Office of Research Administration
Elevating Research. Empowering Southern Miss.
The Office of Research Administration (ORA) at The University of Southern Mississippi
exists to empower and enable faculty, staff, and institutional units in the pursuit
and management of external funding.
Through strategic support, comprehensive research administration services, and cross-functional
collaboration, ORA strengthens the university’s research enterprise, expands its funding
portfolio, and enhances its overall impact.
Under the leadership of the Associate Vice President for Research, ORA is organized
into four core units:
Research Development, Outreach, and Engagement (RDOE)
Proposal and Award Management (PAM)
Financial Reporting and Audit (FRA)
Research Information Systems and Grant Analysis (RISGA)
Launch your path to competitive research funding.
The Grant Lifecycle is your starting point for navigating sponsored research at Southern Miss. It walks you through each stage of the process — from identifying funding opportunities and submitting proposals to managing your award and closing out your project. Use it to understand how grants work, what’s expected at each step, and where to find the right support.
stay connected.
Join the USM Research Listserv to stay up to date on research news, funding opportunities, and key announcements from our office. Subscribers will receive The ORAcle, our monthly digital newsletter featuring sponsor updates, grant tips, and curated funding opportunities organized by academic discipline.
This service is available to USM faculty and staff only. For questions about ORA publications or reports, contact the ORA Information Specialist at 601-266-5054.