Director of Research Initiatives

Overview

Director of Research Initiatives (Administrator I/II/III) is open until filled with an initial application review to take place after December 20, 2023. 

The salary range for this position is $5,642 - $11,388 per month depending upon qualifications, classification level, and internal equities.

The Director Research Initiatives-Engineering and Physical Sciences shall serve under the guidance of the Associate Vice President, Research Advancement of SDSU and shall identify, develop, and promote special programs and initiatives to meet the research and outreach goals and objectives of SDSU. 

While Research Advancement serves the needs of all campus researchers and scholars, this position will have a disciplinary focus on opportunities especially related to engineering and physical sciences and industry/academia collaborative projects. The Director will have special focus on: creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications for advancing knowledge related to computing, energy, environmental and physical sciences technologies; development of scientific human and physical resources that contribute to research; and, support of academic-industry-government laboratory collaborations.

The Director will advise faculty and researchers on funding opportunities and strategic planning for extramural research proposals. The main focus of efforts are 1) single investigator proposals, 2) major large scale, multidisciplinary and/or multi-investigator research projects, and 3) training, institutional program development, and outreach proposals.

Responsibilities

The Director of Research Initiatives is responsible for but not limited to:

Research Outreach Goals, Initiatives, and Faculty Partnership (75%)

• Identify, develop, promote, and lead special programs, funding opportunities, and initiatives to meet the research and outreach goals and objectives of SDSU. 
• Strategically collaborate with other University and Research Foundation staff to advance and maintain SDSU’s position and reputation as a national leader in research and scholarship.
• Serve as a strategic funding advisor and proposal reviewer for faculty in developing competitive proposals to grow their research programs.
• Address national and regional research needs and priorities through supporting a portfolio of departments, centers, and institutes within a broad but coherent area of research.
• Facilitate teaming and prepare large-scale competitive proposals in response to selected opportunities.
• Network with various funding programs, federal funding agencies, government and industry officials, and private funders.
• Advise and partner with faculty in generating effective extramural proposals while providing detailed grant proposal development assistance through all stages of proposal conceptual development and refinement.
• Collaborate with faculty to facilitate, or in some cases lead, the preparation of successful major grant applications, including the coordination of large multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research proposals.
• Advise faculty in developing partnerships with other academic, private sector, and government agencies.

Institutional Program Development and Training (20%)

• Design, develop, and conduct grant development workshops for faculty and researchers to support proposal development and other faculty interventions.
• Provide strategic oversight of programs supporting faculty research by maintaining an understanding of campus priorities and how the needs of initiatives fit within the larger national, educational, research, and funding contexts.
• Design, develop, and conduct training and outreach programs for junior faculty to enhance their abilities to successfully compete for sponsored research funding.
• Manage the division’s limited submission program.
• Support novel Team Science groups and proposals, especially those related to computing, energy, environmental and physical sciences technologies.

Other Duties and Responsibilities as Assigned 5%

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience

Administrator I:

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field or additional experience may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis.
• Four-years of related experience in a management or supervisory capacity

Administrator II:

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field or additional experience may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis.
• Six-years of related experience in a management or supervisory capacity

Administrator III:

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field or additional experience may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis.
• Eight-years of related experience in a management or supervisory capacity

Preferred Qualifications

• PH.D in related field
• Two years of experience with proposal writing
• Experience working in a university setting

ADDITIONAL APPLICANT INFORMATION:

• A background check (including a criminal records check)  and Livescan (fingerprint) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with SDSU Research Foundation/KPBS
• San Diego State University Research Foundation is an EEO/AA/Disability/Vets Employer