Research Development Associate

Job Summary

The University of Utah is seeking an experienced Research Development Associate to support the development of large, complex, interdisciplinary research proposals. This position is part of the Large Infrastructure Funding Team (LIFT) within the Office of the Associate Vice President for Research.

LIFT supports center-scale, multi-investigator, and other large strategic funding opportunities - most commonly federal proposals exceeding $5M. The team partners with faculty to shape, coordinate, and strengthen proposals to maximize competitiveness.

This position is full time, benefited position with a hybrid schedule (approximately two days per week on campus).

About the Role

This role focuses on strategic proposal development and integration. Faculty authors develop the scientific content; this position ensures that proposals are well-framed, coherent, funder-aligned, and executable.

The Research Development Associate will serve as a lead integrator on large-scale proposals, working closely with faculty, proposal team members, and research administration staff to guide proposals from concept through submission.

Core responsibilities include:

• Strategic framing and concept development for large-scale proposals aligned with university priorities
• Narrative integration and substantive editing of multi-author documents
• Proposal architecture and planning, including structuring sections and aligning content to sponsor expectations
• Facilitation of interdisciplinary teams, including guiding key decisions related to scope, positioning, and partnerships

Responsibilities

Strategic Proposal Development

• Lead early-stage concept development and framing discussions with faculty teams
• Translate complex scientific ideas into clear, funder-aligned positioning
• Identify competitive strengths, gaps, and opportunities relative to sponsor priorities

Narrative Integration & Editing

• Integrate contributions from multiple authors into a cohesive, compelling proposal
• Provide substantive editing focused on clarity, structure, and reviewer perspective
• Ensure alignment with sponsor review criteria and expectations

Proposal Planning & Team Facilitation

• Establish timelines, milestones, and deliverables
• Facilitate meetings to drive progress and decision-making
• Guide teams through key proposal development phases, including red-team reviews

Collaboration & Coordination

• Partner with research administration, pre-award staff, and leadership
• Coordinate interdisciplinary teams and external partners
• Contribute to proposal tools, templates, and best practices

Funding Strategy & Landscape Awareness

• Interpret and identify funding opportunity announcements and sponsor priorities
• Provide strategic guidance on targeting and positioning proposals
• Support development of teams for future center-scale opportunities

What This Role Does NOT Do

• Does not write full scientific proposals on behalf of faculty
• Does not manage submission systems (e.g., Cayuse)
• Does not replace departmental pre-award or budget development functions

Minimum Qualifications

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor's degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).

Department may hire employee at one of the following job levels:

Research Development Associate, III: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 6 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 4 years of directly related work experience.

Research Development Associate, IV: Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 8 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 6 years of directly related work experience.

Preferences

Strong candidates will demonstrate:

1. Experience supporting large, complex, multi-investigator proposals (center-scale preferred)
2. Ability to interpret funding solicitations and align proposals to sponsor priorities
3. Exceptional writing and editing skills with technical content
4. Experience facilitating interdisciplinary teams
5. Strong organizational skills in deadline-driven environments
6. Ability to provide constructive guidance to senior faculty and stakeholders
7. Willingness to work flexibly to meet proposal deadlines