April 16, 2025

Announcing Our Strategic Advisory Board

Leaders Shaping the Future of Research Administration

We're excited to introduce our newly formed Strategic Advisory Board at Atom. At a time when securing research funding is more competitive than ever, our platform is transforming how universities discover opportunities and manage proposals to maximize grant success. Our advisory board brings together experts from across the research admin ecosystem who understand both the challenges and possibilities in research administration.

Meet Our Advisory Board Members

Brian Evans - Assistant Director of Strategic Research Initiatives, University of Memphis

As one of our earliest platform adopters, Brian has been instrumental in shaping our solution. Brian brings deep expertise in facilitating faculty collaborations and navigating complex grant processes across multiple agencies. His extensive experience mentoring researchers through NSF and NIH submissions provides our team with practical insights from the trenches. As Principal Investigator on major NSF grants himself, Brian understands the challenges our platform addresses from both administrative and researcher perspectives.

Sandra Justice - Director of Research Development Institute, University of South Florida

Sandra brings nearly three decades of experience in the research enterprise, including her pioneering work establishing USF's Research Development and Training Institute. Her innovative approaches to grant writing workshops and creation of tools like the "TAG" Training Activity Guidebook for early career PIs align perfectly with our mission to support grant success.

Heidi Grunwald, PhD - Associate Vice President for Research and Faculty Development, North Dakota State University

With extensive experience in research administration at Temple University and as co-founder of a technology transfer company, Heidi offers a unique perspective bridging academic research and entrepreneurship. Her experience securing $3.25 million in SBIR funding for her legal tech startup Monocle demonstrates the practical expertise she brings to our board.

Lori Schultz - Assistant Vice President, Research Administration, Colorado State University

A recognized spokesperson for AI applications in research administration, Lori's nearly 30-year career includes leadership in research intelligence, capacity building, and strategic planning. Her expertise in research services, grant administration, and policy development will be invaluable as we enhance our platform's AI capabilities.

In the coming months, we'll spotlight each board member individually, exploring their vision for the future of research administration and how technology can address its most pressing challenges. Together with these thought leaders, we're building more than just a platform, we're creating a community focused on advancing research impact through innovation.

Follow our blog for upcoming advisory board spotlights and join us in reimagining the future of grant management!

If you are interested in shaping the future of the research enterprise or want to learn more about what we've got in store feel free to reach out to me directly at tomer@atomgrants.com. We're always looking for expert input!