Santa Fe Institute

Bio

Elisabeth V. Johnson is Director, Sponsored Research Planning and Administration, at the Santa Fe Institute, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In this role she is responsible for research development and strategic planning for Institute-wide research programs, assisting faculty with identifying funding sources for their individual research projects, preparing and submitting proposals, and managing the post-award administration of sponsored research programs. She also handles federal and state government and foundation relations for the Institute. Prior to this, Elisabeth was Director, Corporate, Foundation and Research Relations for the Professional Schools at UCLA. In this capacity, and within UCLA Development, she was responsible to develop and bring to fruition philanthropic relationships between corporations / foundations and the Professional Schools and to represent Professional Schools’ priorities during development and implementation of campus-wide development strategies for the University’s most important foundation and corporate partners. Earlier, Elisabeth directed the North Campus Strategic Research Initiatives, a program, in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, to expand extramural research funding activity for faculty in the humanities, social sciences, arts, architecture, business, education, law, public policy, and theater, film and television. This program sought to identify and promote areas of research strength; target sponsors and pertinent funding initiatives to promote multidisciplinary and collaborative research; facilitate a campus climate receptive to extramural research funding; to provide faculty the tools they need to embark on what, for many, was a new direction; and to facilitate development and submission of large multidisciplinary proposals. Elisabeth began her career at UCLA in Research Administration, negotiating and managing contracts and grants from a wide variety of sponsors, including government agencies, private foundations and industry.