Health Research Development Officer

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Job Profile

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Department

Compensation Range

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Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
This position is shared between Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity (SPARC), within the Vice President Research & Innovation (VPRI) portfolio, and the Faculty of Medicine Office of the Vice Dean, Research. The Health Research Development Officer is primarily responsible for planning, managing, and coordinating grant development services and resources supporting health research funding opportunities (e.g., CIHR Strategic Grants such as Operating Grants), from development and delivery to evaluation and reporting; contributing to the delivery of CIHR Project Grant development support services (e.g., Peer Review Committee selection, Response to Previous Reviews); and providing feedback on other CIHR grant applications as a member of SPARC’s health research review team (e.g., CIHR Project Grants). Additional responsibilities include: facilitating and/or developing collaborative research applications, liaising as required with researchers, university units, granting agencies and other external stakeholders. This role works with UBC’s Faculties, Departments, Centres and Institutes, as well as the VPRI’s Health Research Advisor and affiliated units. Overall, this role provides services to increase faculty members’ abilities to secure CIHR and other health-related funding.

Organizational Status
Reporting to the Manager, Grant Development – Health, SPARC, the incumbent will work closely with faculty members and research support staff from all Faculties, Departments and units at all UBC campuses.

Work Performed

1. Provides authoritative information on research funding administrative processes related to CIHR Strategic Grant programs (e.g., Operating Grant competitions), and other CIHR and health-related funding opportunities as required. This involves setting goals for SPARC’s support services, including work plans, and forecasting and establishing budgets.

2. Plans, manages and coordinates the delivery of SPARC support services (e.g., consultations, SPARC editorial and criteria review, strategic resources, educational services, sample grants), primarily for CIHR Strategic Grant programs, and for other major CIHR (e.g., CIHR Project Grant Peer Review Committee selection and Response to Previous Reviews services) and health-related funding opportunities. The aim is to improve UBC’s research funding success.

3. Handles the communication of SPARC services for CIHR Strategic Grant competitions and of competition results via key communication channels. These include VPRI Research Digest, SPARC’s website, email listservs, and meetings with faculty administrators (e.g., Deans and Associate Deans, Research), in conjunction with the VPRI's Health Research Advisor.

4. Provides criteria and editorial review feedback on CIHR Strategic Grant proposals from a broad range of health fields (e.g., biomedical, clinical, health systems/services, population/public health). This may also include coordinating additional grant reviews by the health team to ensure sufficient review capacity, while upholding SPARC principles of consistency, clarity and equitability (e.g., one review/per application).

5. Provides editorial and criteria review feedback on CIHR Project Grant proposals, as part of the health review team, under the leadership of SPARC’s Project Grant lead.

6. Plans, leads and delivers educational programs (e.g., information sessions, strategic grant development workshops, strategic resources) for CIHR Strategic Grant competitions. This may involve recruiting guest speakers (e.g., CIHR/UBC peer reviewers, CIHR administrators), program development in collaboration with other Faculties, Departments and sites, travel (e.g., hospital sites, UBC Okanagan) and presentations.

7. Provides one-on-one consultations to faculty and associated team members with the aim of improving the strength and competitiveness of grant proposals. This may include matching funding opportunities to research activities and researchers, and coordinating grant development.

8. Liaises with CIHR and other funding sponsors to ensure applications meet agency requirements. Also communicates these to faculty members, Associate Deans, Research and research support staff (e.g., Grant Facilitators, Development Officers) at all UBC campuses.

9. Maintains a library of successful CIHR Strategic Grant proposals obtained from UBC researchers.

10. Analyzes competition-related data and develops presentations and/or written reports.

11. Manages various research funding programs and initiatives, as required (e.g., CIHR strategic initiatives). This may involve advising on the development and assessment of institutional funding proposals; providing liaison and support for multi-investigator teams; coordinating and integrating contributions by multiple authors on team proposals; and developing, editing and finalizing institutional letters of support.

12. Promotes services and programs offered by the SPARC Office.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
A high degree of judgment and initiative is required to coordinate and develop effective grant development services. Tact and subtlety are crucial to cultivate faculty member consensus to these critical support programs, both as applicants/participants and authorities/reviewers. Incorrect management could result in an ineffective system that is not supported by Faculties/Departments or researchers. This could limit UBC’s ability to perform effectively in CIHR and other health agency competitions, thereby damaging the reputation of SPARC, VPRI, Faculty of Medicine and UBC. Research grant applications which are not developed or reviewed accurately may result in a loss of funding or may commit the University to unacceptable award conditions.

Supervision Received
Reports to the Manager, Grant Development – Health. Work is reviewed periodically to assess the validity of recommendations and the achievement of defined goals.

Supervision Given
Provides mentorship and technical knowledge to individual researchers and research teams in order to develop highly competitive funding proposals. Also, may, from time to time, handle students, employees on contract and/or consultants.

Minimum Qualifications
For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications