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Overview

RPI supports agreed University, Faculty and School priorities for research and innovation: income generation, research excellence, PGR experience, partnership development and knowledge exchange leading to income and/or impact and commercialisation of IP and student enterprise. Our focus is on delivering professional, value-add advice and support to our community of researchers and innovators. We are a well-connected team which understands the priorities of the organisation and our external stakeholders and customers and the external environment in which we operate. Team members collaborate, reflect, develop their skills and have a risk-appropriate mindset of continuous improvement to our processes, policy and approach.

The Pricing and Awards Team provides expertise with research grant costings, applications and awards, interpreting complex funder rules to maximise cost recovery and ensuring all applications comply with University policy. You will provide technical guidance and support for funding applications, setting up funding schemes in our internal databases and maintaining institutional accounts on external grant systems. You will work with budgets, checking for accuracy, submit funding applications with strict deadlines and ensure the timely handover of awards to Finance.

The Primary Focus Of This Role Is To:

• Build and maintain proactive and productive professional relationships with colleagues in faculty research hubs, working closely to understand/challenge their requirements to ensure efficient and effective working with the Pricing & Awards Team.
• Act as the primary contact for gathering intelligence on the requirements of our research funders.
• Create a repository of operational information and guidance for research funding applications and provide targeted support for complex schemes.
• Work as part of a wider team to provide expert professional support for research grant costings, applications and awards.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Work with research support colleagues in RPI and in Faculties to provide joined up / consistent support for research funding applications.
• Oversee the setting up of research organisations and funding schemes in the internal database, interpreting funder rules and compliance that are in line with internal policies and maximise cost recovery.
• Liaise with external funders and gather application intelligence as required.
• Set up and maintain institutional accounts and manage access for external research grant / tender systems.
• Take a lead role within the team in providing expert advice and support for applications to funders with complex schemes and systems, ensuring compliance with University procedures and processes, including the Financial Directives.
• Create and maintain a central repository of operational information relating to external application systems, processes and funder rules.
• Provide relevant in-house training and written guidance relating to research costings, applications and awards including external application submission systems.
• Develop and maintain a network of internal peer support with colleagues in other research support teams to facilitate efficient operational processes.
• Provide administrative support for academic and professional services staff on the operational aspect of research costings, applications and awards.
• Use the Costing & Awards Tool (internal system) to administer research costings, applications and handovers.
• Complete checks and administer approvals for the submission of research projects in line with agreed processes, proactively encouraging budgets to be both accurate and maximised.
• Submit research applications on behalf of the University in accordance with agreed policies and procedures, ensuring external deadlines are met.
• Prepare successful research awards in line with agreed procedures; working closely with colleagues to ensure budgets are accurate, all relevant agreements and approvals are in place and all documentation and information is provided to colleagues in Finance.
• Line manage team members, ensuring good performance, supporting professional development, and ensuring efficient service delivery in a supportive and inclusive environment.
• Have oversight of and plan, in collaboration with the Pricing & Awards Team Manager, workload allocations across the team, ensuring all objectives and deadlines are achieved and that productivity is optimised. Deputise for the Pricing & Awards Team Manager as required.
• As a member of our Professional staff you will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to the professional behaviours set out in the Sheffield Professional Framework. Please follow this link for further information: Sheffield Professional Framework.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.