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Research Development Team

The Research Development Team (RDT) at Johns Hopkins University promotes and encourages collaborative research across disciplines, schools, and institutions by assisting project teams with large-scale proposal development.

Our Services

  • Managing and facilitating the pre-award phase for teams who submit large grant proposal opportunities that support multidisciplinary and collaborative research (e.g.: NIH’s project grants (P01, P30, etc.) and cooperative agreements (U19, U54, etc.))
  • Grant editing services via the Editorial Assistance Services Initiative (EASI)
  • Offering University-wide training and workshops that are sponsor/grant-type specific
  • Providing templates for common sections of federally-sponsored proposals
  • Distributing weekly emails with limited submission funding announcements
  • Distributing monthly funding opportunity emails with internal JHU funding sources and external grant opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral students and early-career faculty
  • Connecting PIs with various resources across the university
  • Managing the university-wide NSF GRFP Fellowships

The Team

Contact Us: [email protected]

rdt chasmine

Chasmine Stoddart, Director for Research

Chasmine joined the Office of the Vice Provost for Research in 2017. As Director for Research, she provides leadership, direction and financial oversight for the Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships (BDP) program, university awards programs, and Research Development Team.

Email: [email protected]

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Declan Sunderland, Research Development Manager

Declan joined RDT in 2019 where he has gained experience managing pre-award proposal development for large-scale interdisciplinary grant applications. He successfully completed the Johns Hopkins University Research Administration Trainee Program, including rotations in Sponsored Projects Shared Services, Internal Audit, the Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University Research Administration, and the Research Development Team. Through his participation in the program, he’s built a strong knowledge base in pre and post award activities. He received his BS in Accounting from Towson University.

Email: [email protected]

rdt anna

Anna Ellis, Sr. Research Development Analyst

Anna obtained her BA in English from Goucher College in 2006 and her MFA in 2015 from University of Baltimore. She started her career in grants administration in 2007, and has experience as a grant writer, copy editor, publications designer, and grants and contracts manager. Anna joined RDT in 2022 where she manages pre-award proposal development for large-scale interdisciplinary grant applications.

Email: [email protected]

rdt ellen

Ellen Liebenow, Sr. Research Development Analyst

Ellen obtained her dual-BA in Anthropology and International Relations in 2012 from Washington College and her M.Ed. in Comparative and International Education in 2016 from Lehigh University. After 9 years in research administration at Lehigh University, Ellen joined the Johns Hopkins Research Development Team in 2022. As a Sr. Grants and Contracts Analyst, Ellen assists project teams with proposal development for large-scale interdisciplinary grant applications.

Email: [email protected]

rdt anita

Anita Narasimhan, Sr. Research Development Analyst

Anita obtained her BS in Nutrition in 1998 and MS in Early Childhood Education in 2000 from University of Madras – India. After her experience in banking and franchising she started her career in research grants administration in 2020 at the University of Pittsburgh. Anita joined the RDT team in 2023 where she helps faculty submit large scale grants to seek funding for the University.

Email: [email protected]

Dorie Headshot

Dorie Mayfield, Sr. Research Development Analyst

Dorie obtained her BS in Marketing from Butler University in 2010. Shortly after graduation, she began her research administration career at Indiana University in the Office of Research Administration, working her way up to Sr. Grant Consultant. In 2022, she shifted to the University of Kentucky as a Sr. Grant Proposal Specialist under the College of Medicine Sponsored Research Administrative Services office and then under the re-organized Collaborative Grant Services. Dorie joined the RDT team in September 2024, where she will assist faculty with proposal development for large-scale, complex grants and agreements.

Email: [email protected]

Courtney headshot

Courtney McQueen, Sr. Science Editor

Courtney obtained her BS in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College in 2004 and her PhD in Chemistry from Princeton University in 2010. She joined the Research Development Team as Sr. Science Writer in 2017, and has run the Editorial Assistance Services Initiative (EASI) since 2021. Courtney is available to help PIs with the grant-writing process, including reviewing, editing, and making suggestions to proposals prior to submission.

Email: [email protected]    EASI: https://research.jhu.edu/rdt/easi/

rdt anne oconnor

Anne N. Connor, Sr. Science Editor

Anne joined the Research Development Team in 2023 after contracting for the EASI program since 2021. She previously worked for a healthcare grant maker. She has over 20 years of experience editing across genres, from science books to magazine articles. She teaches Principles of Editing in the MA in Science Writing program at Hopkins and won the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2024. She enjoys working with researchers to polish their grant proposals and research papers.

Email: [email protected]

rdt annika

Annika Weder, Sr. Science Writer/Limited Submissions Coordinator

Annika obtained her BA in English from the University of Bern in 2017 and her MA in English from Case Western Reserve University in 2019. She has experience as a science writer, editor, and translator. On the RDT team, Annika manages the limited submissions process for Johns Hopkins as well as internal and external funding opportunity lists.

Email: [email protected] 

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    Vice Provost for Research

    265 Garland Hall
    3400 North Charles Street
    Baltimore, MD 21218

    (443) 927-1957

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