Internal Only** Director, Research Development

Position Overview

This position is only open to employees internal to KU-Lawrence & KUMC Office of Research/Research Administration employees.

The Director, Research Development provides strategic leadership and coordination for One KU research development services across campuses. The role is responsible for overseeing the Research Development program at KU which is responsible for advancing KU’s competitiveness for external funding by overseeing large and complex institutional proposals, training grants, proposal enhancement services, grantsmanship training, and faculty engagement and collaboration activities. The Director ensures a cohesive, high-impact research development portfolio;

aligns decentralized research development efforts; and works closely with campus and central partners to support KU’s research priorities and growth areas. This role directly advances the One KU initiative by unifying research development across campuses and supports the University Strategic Plan along with Jayhawks Rising (Lawrence/Edwards) and the KU Medical Center Strategic Plan, particularly their shared priorities to grow research innovation and impact and to increase national prominence in research.

• Set and steward, in partnership with research leadership, the One KU strategy for research development services, including:
• Large and complex institutional proposals
• Training grants and institutional training programs (e.g., NIH, NSF, COBRE)
• Proposal enhancement services and grantsmanship training of funding intelligence and faculty engagement
• Lead the organization of the Research Development unit around core service areas, k with designated leads for::
• Large and complex proposals
• Training grant programs
• Proposal enhancement and training
• Funding intelligence and faculty engagement
• Establish and communicate clear criteria for proposal support, including scope of services, levels of engagement, and eligibility thresholds, and align staffing and program design to support consistent implementation across campuses.

• Provide oversight of large and complex proposal development, ensuring:
• Clear criteria for full management versus enhancement-level support
• Early engagement thresholds and expectations for faculty participation
• Oversee proposal enhancement services, including:
• Editing and strengthening proposal narratives and arguments
• Improving clarity, competitiveness, and alignment with sponsor criteria
• connecting faculty to external consultants and contractors for proposal development services, including figure development and visual design support.
• Ensure internal seed grant and early-career awardees are paired with research development consultation to strengthen proposal quality and competitiveness.

• Set strategy and criteria for funding intelligence and opportunity prioritization, and oversee execution by the Funding Intelligence & Faculty Engagement Lead, including:
• Identification and analysis of funding opportunities aligned with institutional priorities
• Determination of where RD engages and how team resources are allocated.
• Oversee execution of opportunity communications, including:
• Determining which opportunities are broadly communicated versus targeted.
• Coordinating with established communications channels and processes

• Support faculty team formation by:
• Assisting in identifying collaborators and complementary expertise
• Facilitating connections across campuses and disciplines
• Oversee grantsmanship training, workshops, and faculty development programs.

• Align research development activities across decentralized campus units and embedded RD professionals by convening and leading a One KU Research Development Community of Practice.
• Serve as the central integrator for One KU Research Development by establishing shared practices, tools, and expectations across campuses Resources & Infrastructure
• Oversee development and maintenance of shared research development resources, including:
• Facilities and Resources language libraries
• Standardized…