Executive Director of Federal Agency R&D Relations (Proposal Development Specialist)

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Job description

Special Instructions Summary

Cover letters strongly preferred

Department

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT (UA-RSDE-IUINA)

Department Information

The Office for Research Development (ORD) guides faculty and researchers in pursuing research funding, forming cross-disciplinary science teams, and developing collaborative research proposals.

Job Summary

The Executive Director is a senior position at IU Research and plays a key role in leading and directing IU's responses to the grand funding opportunities in the U.S. federal agencies.

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Reports to the Associate Vice President for Research Development.
• Works collaboratively with IU Research's National Defense R&D Relations Director and IU University Relations through partnering with the D.C.-based Associate Vice President for Federal Relations to coordinate, optimize, and synergize grand-scale federal funding programs, relevant to IU's research strengths and big idea initiatives and IU 2030 Strategic Plan.
• Communicates with IU faculty and staff on a wide range of matters related to their efforts in pursuing federal R&D funding, particularly those at a grand scale, and develop trusted relations with federal funding agency staff. For qualified candidates, an academic appointment with tenure eligibility is negotiable.
• Represents IU to the federal funding agencies.
• Works side-by-side with the IU National Defense R&D Relations Director to monitor and analyze federal funding initiatives on grand challenges and with the IU Associate VP for Federal
• Relations on legislative strategies to achieve IU's federal research goals.
• Advises IU Research on grand-scale federal funding opportunities and trends, and disseminates upcoming funding programs relevant to IU research initiatives and strengths to the IU Community.
• Facilitates IU R&D team building in a timely manner to respond to federal funding opportunities and programs.
• Designs and executes advocacy strategies to meet the IU 2030 Strategic Plans R&D goals.
• Serves as the top advisor to IU Research on matters involving federal funding trends, grand challenge opportunities, and upcoming funding programs; coordinates IU-wide advocacy efforts for federally sponsored research.
• Serves as the university's primary liaison to federal funding agencies and their staff on matters related to IU's research strengths (IU's research pillars); and disseminating agencies large-scale funding program calls (over $1M/project in general), relevant to IU, to IU stakeholders.
• Identifies, develops, and stewards productive relationships with all funding agencies' representatives to achieve IU's research strategic vision. As needed, help solicit and engage with external lobbyists and firms.
• Analyzes large-scale Request For Proposal (RFP) calls that impact IU.
• Leads on IU research matters related to federal research initiatives, serving as co-lead on issues related to IU's research strengths, and working closely with the Office for Research
• Development, Associate Vice President for Federal Relations, and National Defense R&D Relations Director on all large-scale RFPs relevant to IU Research.
• Monitors and tracks key R&D funding trends and milestone moments; advises IU Research staff and leadership on emerging research issues and action at the national and international levels.
• Develops and implements advocacy strategies for the University and faculty for the wide range of research strengths.
• Helps to set the day-to-day agenda and activities for IU Research's pursuit of large-scale proposals, providing input on which research goals to pursue and how to accomplish them, and executing those plans.
• Assists faculty members and researchers in identifying and acquiring federal research funds, identifies opportunities for faculty to share expertise with policymakers, and informs them on federal funding-related policies and regulations.
• Serves as a leader on a team that advises IU Research Vice President for Research, AVP for Research Development, and other campus research leaders on matters related to research funding, research security, science policy, higher education, and other issues that lead to the pursuit of large-scale proposal development and submissions.
• Organizes & leads meetings with campus leadership and drafting research funding announcements to the IU research community.
• Liaises with and advises campus stakeholders on research regulatory changes in federal funding agencies that could impact IU research operations.
• Represents the university in association meetings.
• Volunteers for or accepts leadership positions in organizations such as the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), the Association of American Universities (Council on Federal Relations), and the Coalition for National Science Funding.

General Responsibilities

• Consults, directs, and assists investigators on the development of external funding proposals including preparation, submission, acceptance, and administration; investigates and answers questions from external agencies, researchers, fiscal officers, research administrators and others; counsels researchers and staff on the preparation of budgets, completion of certifications, and institutional information to ensure compliance with university policies, federal regulations, and agency guidelines.
• Ascertains the status of proposals, awards, research risk approvals, internal approvals such as route sheets, and related documents; initiates action to resolve problems when necessary; assists faculty and staff in identifying documents or forms needed in connection with pending or funded projects; follows up on all correspondence to ensure that appropriate action is taken or information provided.
• Independently leads large, collaborative multi-institutional proposals, and provides leadership and oversight for other department team members on these projects.
• Provides comprehensive project management services including establishing timelines and processes for proposal production, helping to convene potential collaborators, organize faculty project teams, and lead proposal development meetings of the project team; edits proposals for concision, clarity, and consistency of style.
• Provides strategic analysis and guidance for investigators and research teams; connects investigators with relevant internal and external professionals for development of certain proposal sections; suggests, when appropriate, faculty or researchers who may collaborate to strengthen proposals, particularly on large projects involving interdisciplinary and intercampus cooperation; advises on positioning of a project idea in relation to agency mission, active or anticipated funding opportunities, and program criteria; reviews and provides non-technical reviewer-focused feedback on proposal text for content and structure; discusses reviews for declined proposals and advises on potential revisions.
• Provides analysis, writing, or other support to senior leaders for proposal-relevant strategic initiatives; analyzes funder priorities, communicates with agency personnel to better understand current and upcoming funding opportunities that are appropriate for IU faculty and/or researchers, and disseminates opportunities that align with institutional strategic priorities; offers consulting support to research interest groups involved in strategic initiatives.
• Develops and presents content for workshops, web-based materials, tailored presentations for investigators, schools and departments; participates and leads other educational initiatives to assist faculty in finding funding opportunities and developing competitive grant proposals.
• Models effective communication, consensus building, team building, and team management to work effectively and collaboratively with agency contacts, project leaders/team members, senior administration, project management staff, internal units, and/or external contacts.
• Researches and works collaboratively with senior leaders and other individuals/units involved in research development in recommending development standards, best practices, and related policies/procedures.
• May serve as project leader; often provides guidance to junior peers.

Qualifications

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree (preferably in related field)
• Master's degree

Preferred

• Ph.D. in any STEM discipline, health sciences, or M.D

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 10 years in proposal and/or research writing or related experience

Preferred

• 3 years of experience in either of the following is preferred: serving as a Program Director/Manager for a U.S. federal agency, working at a senior level within a research-intensive university research development office, or leading a multidisciplinary center or institute within a research-intensive university that received recurring and large-scale federal funding
• 3 years demonstrated partnership and/or working with 1 more federal funding agency
• Experience developing and leading successfully funded research and/or education-based teams as a Principal Investigator is preferred.
• Familiarity with key federal funding agencies, particularly NSF, NIH, Department of Energy, Department of Education, EPA, NASA, DoD, and others
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