EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Master's degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM), Social Science, or Public Health.
Experience: Five years’ experience developing or writing proposals to/for federal, state, or local agencies.
Preferred Qualifications:
- PhD, MD, or equivalent and five years’ demonstrated success in the field.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Senior Research Development Specialist will be responsible for providing professional development and proposal coordination for faculty researchers and for providing strategies to develop competitive proposals for biomedical and life science research funding from federal agencies, specifically those under Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
- Provides faculty and professional development by participating in seminars and other training programs as needed for UTMB researchers.
- Develops and updates templates, tools and guidance documents for use by researchers and other research development staff.
Leads and coordinates strategic review of faculty driven proposals.
Leads and coordinates large multi-PI, programmatic grants, center grants or other specialty grants.
Provides mentoring to early-stage investigators on grant best practices and strategy for long-term funding.
Provides strategic, proactive, catalytic, and capacity-building proposal writing expertise to faculty members and researchers.
Provides analytical, technical, and professional support in writing funding proposals, including development of hypotheses, aims, and objectives, grantsmanship and limited scientific review.
Proposal development duties include obtaining competitive intelligence on funding programs; facilitating PI team building; substantive editing of proposal sections. Work cooperatively with grant/contract specialists, and other Research Development team members in pursuit of these objectives.
Identifies and maintains research alliances with potential collaborative partners and funding agencies to formulate and implement specific research projects.
Monitors funding agency changes and priorities and identifies funding opportunities suited for faculty member(s) based upon their research expertise.
Serves as proposal development expert to staff and researchers.
Marginal or Periodic Functions:
- Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, particularly the capacity for the integration and synthesis of written text that represents a melding of multidisciplinary research.
- Demonstrated capacity for independent decision making, research development, and working on multidisciplinary teams on project and proposal development.
- Knowledge of grant application processes for NIH.
- Requires ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.
SALARY
Commensurate with experience.
SUPERVISION
Received: This position Reports directly to a department Vice-Chair for Research, Chair, Center Director, Institute Director, or a suitable research development or research administration title such as Operations Manager, Associate Director, Director, or Executive Director.
Given: Directly reporting to this position includes Research Development Officer, Research Development Strategist, or research administration titles such as pre-award analysist.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT/EQUIPMENT
Standard office environment. May require travel to conferences or meetings with funding agencies or professional development. Standard office equipment.
*Official Regulatory Statement for Healthcare jobs’ Job Descriptions: May be exposed to such occupational hazards as communicable diseases, blood borne pathogens, ionizing & non-ionizing radiation, hazardous medications and disoriented or combative patients or others
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:
UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
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For application assistance, please email [email protected] Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.
Job Details
Primary Location: United States-Texas-Galveston
Work Locations: 0587 - John W McCullough Bldg, 301 University Blvd., John W McCullough Bldg, rm 3.120, Galveston, 77555-0587
Job: Research Academic & Clinical
Organization: UTMB Health, Regular
Shift: Standard
Employee Status: Team Lead / Technical
Job Level: Day Shift
Job Posting: Aug 26, 2026, 9:52:02 PM