Assistant Director NUIN Sponsored Programs

Department: MED-NUIN
Salary/Grade: EXS/7

Target hiring range for this position will be between be $63,079.00 - $78,849.00. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Job Summary:

The NUIN Assistant Director oversees the scientific, educational, and administrative operations of four Northwestern University neuroscience related T32 training programs and works closely with the NUIN Associate Director on the NUIN graduate program core curriculum. This role leads all aspects of training grant administration, including writing and reviewing proposals for competing and non-competing renewals, ensuring compliance with institutional and funding agency requirements, and managing budgets and trainee appointments through eRA Commons. The Assistant Director directs program operations and events, fosters collaboration across campuses, represents NUIN and T32 programs to prospective students and external organizations, and maintains strong relationships with partner institutions and funding agencies while tracking program outcomes and effectiveness. The Assistant Director also provides individualized support to trainees by advising on fellowship applications, organizing mock grant review sessions, and coordinating career development workshops and seminars. This role manages and supervises the NUIN Financial Coordinator, providing guidance on budgets, operations, and student funding, and oversees other administrative staff as needed to ensure smooth program functioning.

In addition, the position develops and teaches core courses such as NUIN 490: Responsible Conduct of Research and NUIN 407: Graduate Foundations, and works closely with faculty to evaluate and improve the core neuroscience curriculum.

Please note: Will be required to have offices and be present on both Evanston and Chicago campus

Specific Responsibilities:

T32 Program Administration and Communication:

• Oversees all scientific, educational, and administrative aspects of the T32 programs.
• Supervises and provides scientific input in T32 program events and education.
• Tracks and evaluates effectiveness of training awards and objectives.
• Represents NUIN and the T32 programs to prospective students and outside. organizations; engages in outreach with and recruitment of prospective students
• Fosters cohesion and promotes community of the cross-campus neuroscience research training environments.
• Establishes new and maintains existing connections with leadership of partner institutions and funding agencies.

Grants Management:

• Works with T32 Directors, Research Administrators and Sponsored Research offices (ASRSP and OSR), and the Northwestern Training Grant Support Office for training grant administration and renewal.
• Assist T32 Directors with competing and non-competing renewals, including writing, collecting and reviewing data, editing/reviewing proposal drafts.
• Researches and communicates institutional and funding organization policies to Directors and trainees to ensure applications comply with agency requirements.
• Works with T32 Directors and the NUIN Financial Coordinator to oversee budgets and track trainee appointments and terminations through eRA Commons.

Management and Supervision:

• Manages and supervises the NUIN Financial Coordinator. Provides work direction on T32 program budgets, operations, and individual trainee aid, and on NUIN PhD program student funding.
• Provides work direction to the NUIN Program Assistant (up to 50%).
• Provides direction to or coordinates administrative effort of staff within or outside of immediate department or division.

T32 Trainee and NUIN PhD Student Support:

• Serves as advisor and reference for T32 trainees and NUIN PhD students applying for individual research fellowship grants (eg. NIH NRSA, NSF GRFP, AHA); provides feedback on content.
• Organizes and leads mock study sections with trainees and faculty to review student grant proposals.
• Serves as career development advisor to T32 trainees and NUIN students.
• Collaborates with campus partners to organize workshops and seminars for professional development for T32 trainees and NUIN PhD students.

Teaching and Curriculum Development:

• Works directly with NUIN Associate Director NUIN core course directors, and curriculum committee to evaluate and modify core neuroscience course curriculum.
• Directs and provides administrative support for NUIN courses as needed.
• Develops curriculum and serves as course director for the required yearlong NUIN 490: Responsible Conduct of Research class, and an RCR refresher course for T32 trainees and senior graduate students.
• Develops curriculum and teaches in NUIN 407: NUIN Graduate Foundations, a yearlong course designed to help students integrate into graduate school and academia, in addition to developing writing, presentation, and other professional skills.
• Works closely with NUIN leadership and staff to support NUIN community

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

PhD in neuroscience or a related scientific field

Experience mentoring/supervising others

Outstanding organization and communication skills

Ability to prioritize and work under pressure and with deadlines

Ability to multi-task and handle multiple, major projects at once

Work professionally and confidently with faculty, staff, postdocs and students

Strong ethics and integrity with highly sensitive data

Experience obtaining extramural funding

Strong technical writing ability

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

COW - communication

ORG - organizational

MUT - multi-tasking

PRS - problem solving

Preferred Qualifications:

Grants management experience, including the grants submission process

Postdoctoral research experience

Publishing in peer-reviewed journals

Experience teaching, advising and/or mentoring students

Ability to learn and adjust across a broad, interdisciplinary science and engineering research portfoli

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

Excellent organizational, planning, and time management skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Facility/literacy with computer programs for database management and web design

Ability to work independently

Enjoys working with students

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.