Instructions for Navigating the
PI Database
Start by visiting the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) website at
www.uni.edu/osp.
On the OSP home page, you can access the PI Database on the left
column menu, or by clicking on the large icon in the middle of the
page.
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You will be directed to the PI Database. If you are new to the
database, or need to update your profile, you will need to click the link
that says, “Create/Update My Profile”
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You will now see a list of all departments at UNI. If your department is
not listed, please contact OSP at osp@uni.edu. Select your
department.
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Now you will see a list of people in your department, including
yourself. New faculty and staff are added at the beginning of every
year, but if you do not see your name, please contact OSP at
osp@uni.edu. Select your name.
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You will be prompted for your CatID Login.
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At this point, you can either add your information or update it. There
are boxes for your name, department, and contact information. You
can then add your education, responsibilities, teaching interests,
research interests, professional accomplishments, international
experience, grant history, grant interest areas, community
engagement, and languages.
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1. One of the categories of information included in the profile section
is about International Experience and interests. In the open text box,
you can fill in whatever text you like about your international
experience(s), keeping in mind that the PI Database is used by both
the campus and community to find individuals with certain interests
and expertise, so the more information and keywords you can mention
that pertain to you, the better.
2. Following the open text box on experience, you will find dropdown lists that allow you to specify the organizations in other
countries where you have collaborators or partnerships (primarily
universities and other educational institutions). If you have
connections with an institution that is not listed, please email OSP and
request that we add it.
3. Also, you will see drop-down lists to show which continent or
region you are most interested in, as well up to two countries.
4. You also have the option to list one or more languages that you
speak, along with the level of proficiency you have with each. This
item is particularly important if you speak any languages other than
English, as someone may search the database looking specifically for
someone on campus who is familiar with a particular language. Note:
Once you enter a first language, then a second language box will
appear, and so on, allowing you to list as many languages as you may
know.
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At the end of the profile, you will also be asked if you have any
interests about which you would be willing to speak to the media. You
can check “yes” or “no” in this regard, and in the box “Media
Interests”, list those areas (if any) you are willing to be contacted
about.
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As you scroll down the page and insert your information, you will come
to several check boxes in a section titled, “Skills and Competencies.”
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Next, you can insert a photo. JPEG images with dimensions around
150 pixels by 250 pixels (150px X 250px) work best. Click the
“Browse” button. A file upload box will open. Select the photo you
want to use, and then click “open.”
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You should see a file path similar to the one shown below in your text
photo box.
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Next, you will see, “Are you interested in seeking grants at this time?”
If you select “Yes” you may be contacted by OSP about grant
opportunities. If you are not interested in this, select “Not at this
time.”
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Now you can select your interests for funding alerts. (If you do NOT
wish to receive funding alerts, leave all the boxes unchecked.) You will
first browse by subject area. Check the box next to your areas of
interest and you will receive monthly emails about funding
opportunities.
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You can also select functions you are interested in for funding alerts.
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Finally, you can answer whether you would like colleagues with similar
interests to contact you by choosing “Yes” or “Not at this time.” When
finished, click the “Next” button. This option allows you to contact
other researchers at academic institutions with membership in the
AASCU Grants Resource Center, as UNI has.
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You will be redirected to a page with a preview of what your profile will
look like. You will need to scroll down a short way to actually see the
preview.
Scroll
down
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Preview of
your profile
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By scrolling back to the top of the screen, you will see two options:
“Click here to make additional changes…. Click here if you are done
making changes.” For both options, you will need to click on the word
“here.”
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You will be directed to a confirmation page. You will also be asked if
you would learn more about the grant funding email alerts. Choose
“Yes” or ‘No.”
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If you choose “Yes,” you will be directed to OSP listing of Funding Alert
Services. These services are separate from the funding alerts
available through the PI Database.
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If you choose “No,” you will be directed to the original PI Database
page.
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From this page, you can access your profile, as well as browse faculty
and staff in different departments, or search for faculty and staff with
similar interests. This can be used as a tool to network and hopefully
to collaborate with other professionals on research. Happy exploring
and grant seeking!
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