| Date: |
June, 2016 |
| Reports to (Job Title): |
Associate Dean, Research and External Partnerships |
| Jobs Reporting (Job Titles): |
(Occasional) Conract writers, coop students |
| Department: |
Dean of Engineering Office |
Location: |
Main Campus |
Grade: |
USG 12
35 hr/wk
|
Primary Purpose
To advance the Faculty's strategic research interests in a competitive funding environment.The Faculty of Engineering consistently earns over $50 million in research funding per year.The incumbent will work with the Engineeringleadershi p and with individual faculty members to maintain and increase this amount and to identify and secure new sources of research funding.The incumbent will also help to cement the Faculty's shared commitment to research excellence, eliminate barriers to research success, and strategically identify and assess the Faculty's research strengths.
Specifically, the incumbent will:identify strategic research funding opportunities; develop effective research proposals for government, private sector and not-for-profit funding agents; provide project management and writing support to teams of faculty members pursuing major grants; provide review and oversight of research proposals;liaising with units across campus insupport ofthe Faculty and University's strategic research goals collect; and analyze data with respect to competitive research funding at Waterloo, nationally and internationally, to help identify and support the Faculty's strategic priorities
Key Accountabilities:
1. Strategic initiatives
The Faculty of Engineering regularly prepares large-scale research proposals for a variety of funding agents,insupport of the Faculty's strategic priorities.The incumbent will be responsible for ensuringthese proposals are of the highest quality, through:
- Project managing teams of faculty members,adm inistrative support staff and contract writers.
- Acting as an expert source of information and advice regarding funding agent priorities,guidelines, deadlines,review procedures,selection committee membership,etc.
- Writing compelling proposal material, including background preparation, fact-checking, and the translation of technical research information into accurate text that is understandable,readable,and appropriate to the audience.
- liaising with funding agents and with supporting units on campus.
- Working with the Dean, ADR and Director of Engineering Research to identify and develop opportunities to establish new research initiatives and grow existing programs.
2. Grant competition coordination and management
The majority of individual research fundingis received via regular funding competitions orchestrated by major government agents,in particular the Tri Council,the Canada Fund of Innovation,and the Ontario Research Fund.
- Managing and coordinating contract writing support,provided on a discretionary basis via the ERO and the Office of Research.
- Managing the document submission process for new proposal applications, including project tracking to help ensure applications are prepared in a timely, effective manner and in accordance with university requirements and agency guidelines.
- Establishing procedures and timelines for preparation and submission of proposals to meet university and agency guidelines.
- Coaching and mentoringfaculty members on writing persuasive, strategically positioned technical research material for a broad range of audiences.
- Developing and updating program-specific support materials to guide researchers through proposal preparation.
- Reporting and reviewing the faculty's technical writing commitments with the ADR.
3. Grant proposal review
On a case-by-case basis, review and edit research proposals for individual faculty members to maximize their chances of success.
- Verify budget calculations and projections,and adherence to university and agency requirements; fact-checking.
- Provide feedback on strategic positioning;assist with the translation of technical research information into accurate text that is understandable and readable.
- Review and edit research proposals to correct for structure, grammar, style, and persuasiveness.
- Act as an expert source of information and advice regarding funding agent priorities, guidelines, deadlines,review procedures,selection committee membership,etc.
- Provide the ADR with quality assessment reviews of complex and/or problematic applications.
4. Data collection and analytics, background research,strategy development
Research and write faculty-based research reports and documents that profile engineering research, including but not limited to:
- Collect relevant data to describe individual and faculty-wide research achievements, funding, and success rate statistics.
- Generate reports summarizing engineering research activity, and monitor university, government and funding agent research policies and priorities nationally and internationally to support internal strategic decision making.
- Produce fact sheets and presentation materials that profile engineering research and researchers for a variety of audiences including industry and not-for-profit sponsors.
- Provide the ADR and Dean with strategic advice,information,and data related to upcoming funding opportunities to support decision making and the establishment of internal procedures.
- Establish and maintaining contacts with the Office of Research and relevant funding agencies to ensure information provided and interpretation of guidelines to engineering researchers are complete, current, and accurate.
5. Improve work processes
- Identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement with regard to current procedures, pertaining to research data gathering and management, the review and submission of research proposals,interaction with individual faculty members,and liaison with other administrative units on campus,including the Office of Research.
- Develop solutions and promote and implement improved procedures, in collaboration with stakeholders on campus.
Position Requirements
Education:
- Master's degree in a STEM discipline.
- University-level research experience is required
Experience:
- A minimum of 5 years' experience in a technical writing role, with extensive experience preparing and reviewing individual, multi-author and institutional research proposals for government and not-for profit funding agencies.
