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New Investigator Resources

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Getting Started in Research

Engineering Research Administration (ERA) provides new investigators with a wealth of resources for initiating proposal activity. The following guide provides helpful information about initiating a research project for new faculty and other researchers: Getting Started in Research at Stanford.

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ERA Research Administrator Role

In partnership with ERA, the following links also provide tools to assist faculty in proposal preparation and management of post-award activities.

  • Task Summary Provides a daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual breakdown of what PIs can expect from their research administrator. 

Financial Applications

  •  Faculty Financial Inquiry Tool (FFIT)An online financial tool that provides faculty with balances and drill-down transaction details for all individually owned accounts and funds (SUNet ID required).

Proposal Preparation Links

  • Stanford Electronic Research Administration (SeRA)A portal that supports various stages of the sponsored project lifecycle and includes the Proposal Development Routing Form (PDRF).
  • Cayuse Resource for Stanford researchers who are applying for federal grants; replaces paper applications with electronic forms and is the central portal for grant announcements and submissions; used to submit and upload proposals to sponsors.
  • fastlane.nsf.govThe National Science Foundation's (NSF) online website through which the foundation conducts business with researchers and potential researchers, reviewers and research administrators.
  • Data Management Planning ToolOnline resource for composing data management plans. Includes funding agency requirements, suggestions and guidelines, links to Stanford-specific guidance as well as other helpful links, and suggested answer text for those interested in preserving and sharing data via the Stanford Digital Repository.

Quick Facts and Guides