Research Development Officer

Overview

The Hall Center for the Humanities seeks a Research Development Officer (RDO) with a proven history of leadership to direct the Operations of its Research & Grant Development Office (RGDO). The RDO provides strategic planning and the innovation necessary to meet the challenges of a changing academic and research environment. The RDO’s primary directive is to provide direction, oversight, and organizational management to ensure that the RGDO accomplishes its mission: to stimulate external grant and fellowship proposal development and enhance the quality of applications submitted by KU scholars engaged in humanities-focused research.

This is a component of the Hall Center’s mission: to foster and support research in the humanities and share the knowledge created with a range of communities, on campus and off. The RDO’s work contributes to the Research and Discovery component of the University of Kansas “Jayhawks Rising” strategic plan and KU Office of Research strategies for achieving “One KU” — the integration of major interdisciplinary initiatives across the Lawrence, Edwards, and Medical Center campuses.

The RDO works closely with the Hall Center Director to support the Hall Center’s applications for external funding to carry out its mission. The RDO is appointed by and reports to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in KU’s Office of Research.

55% - Research and Grant Development

• Responsible for managing services related to research and grant development activities for KU units, teams of faculty and staff, and individual scholars in the humanities, creative fields, and humanities-oriented social sciences disciplines.
• Facilitates collaborations across disciplines and schools at the university.
• Organizes teams of research partners and assists with complex interdisciplinary proposals.
• Supervises the RGDO staff.
• Trains research and grant development staff in grants administration, federal requirements, and university guidelines.
• Assigns the Research Development Specialist (RDS) to individual and interdisciplinary research team proposals and other tasks, and prioritizes work to ensure deadlines are met.
• Leads development of outreach and research development educational initiatives.
• Serves as the primary liaison between KU’s Office of Research Awards Management Services (AMS), particularly Pre-Awards Services, and the investigator/research team, providing direct support for proposal preparation to the investigators/research teams.
• Monitors relevant humanities granting agency priorities and develops/maintains contacts with program officers for advance knowledge of new or revised funding programs and initiatives; communicates this information to researchers and research development teams.
• Researches and communicates funding opportunities based on specific investigator's/team's criteria.
• Assists individual humanities researchers/teams in developing long-term funding plans/strategies based on research agendas/career goals.
• Provides guidance to interdisciplinary investigators/teams on strategic approaches to funding calls based on analysis of funding calls and agency priorities.
• Develops project management plans for investigators/teams to meet proposal deadlines and advises investigators/teams on university/agency submission requirements, including issues of compliance.
• Reviews written materials and provides technical editing.
• Develops proposal materials related to standard elements such as management plans, educational outreach, and data management to include editing for format, page length, and coherence.
• Works with humanities/humanities-related investigators/teams to develop comprehensive budgets that support research needs based on the research plan and sponsor’s guidelines.
• Reviews and preliminarily negotiates contracts and sub-contracts.
• Develops and presents investigator events such as trainings, workshops, and other activities on a variety of research-related topics.

25% - Outreach, Networking, and Integrated Research Development

• Collaborates with the KU Research Development community of practice, including the research development team in the KU Office of Research (KUOR) and…