RESADM-ers--

I need some advice.  For many years, the Grants Office at University of
Wisconsin-River Falls (5,000 FTE, regional comprehensive, primarily
undergraduate) has campus-mailed paper newsletters to all faculty and staff
every 3-4 weeks.  It includes a brief lead highlighting an especially
attractive opportunity, lists of campus proposers and grantees, and selected
funding opportunities.   The newsletter serves several purposes:

--keeps the grants office visible on campus.
--reminds folks that we provide a variety of services.
--encourages folks to write proposals (peer pressure is amazingly powerful.
Many times I've heard faculty say, 'why if that bozo can get a grant, I
certainly can!')
--informs potential applicants of the specifics of funding opportunities.

Some years ago, we supplemented the paper version with an electronic copy
(viewable at http://www.uwrf.edu/grants/newslet.htm, if you're curious); it
contains the same text, plus www links to funding sources.

We think it's time to scrap the paper version and go completely (or maybe just
mostly) electronic.  We haven't received a single inquiry this year from the
paper newsletter, which tells us either that no one is paying any attention at
all (I refuse to believe it) or that they are relying on the webpage or
something else for whatever info they get from our newsletter.

Further relevant information: we subscribe both to COS and SPIN, accessible to
everyone on campus.

Here's my question: what's the best way to replace the paper version with a web
version?  I want to place something before faculty/staff eyes periodically just
to remind them that we are here, prod them about deadlines, brag on successes,
etc.  We've thought about sending emails once/twice per week--short, snappy,
with a pointer to more information on the web.  Should we also send around a
paper summary once in a while, for the few who never look at their email?
We'll ask our faculty/staff in both the paper version and by email within the
next week, but I'm also curious what RESADM-ers think.

Is there anything else to worry about?  Are there wonderful models out there in
research admin land that we aren't aware of?  Please email me or the list, your
choice.  If I get private responses, I'll post a summary in a week or so.

Thanks and regards, Bill Campbell
Director, Grants & Research
University of Wisconsin-River Falls

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