Careers at RFCUNYJob Openings

RFCUNY TITLE: Assistant Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs/Grant Developer and Pre-award Manager

LOCATION: Queensborough Community College

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Office of Grants/Sponsored Programs (OGSP) within Academic Affairs is the centralized entity for coordinating the submission, processing, and reporting of all College grants and contracts. OGSP is responsible for all aspects of pre and post award administration, including prospect research, proposal and budget development and review, and oversight of the submission of applications.  The office provides assistance to members of the faculty, staff, and administration in securing external funding for projects that further the mission and goals of the College.

Queensborough Community College is committed to increasing the equity of its workforce and is dedicated to recruiting and retaining professionals who share the College’s commitment to equity.  It welcomes nominations of, and applications from members of protected groups including minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities, as well as others who would bring additional perspectives to the university’s mission.  Candidates with demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusiveness through their research, teaching and/or service are also encouraged to apply.  One of Queensborough Community College’s greatest strengths, and a necessary element of excellence, is the diversity of our community.  We strive to attract and nurture a talented and diverse faculty and staff that proudly reflect the unique character of the local Queens community, the most diverse county in the United States.

Reporting to the Development Grants Director, the full-time Assistant Director of OGSP is a skilled and experienced writer and communicator who is enthusiastic about supporting community college faculty, staff, and students. The Assistant Director will manage the pre-award activities of the OGSP, especially the development and submission of grant proposals. The Assistant Director has deep knowledge of the funding landscape, and experience with federal as well as local state, city and private funders and community partners.  The Assistant Director successfully maintains collegiality and develops excellent collaborative working relationships with faculty, staff, co-workers, Research Foundation of CUNY (RFCUNY) representatives, and colleagues in other CUNY grants offices.

The Assistant Director is an employee of RFCUNY.  The Assistant Director has varied duties and responsibilities as listed below:

Grant Prospecting

• Deeply understand the funding landscape for institutions of higher education and utilize that knowledge to seek out opportunities that augment college resources and services.
• Conduct research on potential federal, state, city and private funding sources that are aligned with individual and institutional priorities and assess campus eligibility.
• Manage list of upcoming relevant funding opportunities on the OGSP website and develop a campaign to reach out to faculty and other campus grant seekers.
• Provide expert guidance to faculty and staff members in identifying funding opportunities for their specific research and funding ideas, meeting one-on-one to provide personalized services.

Proposal Management

• Develop, prepare, and write competitive, technical and/or complex grant proposals and applications on behalf of Queensborough Community College
• Guide and assist principal investigators (PIs) with proposal development, preparation, and electronic submission of federal, state, and private grant/contract applications
• Understand the goals and funding priorities of sponsors, evaluate proposed program content and requirements of the funding opportunity, and develop a proposal strategy and course of action.
• Manage timelines and the overall progression of submission, bringing diverse PIs, collaborators, and contributors together frequently to update and coordinate.
• Ensure that Principal Investigators and the College meet any fiscal limitations associated with proposal guidelines (cost sharing requirements, MWBE spending, administrative fees, etc.)
• Assemble/write content for summaries, background sections, preliminary studies, research plans, Gantt charts/project schedules, facilities and organizational resources, evaluation plans and data management plans.
• Prepare grant budgets, budget justifications and subcontractor budgets based on the project aims and ensure compliance with sponsor, QCC and RFCUNY guidelines, policies and current rates.
• Calculates faculty effort and ensures that submissions are compliant with University policies on effort determination, reporting, and tracking.
• Collaborate with partnering institutions to provide/receive all necessary information for pre-award subcontracts and collaborative proposals.
• When necessary, provide guidance and leadership by evaluating and making suggestions for improvements in the written proposal.
• Prepare and review final application, ensure proper formatting and organization, and with final approval, submit in accordance with sponsor requirements. Serve as a backup for the campus AOR or signing official on electronic submissions.    
• Track and follow up on the status of pending applications.
• Create and maintain depository of boilerplate language describing campus community and statistics, as well as available resources and facilities for proposal use.
• Evaluate comments from sponsors for declined proposals and meet with faculty to revise proposals for re-submission.
• Contribute to grant proposals when requested by proofreading, revising, drafting content, or otherwise assisting the PI and or the Development Grants Director.
• Manage submission of legal documents to finalize contracts and ensure final account set up on funded proposals. Liaise with RFCUNY Legal Affairs and CUNY Office of General Counsel where necessary.
• Maintain complete and accurate pre-award proposal and submission documentation on the electronic shared drive.

Professional Development

• Continuously develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of federal rules and regulations and other sponsor terms and conditions.
• Develop training resources for faculty and staff on funding databases, grant writing skills, proposal submission procedures and other areas of development by sourcing or creating webinars, presentations, and seminars.