- Demonstrated research skills; including the ability to compile and integrate relevant information (qualitative and statistical) from a broad range of sources to inform Faculty of Engineering strategy and planning,to strengthen research proposals and reports, and to position the Faculty favourably in communications with government and the private sector.
- The ability to work both independently and in teams, in a dynamic environment and with shifting timelines and priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to think critically and analytically.
- Demonstrated ability to fully understand, synthesize and translate material of a highly technical nature into text that is accessible to professional and public lay audiences.
- Superior oral and written communication skills, with experience presenting data and technical material to professional audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to write short copy (web-based text), long copy (research proposals and reports), and research presentation material (power point) for broad audiences (technical reviewers and lay audiences).
- Well-developed editorial skills, including experience in copy editing.
- Demonstrated ability to handle multiple assignments simultaneously, while adhering to tight timelines.
Technical:
| MS Word |
Excel |
PowerPoint |
Other |
| Advanced |
Advanced |
Basic |
Required:
Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Advantageous: Sharepoint, LaTeX,
Google Docs/Dropbox/Overleaf |
Nature and Scope
Interpersonal Skills:
An independent administrator with exceptional communication skills, the incumbent will:
- Ensure effective and timely interaction within research project teams, and more broadly between Engineering research stakeholders on and off campus.
- Negotiate agreements and secure timely action to share information and address challenges to meet the University's research funding goals. Confident and diplomatically address sensitive issues regarding research finance and negotiated agreements with external sponsors.
- Support, advise and guide individual faculty members and senior administration with regard to funding opportunities,research proposals and funding program requirements.
Important relationships include:
- University level: Office of Research teams including Institutional Research, Research Partnerships, Research Finance, Waterloo International,and the Waterloo Commercialization Office; Institutional Analysis and Planning;Counterparts in other Faculties, Centres and Institutes.
- Faculty level: Dean of Engineering; Associate Dean Research and External Partnerships; Director of Engineering Research; Director of Advancement; Director of Planning; Research Grants and Awards Officer. ·
- Departmental level: Individual researchers; Department Chairs and departmental research administrators.
- Off Campus: Private sector research partners; Funding agent program managers and liaisons, including NSERC, CFI,Mitacs, OCE, and MRI Ontario.
Level of Responsibility:
The incumbent will act as a primary source of advice and assistance for all Engineering faculty members seeking external funding to pursue their research programs and support their researh team members. Nearly 300 faculty members support over 1,800 graduate students pursuingresearch degrees.The Faculty of Engineering consistently receives well over $50 million in research funding per fiscal year.
The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring that grant applications:
- Comply with university and sponsor policies
- Accurately budget for reasonable projected expenses
- Accurately portray the research capacity and track record of Waterloo Engineering
The incumbent will also be responsible for identifying additional research funding opportunities, and for identifying,encouraging and assisting faculty members in applying for those research funds.
The incumbent must have personal initiative,the ability to be flexible and strong problem-solving skills. The incumbent will have strong analytical skills, be able to interpret accurately and apply agency and institutional regulations, policies and guidelines and to integrate report data from various sources. The ability to work with confidential information, to work independently and as part of a team, and the capacity to work effectively and efficiently in a complex, fast-paced and changing environment with numerous deadlines and priorities is essential.
Decision-Making Authority:
Provides expert decision support to the Dean and the ADR to:
- Approve research projects on behalf of the Faculty of Engineering.
- Allocate Faculty financial support to strategically important research initiatives (e.g.,construction cost for CFI projects)
- Ensure compliance with University policies regarding research activities (e.g.,finance, ethics, IP).
- Establish timelines and standard operating procedures for the management of research competitions.
- Allocate personnel and resources to support the research missions of the Faculty of Engineering and meet the objectives of the Faculty's strategic plan.
Physical and Sensory Demands:
Working Conditions
A comfortable office environment typical of an administrative role. There is a frequent need to give close attention to various stimuli such as written material and verbal information. The work is varied and conflicting priorities must be juggl ed to ensure all projects are completed successfully under considerable time pressure. Concentration and attentiveness to detail are imperative in an often distracting environment.
Working Environment:
Hours
Working hours are regular,but with some evening/weekend work required.Major research competitions, of which there are typically several per year, are associated with abnormally high work volumes and temporarily increased working demands.
Physical and Psychological Risks
No physical risks. Minor psychological risks are typical of a supervisory position, and associated with (occasional) stressful interactions with faculty, for whom preparing research proposals can be both onerous and professionally vital (e.g.,with regard to deadline pressure, budgeting requirements).
