As the federal research funding environment continues to evolve, this special information sharing session led by five Research Development Professionals will provide updates from recent conversations with federal agency representatives (e.g., DOD, DOE, IES, NEH, NIH, NSF, and USDA NIFA) and practical strategies for faculty to position themselves to be competitive for extramural funding. This meeting is brought to you by a multi-university research development group entitled FOCUS (Fostering Opportunities through Collaborative University Synergies). FOCUS is a collaborative effort between the University of Idaho, University of Nevada-Reno, Montana State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Utah State University.