Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and Texas A&M AgriLife Research (see December 8, 2014 memo) developed the Research Development Fund (RDF) to be utilized for strategic investments that support the total Texas A&M research enterprise and catalyze new ventures. These investments are likely to be in the areas of core research facilities and equipment and their initial operation; strategic investments in the creation of core facilities and significant renovations of existing core facilities; and investment in faculty development and support for competing for exceptionally large projects. This fund will support faculty research across those administrative units participating in the fund.

In the December 8, 2014 memo, a Research Development Fund Advisory Committee (see membership below) was established to facilitate the implementation of the RDF distribution process (Click here to see the full committee charge from the April 20, 2015 memo from the CPI Chair). If a member of the Research Development Fund Advisory Committee (RDF-AC) is a primary member of a team that submitted an application during a proposal round, the member will notify the RDF-AC Chair and be recused from the entire review process for the aforementioned proposal period.