Interdisciplinary Research Proposal Developer (Assistant Research Professor)

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is currently seeking an Interdisciplinary Research Proposal Developer who will provide proposal development support services to a diverse community of faculty and staff and report to the Research Operations Manager. We are looking for a dynamic individual who could enhance the proposal services provided by SSRI and make a big impact in getting RFPs to proposals and proposals to awards.

This is a term appointment funded for one year from the start date, with excellent possibility of renewal.

Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the position include the following:

Sponsored Research Management and Grant Proposal Support:

• Understand funding agency missions, programs, policies, and grant solicitations.
• Working with faculty teams to develop proposal content (contributor of ideas and proposal content).
• Assist principal investigators to develop equitable and sustainable research teams and partnerships necessary to address the writing of non-technical sections (e.g., diversity and inclusion, education and outreach, project management, data management, facilities, etc.) of proposals by connecting with strategic partners across Penn State and externally.
• Contribute innovative ideas/writing and gather data, identify resources, and edit non-technical sections or proposals and support the development of technical proposal sections as requested.
• Coordinate and plan meetings with the research team and developing proposal development roadmaps, identifying deliverables, and coordinating timelines to meet proposal submission deadlines.
• Manage proposal preparation timeline to meet the needs of PI and ORO as well as agency submission deadlines.
• Manage shared folders including review/upload of proposal documents/edits submitted by faculty participants.
• Assist faculty with technical document development (i.e. formatting, bibliography management, familiarity with reference software, etc.)
• Coordinate and participate in peer reviews of proposals prior to finalization and submission.
• Collaborate with internal and external teams to adhere to and promote best practices for proposal management, including presenting and facilitating workshops or webinars, and developing templates, boilerplates, and libraries to support submissions, proposal teams, and ORO.

Research Support and Faculty Collaboration Management:

• Work collaboratively with SSRI-affiliated faculty in catalyzing and coordinating new research programs and research community-building initiatives; act as a liaison to stakeholders serving as subject matter experts.
• Provide faculty with elements of research planning to help them strategically approach research and funding opportunities.
• Establish relationships with early career faculty with research expertise or interested related to SSRI focal areas.
• Assess the needs of early career faculty and help them navigate strategic proposal development to align with their program of research.

Other responsibilities:

• Contribute to research dissemination and translation of SSRI affiliated social and behavioral research to enhance the impact of the research through public engagement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience: This position requires a Master's degree or its equivalent in a social and behavioral science field and 2+ years of experience. A Ph.D. in a related field is preferred.

Qualifications: Effective administrative, management, communication, and technical writing skills are essential in addition to the following:

• Demonstrated knowledge of the federal procurement or grant process, policies, procedures, and standards for proposal development, particularly the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• Experience in creating educational and resource materials and presentations (e.g., graphical presentation of data and concepts)
• Evidence of proficiency in software platforms required for proposal management (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Suite, Zoom, etc.)
• Experience in managing multiple, diverse, complex projects
• Excellent interpersonal and team management skills, outstanding oral and written communication skills, and an aptitude for learning new skills, tools

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion inall ofits forms.We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

Penn State offers competitive benefits to full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans, in addition to tuition discounts (75% discount for spouse and children), and paid holidays. Please visit https://hr.psu.edu/current-employee/benefits for more detailed information.

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