Research Grant and REF Development Specialist
Full time, permanent
Grade 8 (£46,485 - £55,295 / £46,735 - £55,755 from March 2025)
Abertay is a modern university with a global outlook, rooted in its local and national communities. We have made our mark with high quality, well-directed teaching and research, and a stimulating and enriching experience for our students.
Research, Innovation and Enterprise Support Office (RIES)
You will join a small professional team and help drive the development of a newly formed RIES Office. The new RIES Office brings together staff, support and management functions from across the University, to provide an integrated, efficient, and coherent support and management service for the funding submission and award lifecycle. The RIES Office team will provide expert advice, guidance and operational support for the entire university RKE portfolio. The team will collaborate with the academic community, various university leadership groups and support services, to deliver against university and external key performance indicators to ensure the University’s compliance with major funders and government agencies.
The new RIES Office is co-located with the Graduate School team, who provide support and professional development opportunities to our vibrant postgraduate and researcher community. The teams are overseen by the Dean of Research and the Graduate School within a dedicated facility at the heart of the University. Together the RIES and Graduate School teams are central to the continued development of our excellent research culture and environment, supporting delivery of the University’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy R-LINCS, and achievement of its RKE ambitions.
The University now seeks to appoint a Research Grant and REF Development Specialist.
Reporting to the Dean of Research and the Graduate School, you will play a leading role in the University’s grant writing efforts by collaborating with our academics to create compelling and engaging narratives that speak to the requirements of the grant or submission in question and capture the imagination of the assessors, to maximize external funding success for the University. You will support, guide and prepare external funding applications in collaboration with individual researchers and research teams from across the University, and liaise with the Research Executive, the Research and Academic Leadership Groups and Research Innovation and Enterprise Services, as appropriate, and in line with the University Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy R-LINCS.
In addition, you will support the Dean of Research and the Graduate School and the Research Executive with the development of REF documentation, and you will contribute to our research culture and environment by supporting researcher development training including grant writing, scoping funding opportunities for proposals, and other relevant areas.
Role Specific Duties and Responsibilities
* Responsibility for researching, preparing, submitting, and managing high quality grant proposals and reports that meet funder guidelines.
* The role will involve the full complement of preparing and organizing materials for proposals, and submitting and monitoring (pre-award) grant applications, including but not limited to:
* Drafting and reviewing proposals, grant application narratives, strategic narratives and justifications;
* Contributing to the internal peer review of grant bids leading to the preparation and submission of high-quality research proposals;
* Working with the RIES team to develop appropriate funding proposals;
* Meeting with the relevant funders and stakeholders to explore funding opportunities;
* Maintaining a master calendar of grants and prospects and all associated files and correspondence;
* Supporting researcher development training by running grant writing workshops for early career researchers, specific funding calls and arranging external funder visits;
* Developing and maintaining a library of grant support documents including text and report metrics to support proposal writing, resumes, bios etc;
* Developing and maintaining funding webpages for the Abertay academy and ensure acknowledgment of funders/investors via website and social media.
* Support the University Research Innovation and Enterprise Services by assisting in managing funder relationships and supporting special project initiatives.
* Identify and explore potential grant funding opportunities and maximize the potential grant revenue to the University through liaising and networking with other institutions and organisations and the application of your extensive knowledge of fundraising methods.
* Liaise with the RKE Leadership and University Senior Management Team and other individuals to assist with other University fundraising projects and develop relationships with key decision makers.
* Support the Dean of Research and the Graduate School with the University REF activities and submission.
* Maintain a master calendar of REF timelines and all associated guidelines and documents.
* Contribute to our research culture and environment by developing initiatives in line with the University Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy R-LINCS that will strengthen our REF submission
* Liaise with the Research Executive and the Research and Academic Leadership Groups to support the University with the development of REF activities and the annual review of REF progress.
* Contribute to the preparation and submission of REF documentation.
* As an active citizen of the University, promote a collegial approach to delivering on a range of activities which contribute to the intellectual life of the institution.
If you believe you have the skills and experience for this exciting and challenging role, please submit your application through our online recruitment system.
Committed to Equal Opportunities
Abertay University is a Scottish Registered Charity,
No: SC016040