The College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (CAAS) at Utah State University invites applicants for a full-time Proposal Development Specialist position. The Proposal Development Specialist (Grant Writer III) reports to the CAAS Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies and supports the grant activities and research in CAAS. Focus is on internal support of CAAS’ research by providing expert assistance for grant proposal development, developing tools to aid in grant discovery and development, and managing the college’s internal grant programs.  This position is budgeted for three years, but may be longer contingent upon funding.

Estimated start date is April 1, 2023.

Grant Proposal Development (30%)

• Coordinate the development of large grant proposals:
  • Review grant application guidelines, evaluate sponsor criteria and priorities, and interpret agency requirements
  • Facilitate meetings and document sharing
  • Help to identify potential collaborators and resources within Utah State University
• Facilitate and support research faculty with collaborative planning, assist and coordinate writing, editing, and submission efforts for multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and multi-institutional proposal opportunities
• Provide expert assistance in grant preparation such as integrating multiple writing styles into a compelling story, assembling applicable publications, current grant listings, curriculum vitae, and other materials used in proposal packages.
• Serve as administrative liaison to collaborating institutions to obtain required documents

Grant Resource Development (25%)

• Create and manage internal proposal development resources in support of research faculty efforts, such as:
• Create and maintain a library of sample peripheral documents for investigators such as biographical sketches, current and pending support, conflict of interest, postdoctoral mentoring plans, data management plans, facilities and other resources, and budget justifications
• Develop, implement, and promote grant proposal development workshops in partnership with state and federal agencies and others
• Design and develop tools to improve the efficiency and quality of the grant proposal development

Pre-Award Support (15%)

• Provide full-service pre-award support, particularly to new and/or early-career faculty, in preparation of federal grant proposals:
• Utilize federal grant proposal knowledge and insights to review Request for Proposal (RFP) in detail to provide relevant information to faculty and making recommendations to increase the probability of success
• Provide guidance for creating a timeline for proposal preparation
• Review components of proposal submission for typographical and grammatical errors, clarity, format, and adherence to RFP specifications
• Provide suggestions for improved clarity and readability
• Enter budget information into funding agency budget forms.
• Obtain sub-award budgets and other required sub-award documentation.

Develop and manage initiatives for CAAS Research and Graduate Programs (30%)

• In consultation with the CAAS Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies:
• Develop, implement, and manage initiatives to advance collegiate goals and opportunities for research and graduate programs.
• Coordinate strategic planning efforts in CAAS Research and Graduate Programs; advise Associate Dean on resources and courses of action in support of strategic priorities.
• Facilitate meetings on behalf of Associate Dean; develop and coordinates agenda for various forums and meetings, and provide summary and recommendations for action.
• Communicate directly, and on behalf of the Associate Dean, with faculty, staff and outside parties, on matters related to Associate Dean’s initiatives
• Create content for correspondence, agreements, reports, presentations, marketing and informational materials for internal and external stakeholders including faculty, graduate students, administrators, outside collaborators and government and NGO representatives
• Support and continue to enhance transparency through dashboards goal progress and attainment.
• Manage sensitive and confidential information.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BA/BS plus at least four years of professional experience performing administrative, budgetary or grants responsibilities, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Experience with editing and coordinating grant proposal submissions
• Experience with budget development for externally-funded proposals

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with faculty in higher education institution
• Experience with editing, integrating writing styles and coordinating grant proposal submissions
• Grant-related work experience in a higher-education setting involving multiple units/organizations
• Experience with grants.gov, Fastlane, or other grant management and grant identification systems
• Familiarity with Utah State University systems
• Experience in project management
• Experience and expertise in technology and software as related to the needs of the position (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Adobe, etc.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and experience working in multicultural settings with diverse stakeholders

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Demonstrated customer service skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with a high level of accountability, follow-through and internal drive.
• Demonstrated ability to simultaneously work on multiple projects with fixed deadlines.
• Proven ability to work under deadlines, which may include reprioritizing tasks or working non-traditional schedules to successfully meet all deadlines.

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
2. One page letter of interest to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”
3. Cover Letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application 

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes.  The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

Utah State University (USU) was founded in 1888 and is Utah’s land-grant and space-grant university. USU is one of only 146 research institutions in the U.S. classified as R1 “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. As one of the two premier research institutions in Utah, USU provides a high-quality education at an affordable price. With its main campus in Logan, the university serves approximately 27,500 students, including 24,255 undergraduates and 3,171 graduate students. USU Online has served students from all 50 states and 55 countries for 25 years.

USU’s statewide system features three residential campuses, 30 total campus locations, and 23 Extension education centers. The university employs 903 full-time faculty members, 124 executive administrators, and 1,649 full-time support staff. USU offers 115 undergraduate majors, as well as 91 master’s and 42 doctoral degrees. Learn more about USU.

A core characteristic of USU is engagement with communities and people in economic development, improvements to quality of life, and human capital. Through the practical application of knowledge, the University and its faculty engage and share expertise with the state, nation, and world, preserving the historical land-grant tradition of partnering with communities to address critical societal issues in the interest of the public good.

The USU main campus is located in beautiful Logan, Utah, a city of about 50,000 situated in a picturesque mountain valley about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. Outstanding recreational opportunities abound in the nearby mountains and proximate region.

USU is sensitive to the needs of dual career couples and provides a Dual Career Assistance program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment.

USU endeavors to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access in all aspects of employment to qualified persons with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Human Resource office at 435-797-0122 or submit a request at hr@usu.edu.

USU Land Acknowledgment

Please visit our website to learn about Utah State’s land acknowledgment of the eight tribes of Utah.

Notice of Non-discrimination

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Matthew Pinner, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, Ut 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

U.S. Department of Education, Denver Regional Office, 303-844-5695, OCR.Denver@ed.gov

*updated 11/2022