About ORSP

Letter from Senior Vice Provost for Research & Graduate Education: Dr.Corinne Lengsfeld

It is always a pleasure to write this letter to the faculty, staff, and students at the University of Denver. I am immensely proud of the work you have done over the years and this fiscal year is no different. 

As we keep setting and reaching our goals in research, scholarship, and creative work, it became clear the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) needed to take a step back and re-evaluate its mission, support, and structure. During the fall, we sat down with hundreds of faculty, staff, and students to listen to what they – what you – need from us. The good and the bad. We took that information and built a new strategic vision and tactical plan, which will allow the office to meet your needs and scale as work grows at DU. This strategic vision articulates our clear dedication to research, scholarship, and creative work - funded and unfunded. 

Through a multi-year initiative, the University aims to leverage this growth to leap higher in the U.S. News and World Report university rankings. Growth of annual expenditures in research and development (R&D) from external sponsors in the range of $60 to $70 million would support such a jump, and current trends in performance suggest that this level of annual expenditures is possible in the next three to five years. We are well on our way to this target, reaching more than $48 million in FY23. 

New award funding hit another record -- $62 million. This number would have been even bigger if the debt ceiling and a congressional stalemate hadn’t stopped us; almost all sponsors did not release new awards. However, new awards is not just about how many or how much money, it’s about those who are receiving them. This year saw many new first-time recipients of award funding. This is a sign of a healthy research community. 

Likewise, the number of faculty, staff, and students actively engaged in research, scholarship, and creative work has increased dramatically in the last 10 years. The number of principal investigators (PIs) and co-PIs has almost tripled during this time to 262. The number of our graduate research assistants (GRAs) has also grown exponentially to over 147 from less than 40 in FY13. 

What doesn’t get talked about enough is our people doing unfunded research. Our faculty and staff embraced our R1 designation and ran with it.

 Kimberly Bender, Paul Kosempel, and Hilary Smith were appointed Fulbright Scholars and will take their expertise abroad. Many faculty served as research advisors to the 427 undergraduate researchers. Fortynine faculty authored books, educating the world one page at a time. IT, the writing center, and library are just some of the many different areas and people who support the research infrastructure – even though it may not be in their job description. 

I’d also like to take a moment to thank all who entered their data into the space survey. This survey is a critical part of the Facilities and Administration (F&A) rate proposal and will determine how most facility costs will be allocated to university functions like research. This is a crucial step in supporting those doing research, scholarship, and creative work. 

Much of what this letter recognizes is the backbone on which a thriving research enterprise is built. Through the hiring of an external honorifics communication coordinator, our goal is to celebrate our faculty successes and impacts by nominating and awarding prestigious external honorifics and other recognitions. More than 70 faculty members on campus have been identified as eligible for these honorifics and it is our goal to raise their visibility. I am very much looking forward to another opportunity to celebrate our people! 

It is essential to acknowledge that post-pandemic faculty and staff feel exhausted. Given that, in combination with increased federal administrative burdens—such as financial oversight, open data exchange requirements, and foreign influence regulations—our priority must be to streamline processes, increase compliance, and create an environment in which all individuals—regardless of demographic, rank, and discipline—can thrive. 

Sincerely, 

Corinne Lengsfeld 

Senior Vice Provost for Research & Graduate Education