Joanne Spitz

Ms. Spitz is the Executive Director of the Research Development and Support (RDS) team within Vanderbilt’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. Prior to this role, she  served as the Senior Director of Grant Initiatives, Corporate and Foundation Relations at Baylor University, resulting in a significant increase in Foundation and other private support for faculty researchers. Ms. Spitz also spent over 30 years in research development and pre- and post-award administration at Washington University in St. Louis in multiple departments and schools, including Neuroscience, Biology, and the Olin Business School. While at Olin, she worked for 11 years as the administrator of an interdisciplinary research network sponsored by The MacArthur Foundation. She was also instrumental in the establishment of a new grants program for the Olin School and served as its first Grant Development Manager.