Units within the Office of Research

Office of the Associate Vice Provost

The Office of the Associate Vice Provost provides leadership and support to faculty, staff and students in their research, scholarship and creative efforts. We oversee a number of programs dedicated to supporting and enhancing the Cal Poly research experience such as providing internal funding through the Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities (RSCA) Grants and the Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant Program. We also facilitate Technology Transfer, Patents and Intellectual Property, Industry/Community Partnerships, Centers and Institutes and provide Research Administration. Contact us at research@calpoly.edu, or call (805) 756-5411.

Office of Student Research

The newly formed Office of Student Research aims to increase student opportunities to Learn by Doing Research. Founding director Dr. Jane Lehr will focus on increasing the transparency of access to research opportunities to ensure equity of student participation, support the professional development of both student researchers and research mentors, and increase the submission and success of proposals that include and fund our student researchers. Email us at studentresearch@calpoly.edu.

Pre-Award Offices 

The Pre-Award Offices provide proposal preparation, review, and submission services to Cal Poly faculty and staff who are interested in obtaining extramural project funding from federal, state, local municipality, and nonprofit sources. To develop, negotiate, and manage industry-funded projects and agreements, please see Corporate Engagement and Innovation.

To contact the Pre-Award Office; email grants@calpoly.edu, or call (805) 756-2982. 

Sponsored Programs Office 

Designated to manage and oversee externally-sponsored projects, as well as Cal Poly Centers and Institutes, the
Sponsored Programs office assists faculty and staff by providing research administration services to ensure compliance and proper use of funds.

For assistance with post-award processes, contact the Sponsored Programs Office; 
email sponprog@calpoly.edu, (805) 756-1123. 

Corporate Engagement and Innovation

Support for Industry Partnerships and Research
Corporate Engagement and Innovation (CEI) assists in providing support for proposal preparation review, submission for non-profit entities, and serves as the single point of contact for all for-profit entities. Contact us at cei@calpoly.edu.

Research Integrity & Compliance 

Cal Poly’s Research Integrity & Compliance program is designed to support the ethical conduct of research on campus.
The office emphasizes providing learn-by-doing opportunities for students to gain expertise in ethical research practices.
The office is grounded in the principles of equity, justice, respect for researchers and research participants, and transparency.
A major goal of the office is to demystify compliance activities related to Human Subjects, Animal Subjects, Conflict of Interest, Improper Foreign Influence, Export Control, Research Misconduct, Biosafety, and Environmental Health and Safety. Contact us at research-compliance@calpoly.edu.