New Role Aims to Help Faculty Improve Chances at Grant Funding 

Keith Berry Jr. joined the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station in April 2024 as a research development specialist with the primary focus of aiding faculty in finding, applying for, and increasing their chances of securing grant funding for their projects and research. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — To bolster grant funding efforts, Keith Berry Jr. has joined the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station as its first-ever research development specialist. In this new role, Berry’s goal is to enhance the connection between faculty and grant funding opportunities and to better equip them for the competitive proposal process.

Berry took on the position in April 2024 and hit the ground running by laying a solid foundation for his program and connecting with faculty on their grant application process. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“There’s been genuine excitement,” Berry said. “I think they’re excited that UADA is investing in a position like this that’s going to give them more customized support.”

Berry will assist faculty with funding searches, budget development, project management, drafting proposals and detailed review of documents. According to Berry, his support can come in at any stage, but the earlier he gets involved with the project the better.

“It can take many different forms,” he said. “I can delve into as much detail as they want, attend team meetings, help develop the experimental plan, and provide a platform for brainstorming.”

Berry also actively seeks out new funding opportunities for ongoing projects faculty are involved in or interested in pursuing.

He brings with him a wealth of experience from the Research Development Office at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville campus, where he held a similar position for nearly two years. While Berry’s previous experience equipped him well for this role, he said building a new program comes with unique challenges.

Part of that process, he says, involves gathering information from faculty so he can better understand their requirements and tailor his support accordingly. To do that, he created a needs assessment form for faculty to complete. The information collected from this assessment will help Berry develop workshops and trainings based on interest and needs.

To build a more robust proposal process, Berry is also seeking faculty involvement to participate in a mock review panel. The plan is that this will be a rotating group of members meeting monthly to review and provide feedback on proposals before submission.

“As a reviewer, faculty members will gain firsthand insight into what reviewers are looking for, helping them to improve their proposal writing skills,” Berry said.

As he continues to settle into his role, Berry looks forward to meeting more faculty members, learning about their projects, and establishing a seamless communication process to provide comprehensive proposal support.

Berry earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Arkansas, where he also obtained his bachelor’s degree in the same field. He completed his postdoctoral research at Baylor University.

Berry encourages all research faculty with the Division of Agriculture to complete the needs assessment form, which also provides an option to volunteer for the mock interview panel.

Faculty members can request research development support here or contact Berry via email at kberryjr@uark.edu for further assistance.