Director, Federal Research and Partnerships

The University of Kentucky is seeking a Director, Federal Research and Partnerships to join the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR).

This position will help grow and sustain UK’s research enterprise by advancing strategic initiatives and partnerships in defense, national security, dual-use technologies, and areas critical to national competitiveness. Working with research leadership, faculty, government, military, and industry partners, the Director will align UK capabilities with emerging priorities, develop multidisciplinary opportunities, and position research teams for sustained success.

• Develop and help execute a university-wide strategy for defense, national security, dual-use technologies, and national competitiveness, identifying opportunities for research growth, strategic investment, capacity building, and institutional differentiation.
• Analyze emerging federal priorities, mission needs, and technologies to identify where UK research capabilities can address near-, mid-, and long-term opportunities.
• Establish and sustain relationships with defense-related agencies, military services, laboratories, acquisition organizations, operational units, national laboratories, and industry partners to expand opportunities for sponsored research and faculty engagement.
• Identify emerging research and funding opportunities and translate sponsor priorities into actionable opportunities for UK faculty and research teams.
• Support the positioning and development of major multidisciplinary proposals, centers, consortia, cooperative agreements, OTAs, IDIQs, and other strategic initiatives while building a pipeline of research opportunities.
• Convene multidisciplinary teams across areas such as health and medical sciences, human performance, energy, critical materials, advanced manufacturing and materials, AI and data science, autonomy, infrastructure, and transportation.
• Mentor faculty and staff on defense organizations, research funding processes, and pathways from research through demonstration and transition.
• Advise research leadership on federal priorities, emerging technologies, major partnerships, institutional investments, proposals, centers, and other strategic defense research opportunities.
• Develop briefing materials, recommendations, decision frameworks, and implementation strategies for initiatives requiring executive review or university-level coordination, and track progress, commitments, risks, and next steps.

• Strong knowledge of federal research programs, defense-related organizations, federal defense research priorities, funding mechanisms, and technology development processes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop partnerships that connect institutional research capabilities with government and industry priorities.
• Knowledge of federal proposal development, cooperative agreements, alternative research funding mechanisms, and complex multidisciplinary research opportunities.
• Strong strategic planning, analytical, and organizational skills with demonstrated ability to develop and implement long-term strategic initiatives.
• Ability to build multidisciplinary teams, connect complementary expertise, and coordinate efforts across colleges, research units, leadership, and external organizations.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to translate complex federal priorities and mission needs into actionable research opportunities.
• Ability to monitor strategic initiatives, evaluate progress, identify risks and opportunities, and communicate clear recommendations to university leadership.

• Help shape the growth of UK’s research enterprise in…