Scheduled Hours

37.5

Position Summary

The Director of Research Development (DRD) will lead a team of individuals overseeing research proposal development and strategic planning for development to help grow the size and impact of research in Arts and Sciences by creating opportunities for and supporting interdisciplinary discovery and innovation by researchers.

The DRD will supervise a team of individuals including Research Development Associates, Senior Research Development Associates, Proposal Managers, and Project Managers who will work collaboratively with a range of faculty leaders, individual faculty, and the Research Development Office (RDO) in the Vice Chancellor for Research’s office to support the development of multiple grant proposals and programs, with a particular emphasis on large-scale and complex grant proposals by providing the highest level of service possible. The primary supervisor of the Director of Research Development is the Vice Dean of Research in Arts & Sciences.

As this is a new position, the DRD will work closely with the Vice Dean of Research to identify the key priorities in building out a research development services team in Arts & Sciences with the goal of creating new initiatives and incentives to foster expanded research capacity, increase the competitiveness of funding proposals, implement and provide ongoing oversight of projects, and identify metrics for success.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Works to generate new streams of research support from federal, state, foundation and industrial sources. Provides comprehensive oversight and support of proposal development services to large teams of principal investigators (PIs) pursuing external research funding; works closely with the Vice Dean of Research on the development of large-scale interdisciplinary grant proposals and other strategic institutional programs: obtains competitive intelligence on funding programs, facilitates PI team building and ideation, writes and edits proposal sections, and coordinates external review of proposals. Identifies additional campus expertise and resources to support the proposal development process, including cross-campus and external collaborators in areas of scientific expertise, workforce development, out-reach and education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, among others.  
• Assists PIs in the development of the management plan for the project. Develops project strategy and coordination of site visit and follow-up inquiries. Provides comprehensive guidance to faculty and other personnel for the application and a high-impact level of mentorship/expertise to faculty as well as integrated knowledge in project management, science, scientific communication/editing, sponsors’ requirements, and WashU requirements and resources.    

• Supervises a team of staff that includes other research development staff (Search Research Development Associates and Research Development Associates), project managers, and proposal managers to support the development of scientific teams, the successful submission of major grant proposal, and as needed, project management for awarded large scale projects that are complex or which require significant reporting requirements.

• Works with government agencies and private sponsors to understand funding strategies and initiatives and to identify needs and synergies with university researchers. Develops and maintains relationships with funding agency personnel on behalf of WashU. Works closely with external consultants providing proposal development support to research faculty identified areas.

• Works with A&S leadership to design and administer an internal seed grant/planning grant funding programs.

• Develops training and outreach activities, including workshops for faculty and students wishing to build grantsmanship skills. Produces content for and leads periodic proposal development lectures and workshops or guides other staff who are producing such content.

• Analyzes data, creates tables and reports, reviews trends, and makes data-driven recommendations that contribute to proposal writing, strategic planning, outreach to federal sponsors and partners, and competitive intelligence for upcoming funding opportunities. 

• Organizes and/or host workshops, seminars, and events to further cultivate and develop focused research and grant proposal teams, lead communication efforts both within and outside the university,

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:
Job Location/Working Conditions

• Normal office environment

Physical Effort

• Typically sitting at a desk or table