Director, Research Division, College of Education

Overview

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Director, Research Division, College of Education at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

The Director of Research provides strategic leadership for the College of Education's (COE) research enterprise, with primary responsibility for overseeing grant administration, leading research development efforts, facilitating internal and external research partnerships, coordinating initiatives designed to support and enhance faculty research, and managing grants staff. This position serves as the key liaison between faculty researchers, university research administrations, and external funding agencies.

• Serves as a key member of COE leadership team by working collaboratively with staff and faculty at all levels across the University and with internal and external partners. Serve as resource to faculty and staff throughout the entire grant lifecycle addressing issues as they arise to ensure successful implementation and stewardship.
• Provide strategic leadership in the COE research enterprise by proactively identifying emergent funding opportunities, cultivating alternative revenue partnerships with various organizations and industries, and building nimble research frameworks that allow faculty and staff to pursue innovative scholarship across traditional boundaries while navigating shifting federal priorities and economic constraints.
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive plan for identifying and disseminating external and internal funding opportunities across the COE.
• Work with faculty, college and university administrators, and external stakeholders to develop competitive individual and team research proposals for extramural funding.
• Lead research development efforts, including funding opportunity identification and targeted dissemination, grant/contract proposal development, consultation with funding agencies and institutional research administration and leadership, and interaction with institutional federal and state relations, outreach activities, and training.
• Prepare monthly reports to the College Assembly regarding matters of importance as well as celebrating scholarly accomplishments. Serve as the central point of contact for external partnerships, connecting prospective partners with faculty and staff and necessary resources, and providing support as needed for existing partnerships.
• Collaborate with the Division of Research & Innovation (DORI) to identify areas for growth including opportunities for faculty to collaborate on large scale, interdisciplinary proposals, and to leverage government relations and marketing supports to promote status of the College.
• Coordinate workshops, training, seed funding, federal updates, and other programming and initiatives designed to support, scale up, and enhance faculty research, including building capacity in grant writing, proposal development, and implementation.
• Remain up to date on industry trends, federal and state regulations, best practices, and benchmarks to support the College's long-term goals. Provide support to Dean and his/her designee with special initiatives as needed.
• Oversee Research Office for pre-award services, including consulting, project alignment with agency priorities, ensuring budget allocations are appropriate for scale and scope of project, and identifying collaborators and partners as needed.
• Serve as a resource to faculty to identify and/or develop workshops to build capacity in grant writing, proposal development, and program implementation.
• Collaborate with Division of Research & Innovation (DORI) to leverage resources and refer faculty to internal funding mechanisms and supports such as bridge funding, special initiative funding and pre-submission review.
• Review and approve all proposals submitted in the proposal system prior to Sponsored Program submission.
• Collaborate with Division of Development & Alumni Affairs and with Corporate Engagement to identify private sources of funding and develop competitive proposals.
• Ensure internal and external deadlines are met, and proposals comply with applicable funding source requirements, laws and regulations, along with university policy and procedures.
• Maintain database of upcoming deadlines, pending grant applications, and awards.
• Manage post-award grant administration, identify and resolve issues in collaboration with principal investigators, divisional assistant deans, Dean's Office, Human Resources, and Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA).
• Provide guidance to ensure grant funds are expended in accordance with sponsor, federal and university…