Project Program Specialist

Research Development Coordinator

Research and Technology Transfer (RTT) is seeking a Research Development Coordinator to work closely with the new College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) to accelerate their research development and output. This position offers a rare opportunity to help shape the research identity of a new College of Veterinary Medicine at a critical formative stage. The Research Development Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating faculty collaboration, drafting proposal components, and managing timelines and deliverables.

The goals of this position are to accelerate the establishment of an interdisciplinary center of excellence focused on One Health, Biosecurity, or Food Animal Health and Systems. Within 12 – 18 months, we anticipate the formation of the formalized center, the submission of at least one center-scale grant proposal, submission of multiple PI-led research proposals, and engagement with industry stakeholders in Arkansas agriculture and animal health.

Success in this role will require independently driving progress across multiple faculty, maintaining momentum, and ensuring deliverables are met on a compressed timeline. The successful candidate will proactively identify gaps, resolve bottlenecks, and maintain accountability across the project team. The Research Development Coordinator will report to the Executive Director for Research Development and be stationed in the Arkansas Biosciences Institute among the most research-active CVM faculty.

The support portfolio will be for all CVM faculty and staff who submit sponsored proposals and for collaborators within or working with the CVM on the center proposals. Qualified candidates will possess exemplary professionalism, excellent verbal and written communication skills, computer skills, a high level of organization, and will have a demonstrated track record of successful collaborative work with diverse team members.

Knowledge of the academic research enterprise is key. Experience as a writer or grant writer is a strength, and previous work in a veterinary medicine, biomedical, or agricultural environment is ideal. This role is not a traditional pre-award support position. It is a high-impact position responsible for driving coordinated execution of center-scale proposal efforts. The Research Development Coordinator will facilitate structured, recurring working sessions and track milestone-based deliverables across a 12–18 month proposal development cycle.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Learn CVM research priorities
• Find relevant funding opportunities (federal, state, and foundation) for faculty and the research center of excellence
• Translate broad research themes into competitive, center-scale proposal concepts
• Align proposal development with federal sponsor priorities (e.g., USDA, DoD)
• Work with faculty and CVM leadership to develop a state-approved center of excellence
• Support development of a sustainable research center structure beyond initial submission
• Work with individual faculty in developing responses to specific calls for proposals
• Support, guide, and counsel investigators during development, pre- submission, and administrative review
• Prepare proposals and grant applications, including writing and analyzing narratives, budgets, and all sponsor-required ancillary documents for grant submission compliance to sponsor specifications
• Apply advanced knowledge of sponsor agency and institution policies and procedures to proposal reviews
• Oversee internal approval routing and submission of entire application packets in accordance with institutional and sponsor requirements and deadlines
  · Track submissions and awards using internal systems
• Facilitate productive collaboration among faculty with diverse disciplinary perspectives
• Maintain forward progress in environments with competing priorities and limited faculty availability
• Assist the Executive Director for Research Development in initiatives such as large-scale proposal preparation and research development trainings
• Monitor and analyze developments in research administration from federal, state, private, industry and institutional policies and communicate those…