Funding & Awards Specialist VP Research

The Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) at Unity Health Toronto is recruiting a Funding & Awards Specialist (12 month maternity replacement position). This role is within the Grants & Awards portfolio, and reports to the Director of Funding Strategy and Stewardship. The role encompasses overall responsibility for the development, implementation and management of assigned projects, including (but not limited to) funding applications and award nominations to various organizations (e.g. government agencies, not-for-profits, industry and foundations). The Specialist works closely with other members of the Grants & Awards team to increase global grant funding competitiveness (eg. NIH, Gates Foundation, US Foundation, EU), institutional success rates, and overall research revenue. The Funding & Awards Specialist should have previous experience writing and reviewing funding proposals, preferably within an academic/research setting. Any experience or background relevant to the areas in which Unity Health has established global leadership (e.g. critical care, global health, inner city health, fibrosis, cardiovascular science, neuroscience, data science/AI in health) would be considered an asset. The Specialist will also support fundraising activities related to Unity Health’s hospital foundations, including (but not limited to) managing internal funding opportunities, helping scientists prepare materials for non-scientific audiences, and working with high profile donors dedicated to supporting research at Unity Health. The Specialist may also be responsible for special projects assigned by the VPRI Office. These projects will involve working with researchers across the four pillars of our Research Strategic Plan, their staff/students, other hospital departments (e.g. research administration, research facilities, planning, etc.) as well as representatives from other organizations (e.g. other academic institution partners, not-for-profit organizations). The Office of the VPRI actively promotes an environment of anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion, and is looking for a like-minded individual to support this core value of the research institute.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Grants and Awards

Assist researchers with proactively seeking funding opportunities, writing, reviewing, and constructive editing of grant applications and related budgets

Contribute to the content of funding proposals, as required (study design, protocol development, technical and non-technical writing, etc.)

Manage the overall development and submission of strategic funding applications (e.g. NIH, EU, Gates Foundation and other international funding agencies, Industry grants, national/local Foundations, CFI, Federal Tri-Council Agencies, Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Canada Research Chairs, etc.)

Oversee administrative requirements for grant/award submissions (e.g. institutional support letters, letters of nomination)

Conduct stakeholder outreach and communication efforts related to projects

Prepare and deliver information sessions/workshops related to funding opportunities and liaise with funding agencies on behalf of Unity Health and researchers

Build relationships with other organizations (e.g. academic, not-for-profit, etc.) and identify collaborative funding opportunities

Develop and coordinate award nomination packages on behalf of Unity Health Research Leadership

Foundation Liaison

Liaise with the St. Michael’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundations to support their fundraising efforts for research

Develop and manage internal funding opportunities supported by the Foundations

Build relationships with key donors to research through attending Foundation events

Support the Foundation events team to showcase research to potential and past donors

Collect annual reports from term and endowed Chairholders and liaise with Foundation staff to support all donor engagement, recognition, and stewardship efforts

Special Projects

Manage special projects as assigned (includes developing project plans, assembling and managing project teams, conducting primary and secondary research, chairing project team meetings, developing/reviewing/editing proposals, submitting final deliverables)

Interface with Research Leadership, research administration, and corporate support groups to develop and implement projects

Develop reports for internal and external audiences (Hospital Committees, Boards, funding agencies, partners, etc.)

Qualifications:

Master’s degree in health/life sciences (PhD strongly preferred)

Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in writing, editing and reviewing grants and funding applications (preferably in the health care/ life sciences sector)

Comprehensive understanding of grant application processes, development of project proposals and budgets, and project management

Experience with the NIH, other international funding agencies, and Canadian funding agencies is a strong asset

Experience working and communicating with scientists, high level executives and/or philanthropic donors

Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple priorities and time sensitive projects

Demonstrated level of independence in leading and delivering projects on time

Excellent English written communication skills, with an emphasis on both scientific/technical and plain language writing skills as required for grant applications and/or outreach materials

Strong interpersonal, organizational, customer service and oral presentation skills

Proficiency with MS Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process. When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.