Research Administration Specialist - School of Social Work

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Provide research administration and strategic support to the School of Social Work (SSW), including its affiliated research centers. Working closely with the Associate Dean for Research, contribute to the operations of the Research Office by supporting faculty with human subjects protocols and Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions, clinical trial development and reporting, identification of external funding opportunities. Collaborate with the SSW Sponsored Programs Team on grant proposal development and oversee the planning and implementation of research trainings, speaker series, and other scholarly initiatives that advance the School's research mission.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics or a field related to the position.
Professional certification in research administration (e.g., CRA, CPRA, CFRA).
Knowledge of grant submission platforms (e.g., NIH ASSIST, Grants.gov).
Knowledge of research compliance requirements, including human subjects protections, data security, conflict of interest, and responsible conduct of research.
Strong grant writing and editorial skills, including the ability to strengthen clarity, alignment with sponsor priorities, and overall competitiveness of proposals.
Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines.
Ability to support continuous improvement of research development processes through tracking outcomes and identifying efficiencies.
Ability to work independently while taking direction and prioritizing tasks under supervision.

Nice To Haves

Masters or PhD in Social Work, Communications, Psychology, Human Development, Public Health, or related social or behavioral science field.
Experience assisting in proposal development of federally funded or foundation-funded research projects (e.g., NIH, NSF).
Demonstrated record in research and grant writing.
Ability to manage communication, scheduling, and logistics in an organized and reliable manner.
Experience working with human subject’s research.

Responsibilities

Advance the School’s research portfolio by supporting faculty in identifying funding opportunities, developing competitive proposals, and fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations.
Identify and disseminate external and internal funding opportunities to faculty and research staff within the School of Social Work (SSW).
Monitor and communicate campus funding programs, including seed grants and interdisciplinary initiatives (e.g., Jump ARCHES, CSBS seed funding, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research programs), and assist faculty in preparing internal funding applications.
Collaborate with faculty investigators and the SSW Sponsored Programs team to support development and submission of external grant proposals, including: Develop and monitor proposal preparation timelines and coordinating communication among investigators, research staff, and administrative partners to ensure timely submission. Providing editorial and technical support for proposal components, including literature summaries, background sections, and supporting materials. Compiling and organizing required proposal documentation.
Facilitate interdisciplinary research collaboration by identifying relevant experts across campus and external networks and connecting faculty with potential partners to support research initiatives and proposal development.
Support IRB regulatory compliance by assisting faculty with interpretation of approved protocols, preparation of regulatory submissions and amendments, and maintenance of study documentation in accordance with institutional and federal requirements.
Maintain research reporting and compliance systems, including SciENcv and My Bibliography, and assist faculty with submission of publications to the NCBI/National Library of Medicine.
Monitor compliance with sponsor and federal clinical trial reporting requirements and assist faculty with required documentation and submissions.
Track required research certifications and system access for research personnel and external collaborators (e.g., CITI training, NetID access) to ensure compliance with institutional policies.
Support implementation of faculty research projects by maintaining post-award documentation and assisting with reporting.
Lead the planning and implementation of research speaker series, seminars, and training programs that promote faculty scholarship and interdisciplinary engagement.
Develop and manage the School’s bi-weekly research newsletter highlighting faculty research activities, funding opportunities, and scholarly achievements.
Oversee development and production of the School’s annual research report, including compiling research outputs and synthesizing faculty accomplishments.
Manage and maintain the School’s research website, ensuring timely updates on research initiatives, funding opportunities, and faculty publications.
Translate and disseminate research findings by preparing summaries and supporting materials for academic, practitioner, and public audiences.
Assist faculty in preparing research materials required for dissemination and sponsor reporting, including supporting documentation for manuscripts, presentations, and technical reports.
Support faculty nominations for research-related awards and honors by assisting with preparation, coordination, and submission of nomination materials.
Provide administrative support for Research Office activities, including scheduling Research Advisory Committee meetings, monitoring shared office email accounts, and maintaining office records and documentation.
Track and maintain records related to School research incentive programs, including publication incentives and editorial support requests.