JOIN US for Research & Creative Activity Day on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 from 9:30am – 2:00pm in Sykes Ballrooms. This event highlights student, faculty, and administrator research from all academic disciplines across our campus community. We look forward to seeing you there!
Research and Creative Activity Day

GrantForward is a comprehensive database that contains more than 83,000 funding opportunities covering more than 20,000 sponsors worldwide, providing the ability for WCU faculty, students, and staff to identify grants to fund their research.
Find out more about GrantFoward

 

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Contributing to the learning community and developing skills that lead to success

$2.5M

External Funding Amount Received for AY 2023/24

138

IRB submissions for AY 2023/24

54

AY 2023/24 Grant Funding Proposals Submitted

Our Mission

It is the mission of the West Chester University Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) to facilitate, coordinate, and safeguard the institution’s research and creative activity enterprise. We enhance the university’s ability to be an educational and cultural resource for students, alumni, and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania by providing faculty with:

  • Information on funding opportunities from federal, state, and private‐sector sponsors.
  • Proposal development support.
  • Introduction to post-award policies and procedures.
  • Incentives to form interdisciplinary teams.
  • Incentives to develop intellectual property.
  • Incentives to integrate research and creative activity into coursework.

We also promote undergraduate research and creative activity by facilitating faculty/student collaborations, organizing Research and Creative Activity Day, and managing awards for student work.

Who We Are

Cheryl Neale-McFall, PhD, LPC, NCC

Cheryl Neale-McFall, PhD, LPC, NCC
Associate Provost for Research and Creative Activities
CNeale-McFall@wcupa.edu
(610) 436-2432

Holly Jackson

Holly Jackson
Administrative Assistant
MJackson2@wcupa.edu
(610) 436-3557

 

Catherine Spaur

Catherine Spaur
Grants Development Specialist
CSpaur@wcupa.edu
(610) 436‐3060
Supports Colleges of Arts & Humanities, Business & Public Management, and Education & Social Work

Cara Williams

Cara Williams
Grants Development Specialist
CWilliams@wcupa.edu
(610) 436-3064
Supports Colleges of Health Sciences and Sciences & Mathematics (except Political Science, Psychology and Anthropology & Sociology)

 

 

Patricia Dixon
Graduate Research Assistant
PD982631@wcupa.edu

 

Leah Siwinski
Graduate Research Assistant
LS1005821@wcupa.edu

 

Padmaja Charya
Graduate Research Assistant
PC346309@wcupa.edu

 

What We Do

  • Provide resources and assistance for grant proposal development.
  • Manage and monitor research and creative activity compliance.
  • Support the formation of faculty interdisciplinary teams.
  • Support the development of intellectual property.
  • Support the integration of research and creative activity into coursework.
  • Support faculty/student research collaboration.

 

 

 

Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) at West Chester University

 

 

All enrolled students were asked to participate in an Experiential Learning Survey & were asked the question:

Looking back, what was the highlight of your experiential learning – what impacted you the most?

Experiential Learning Survey

Here are some of their answers:

“Having a close relationship with faculty that allowed me to learn firsthand how to conduct research at the graduate level.”

“I believe engaging in research with my professor help shaped who I am. They have pushed me past my boundaries to make me stronger in my field. From that experience, I feel like I have created a direct career goal and passion.”

“Research impacted me the most. I have mentors and peers who share the same interests and bringing academia to life was a life-changing opportunity.”

 

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