Research Development & Outreach Specialist

Tufts University•Medford, MA

11d

About The Position

The School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) Research Development & Outreach Specialist supports the school’s research mission by partnering with the Dean of Research and faculty across A&S departments and programs. The role helps faculty identify targeted funding opportunities, supports grant proposal development and grantsmanship, and coordinates outreach and broader-impact programs. It works closely with the Office of University Research & Innovation (OURI), its Strategic Research Development office, and the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR), as well as A&S academic affairs deans and research administrators as projects are developed. The specialist engages faculty across disciplines to identify funding opportunities using AI-assisted search tools and external databases, maintains knowledge of funding landscapes, and provides one-on-one writing, editing, and strategic proposal-development support, particularly for early-career faculty. The position coordinates outreach programs and develops guidance on A&S activities that can support broader-impact statements. It also helps faculty assess outreach results and monitor recruitment outcomes, supports the identification and establishment of centers and areas of excellence, organizes research convenings, and maintains the A&S Research Administration webpage as a resource for faculty.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
Experience with grant writing, proposal development, or research administration in an academic or research institution.
Demonstrated ability to work with faculty across different disciplines and career stages.
Experience managing multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including strong editing and proposal-writing abilities.
Ability to work independently and manage a complex, varied workload with minimal supervision.
Experience using AI tools and large language models, such as ChatGPT or Claude, for targeted research and information synthesis.
Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor, with the ability to build effective working relationships with faculty, administrators, and external partners.
Familiarity with federal and non-federal funding landscapes and grant mechanisms across multiple disciplines.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
Experience supporting outreach or broader-impact programs associated with externally funded research.
Familiarity with research administration systems.
Experience working across a range of academic disciplines in a research university setting.

Responsibilities

Engage A&S faculty across departments and disciplines to identify targeted federal and non-federal funding opportunities using AI-assisted search tools and external databases.
Partner with OURI Strategic Research Development and the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations to expand and maximize funding-identification efforts.
Develop and maintain knowledge of funding opportunities across arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Support faculty grant proposal writing and grantsmanship, with an emphasis on early-career faculty.
Provide one-on-one proposal-development support, including writing, editing, and strategic advice on proposal structure and content.
Coordinate outreach and broader-impact programs across A&S departments.
Work with OURI Strategic Research Development to develop guidance on A&S outreach activities that can be used in grant-proposal broader-impact statements.
Expand and support outreach programs in coordination with Tufts Community Relations.
Serve as a primary contact for outreach opportunities from A&S departments.
Help faculty prepare reports showing measurable results, assess outreach programs, and monitor recruitment outcomes.
Provide administrative support for identifying and establishing A&S centers and areas of excellence.
Organize workshops, seminars, and other convenings to connect A&S faculty around research areas and interdisciplinary opportunities.
Maintain and update the A&S Research Administration webpage as a repository for research resources and a channel for disseminating research information to faculty.