out clearly made it much easier to see where the real opportunities were, rather than guessing."
The program also helped him think more broadly about funding strategy.
"The six sessions were well balanced," Aman said. "They gave me a much clearer sense of the different pathways available, federal, industry and foundation. More importantly, they helped me think strategically about which to pursue for a given project, rather than defaulting to the same funder every time."
Aman also found value in the one-on-one support available through the program. As he developed a theoretical framework examining transparency and trust in AI-driven urban digital twins, professional development staff provided feedback that helped him sharpen how he communicated the concept. The resulting paper is now under review at Harvard Data Science Review.
"I would absolutely recommend the program to other researchers," Aman said. "It's especially useful for anyone feeling uncertain about how to diversify their funding strategy right now."
A roadmap for what's next
Participants say one of the program's greatest strengths is that it combines practical tools with dedicated time to focus on future research directions.
"You get a lot of space and time to work on grants that might be harder to carve out with the everyday of writing and teaching," Sarkar said. "It is a great accountability measure."
Aman echoed that sentiment, noting that the cohort experience creates opportunities to learn from colleagues at different career stages.
"The peer feedback, the liaisons brought into the sessions, and the cohort structure all made a real difference," he said. "That made the whole thing feel less like a workshop and more like a working group."
This year's program includes sessions on the current funding landscape, public funding, foundation funding, industry partnerships, opportunity mapping and concept paper development. Participants will leave with a tailored funding strategy and stronger understanding of how their research can align with a variety of sponsors.
Registration is open through Sept. 15. Learn more and register.