Research Development Officer

How to Apply

In addition to your resume, please submit a cover letter where you describe how this role fits your experience and career goals. Your submission will be used to assess writing skills and attention to detail during the initial screening process. (Note that the system only allows for one single file attachment).

Job Summary

The mission of the University of Michigan Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is to catalyze, support and safeguard U-M research. To that end, the OVPR team fosters research, builds partnerships, and provides support to our researchers to realize our vision of research that serves the world.

The Research Development Officer will be a member of the Office of Research Development (ORD) and will focus primarily on positioning interdisciplinary research teams to compete successfully for large-scale external funding. The Research Development Officer will lead proposal development and management for complex, multi-investigator and multi-institutional proposals, from early opportunity identification through submission. The Research Development Officer will also serve as a source of strategic funding intelligence for faculty and OVPR leadership: identifying and planning for emerging opportunities, analyzing sponsor priorities, connecting data and human intelligence, and translating competitive insight into actionable guidance for teams. This position will support operations within the ORD, including workshops and online proposal resources.

This is a hybrid position. The Research Development Officer will be expected to spend one day a week in the office and to be on campus to support events as needed.

Responsibilities*

Proposal management: lead the end-to-end development of large-scale and interdisciplinary proposals; tasks include solicitation analysis, building timelines, compliance matrices and checklists, assigning and tracking writing responsibilities, and managing teams.
Proposal development: help teams shape and articulate a compelling research vision; draft, edit, and integrate proposal narratives and supporting components (e.g., project summaries, management and governance plans, broader impacts, data management and evaluation plans, letters of collaboration) to produce cohesive, responsive, and competitive submissions.
Proactive funding strategy: track federal agency funding priorities, policy changes, and emerging programs; identify large-scale opportunities early and match them with relevant U-M expertise and teams.
Funding intelligence: analyze sponsor portfolios, prior awards, review criteria, program priorities, and the competitive field to inform proposal strategy; develop internal materials (e.g., forecasts, presentations)  for faculty teams and OVPR leadership.
Pre-solicitation positioning: help teams prepare ahead of anticipated opportunities, including guidance on engaging program officers, responding to requests for information (RFIs), identifying partners, and building the preliminary work and relationships needed to be competitive.
Competitiveness reviews: organize and facilitate internal peer/red team reviews and mock review panels, help teams interpret reviewer feedback, and support resubmission strategy for unfunded proposals.
Team development and coordination: coordinate team meetings and activities to support effective team science, facilitate connections to internal and external partners, and coordinate with central and unit-level research administration to ensure on-time, compliant submissions.
Develop and deliver resources and training for faculty and staff, such as toolkits, templates, workshops, and individual consultations on proposal development, the funding landscape, and funding strategy; manage and maintain online resources, e.g., proposal libraries, etc.
 

Required Qualifications*

Bachelor's degree required.
Significant experience in grant proposal development and management, including coordinating multi-investigator proposals and managing complex submission timelines.
Demonstrated knowledge of the research funding landscape, including major federal sponsors (e.g., NSF, NIH, DOE, DOW) and their funding mechanisms, peer review processes, and priorities.
Ability to analyze solicitations, sponsor priorities, and funding trends, and to translate that analysis into clear, actionable recommendations for researchers and leadership.
Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to synthesize complex, interdisciplinary content into clear, compelling, and compliant proposal narratives.
Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills, including the ability to guide senior faculty teams, manage competing priorities, and keep contributors on schedule.
Ability to effectively provide training to others in the form of workshops and individual consultations.

Strong initiative and demonstrated ability to work independently and in collaborative settings are essential. Must be able to work in a sensitive and confidential manner using independent judgment and professionalism.
Must be able to manage multiple proposals and initiatives simultaneously while meeting deadlines and maintaining attention to detail.

 

Desired Qualifications*

Master's degree or Ph.D. preferred.
Demonstrated success working with teams to submit large-scale proposals (>$5 million), such as center, institute, or program project grants.
Experience using funding intelligence tools (e.g., Pivot-RP, NIH RePORTER, NSF Award Search, USASpending).
Experience engaging with program officers and funding agencies, or prior experience in a sponsor-facing role (e.g., reviewer, program staff).
Familiarity with federal planning processes and science policy trends affecting research funding.
Professional development or certification in research development or proposal management (e.g., NORDP, APMP).
 

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

Benefits at the University of Michigan
In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:
Generous time off
A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
Life insurance
Long-term disability coverage
Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
 

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.