In this series, meet members of the University of Illinois’ Research Development Community. Richard Sallee is a research development coordinator in the Office of Proposal Development.
1. What does your day-to-day look like?
Each day looks a little bit different for me. However, my main responsibility on campus is managing the limited submissions process. This entails searching for opportunities, crafting announcements and review materials, and communicating with multiple campus units. I spend much of my time in communication with faculty, staff, and UIUC leadership discussing a wide
range of topics and strategies to support limited submissions.
2. What do you enjoy about your current position?
I truly enjoy interacting and working with the many different units on our campus, as well as building a rapport with both administration and faculty members. I also enjoy reading a variety of proposals from different disciplines. It is always intriguing to see what the next big idea is, whether it is an advancement in energy, health care, or even basic science. What makes these cutting-edge proposals even more compelling is the fact that most come from our young faculty members.
3. What was your path to your current role on campus?
I am a graduate of UIUC with a background in English. I worked in Chicago for a few years in health care programs where I built trainings and assessments for trauma nurses and doctors. I became tired of the 12 to 14 hour days, the constant travel, the poor leadership structure, and the little room for advancement. At the time, my fiancé (now wife) was finishing her master’s degree
and was offered a great employment opportunity at UIUC. So, we decided to move back to Champaign. I took a job in the Department of Chemistry to act as extra help for their HR team, which opened my eyes to a small part of the UIUC system. Then, I was fortunate to get a position for a new office at UIUC called the Office of Proposal Development (OPD). At the time, I did not have experience in funding or research administration, let alone proposal development. I remember the first time that I read a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program and literally said, “Wow, this sounds cool!”
While working for the OPD, there was turnover of staff and realignment of campus needs. I was lucky to both see, and ultimately fill, a void in the limited submissions process. I received helpful feedback from a variety of campus leaders and have been able to build and shape UIUC’s limited submissions process. I understood what leadership wanted, what the campus needed, and how I could contribute to this new process. Today, I am still learning and reshaping this process and have done so with great support from UIUC leadership.
4. Are there particular experiences or mentors that shaped your career?
The path to my current position wasn’t always easy. When I came to UIUC, I was in a new office and had just changed careers to take a completely different approach. At the time, all I could do was learn as much as I could, as quickly as I could. I took advice from good people while trying to do my work as best as I could. I truly believe that everything will eventually work out if you work with people who value you, for who you are, and at the same time, you do your part by doing the best work that you can. For me, it took some time, but everything began to fall into place. I have had the pleasure of working in a great office with Susan Martinis and Melanie Loots at the helm. Their passion, knowledge, and spirit permeated throughout the office environment and kept me going. Most recently, I have worked directly with Melissa Edwards and Sowmya Anand. Both have provided me with supportive mentorship, and it has truly been a great experience. They encourage and teach with authenticity, in a manner that allows and motivates me to do more.
5. What are your interests and hobbies? Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of your position!
I am a football-loving, anime-watching, MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe)/Star Wars super nerd. I love going to movies and going on walks with my wife and daughter. And, I am team Dunkin over Starbucks.