Research Nexus

Provides hands-on training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to foster collaboration and build research capacity focused on justice-related topics.

Speaker Series

The 2026–2027 speaker Series is dedicated to helping faculty and researchers navigate the grant-writing process with greater clarity and confidence. Each session focuses on a different stage of proposal development, including how to identify the right funding opportunities, develop strong and fundable ideas, craft persuasive proposal narratives, prepare budgets, and respond strategically after a funding decision. Together, the series offers a practical roadmap for moving research ideas toward competitive external funding.

Grant Proposal Roadmap: From Planning to Writing

With Dr. Hung-En Sung
An overview of the entire grant-writing journey, covering key stages from conceptualization to drafting, with practical tools to map out proposal development.
Watch

Finding External Funding Opportunities in Criminal Justice

With Dr. Matthew DeMichele
Proven strategies for identifying and prioritizing potential funding sources, focusing on funders aligned with criminal justice initiatives and research themes.
Watch

Formulating Strong and Impactful Research Questions (March 26, 2026)

With Dr. Eric Piza
A deep dive into developing clear, focused, and fundable research questions that lay the groundwork for a coherent and persuasive proposal.
Watch

Crafting a Winning Proposal (April 22, 2026)

With Dr. Angela Moore & Ms. Christine Crossland
An introduction to drafting effective proposal narratives, focusing on building a compelling case for the project’s need, goals, and anticipated impact.
Watch

Budgeting and Financial Management for Grants (May 19, 2026)

With Dr. Karen Terry
Step-by-step instructions for creating realistic budgets that align with project goals, emphasizing transparency, cost-effectiveness, and compliance with funder guidelines.
Watch

Winning or Losing: What’s Next? (June 23, 2026)

With Dr. Gary LaFree
Actionable steps following a funder’s decision, including negotiation of awards, addressing reviewer feedback, and strategies for proposal revision or resubmission.
Register

Mini-Series

CERC-MSI’s Mini-Series builds on our existing offerings, including the Proposal Development Playbook, and will continue to expand in Year 3 (2026–2027). These targeted series focus on topics important to MSI faculty and offer in-depth, practical guidance on key aspects of research and professional development. Each series equips participants with actionable strategies, tools, and insights to strengthen their work and advance their scholarly impact.

The Proposal Development Playbook

Practical Companion Sessions
A set of recorded companion modules to the CERC Speaker Series that provide practical, step-by-step guidance, such as tools, templates, and workflows faculty can use to develop competitive grant proposals.
Learn More

Nexus Newsletter

Stay informed with the latest updates, success stories, and resources from our initiatives. The Nexus Newsletter is your go-to source for everything happening at CERC.

Quarterly Newsletter 1

February 26
CERC’s inaugural newsletter introduces the center’s mission and objectives, highlights upcoming events and workshops, showcases our team, and shares key findings from our first report.
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