Research Grants Facilitator

Job Category
M&P – AAPS

Job Title
Research Grants Facilitator

Department
Administrative Leadership Centre for Brain Health Faculty of Medicine

Posting End Date
November 15, 2022

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

Job Summary

The Research Grants Facilitator (RGF) provides planning and support for Full Faculty Members of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH) in the area of research grant and awards acquisition. The incumbent identifies and communicates research award and funding opportunities from Canadian and international government funding agencies, private foundations and industry. The incumbent provides proposal development support on research grant applications and award nominations, including writing components of team grants and award nomination letters. The incumbent establishes and maintains relationships with key points of contact of internal and external research and award sponsors. and develops strategic research support plans for the DMCBH in collaboration with the Directors. The incumbent also provides leadership in the understanding  of the mandates, priorities, processes and policies of internal UBC and major Canadian and international,  government and private research funding sponsors.
Organizational Status

The DMCBH builds on the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) impressive legacy of brain research and brings together experts in the fields of neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, and rehabilitation science in a hub for training, research, and clinical care. The Centre is a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health and the UBC Faculty of Medicine and is comprised of a community of more than 100 investigators with multidisciplinary expertise who span many different faculties, departments, and locations, both across UBC and at other academic institutions. Headquartered in a state-of-the-art facility located on UBC’s Point Grey campus, the Centre bridges basic science and clinical care, and provides opportunities for education, collaboration, and interaction with patients from across BC.

The advertised position reports to the Director, and works closely with DMCBH faculty, research staff, and trainees as required.

Work Performed

Facilitation of Grant Application Process and Advising

• Acts as the key resource for research funding opportunities and actively seeks out  and encourages researchers to apply for funding to improve research grant success.
• Establishes and maintains productive relationships with internal and external research sponsors in order to maintain current knowledge of the research award and funding landscape.
• Establishes and maintains productive relationships with DMCBH Faculty members and trainees with the goal of developing working knowledge and understanding of their research programs.
• Identifies and disseminates information regarding granting agencies’ requests for applications and  research funding opportunities. Investigates potential funding opportunities on a specific topic or given area upon request.
• Provides advice on the eligibility criteria, deadlines, submission processes, budget requirements and other important details regarding internal and external  research funding and award opportunities.
• Ensures researchers are aware of, and address within their funding applications, University and external  agency policies and procedures.
• Reviews research grant applications for key institutional requirements prior to the provision of Faculty­ level signatures.
• Works with faculty in the development of research grant or award nomination proposals, which may include research team coordination; grant writing; copy editing; reviewing and providing feedback on proposal design and content; providing advice on grant budgets; assisting in the writing of letters of intent and proposal support letters; and assisting faculty to ensure that key components of grant applications are complete prior to submission.
• Connects with faculty new to UBC and assists them with the transition to the local research environment; advise new faculty of research funding and award opportunities and research support services.
• Identifies potential funding opportunities to support identified Faculty strategic research plans.
• Develops digital resources (e.g. budget templates, web content) to aid in the development of research proposals.
• Liaises with UBC Office of Research Services, VP Research and Innovation, SPARC, research sponsor personnel, Research and Trust Accounting, University Industry Liaison Office, Institutional Programs Office, and Faculty and administrative staff on questions related to the acquisition  and administration of research funding.

Facilitation of Research Knowledge Transfer and Exchange/Education

• Provides Communications personnel with information on current research projects, recent grant awards and recommends faculty members who should be profiled in newsletters, Annual Reports and other materials; ability to understand and effectively communicate complex scientific issues to the non-expert public, both verbally and in writing.
• Develops and implements grant writing supports for faculty (e.g. educational sessions and workshops on  grant writing, open access, partnered research, award nomination, adopting researcher digital identifiers).

Strategic Planning

• Provides leadership in identifying, developing, and applying for large and complex research grant funding from various funding agencies including provincial, federal and international programs.
• Facilitates collaborations and initiatives between researchers, assisting with the development of research partnerships, and identifying funding opportunities.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The RGF is required to conduct all research facilitation activities in an ethical manner following approved guidelines. This is an important research facilitation role, and has considerable freedom to act in carrying out project tasks in related disciplines. A high degree of judgment and initiative is required to manage preparation and submission process of research proposals/manuscripts. Errors may result in missed revenue opportunities, and/or inefficient use of time and resources pursuing unfruitful avenues of funding or publication opportunities. The position must exercise judgement and strong analytical thinking in the sourcing and selection of potential opportunities and the relevance of trends in the grants and publications space. Work requires the ability to quickly absorb large amounts of complex scientific and industry information and an understanding of how to translate this information to funding and publication success. Errors made could influence the ability of researchers to meet critical deadlines. Confidentiality must be maintained when dealing with research ideas and data, as breach of confidentiality could compromise the research programs and credibility of DMCBH researchers.
Supervision Received

Considerable latitude for the RGF’s work is provided. Direction is provided by principal investigators leading the grant, manuscript, or ethics application.  The RGF is expected to develop a work plan and timelines, and to exercise a considerable amount of judgment and initiative in their duties and responsibilities.  Direct day-to-day supervision will be provided by the Directors.
Supervision Given
 

This position does not include supervision of other staff.

Minimum Qualifications

For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred Qualifications

A post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation is required. A minimum of four (4) years of experience in a research environment with applied knowledge and demonstrated skill in successful research grant application development, facilitation, and administration (particularly in the health sciences) is preferred. Strong understanding of the language and culture of the research community and research granting agencies. High degree of analytical accuracy, sound judgment and the ability to work independently. Superior communication skills (oral and written), excellent writing and copy-editing skills. Very good knowledge of University policies and procedures related to research administration. A broad knowledge of University structure and operations. Demonstrated knowledge, skill and experience in research grant development, scientific technical writing, report writing and administration. Excellent knowledge of policies and procedures of research funding sponsors and agencies. Excellent organizational and time management skills, and demonstrated ability to coordinate research teams. Ability to adapt to changing priorities, multitasking and meeting deadlines. Experience in using a wide variety of word processing, spreadsheet, database and web applications essential; ability to learn/use UBC IT research support systems (e.g., RISe Extended Reporting, VPRI Sharepoint). Strong presentation skills using PowerPoint and other multimedia.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence.  An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged.  We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.