Sinai Health Looking for Grants and Awards Officer at Toronto, Ontario, Canada Full Time

Closing Date: 11/1/2023

Department: LTRI – Grants Management Office

Position: Grants and Awards Officer

POSITION TITLE Grants and Awards Officer DEPARTMENT LTRI – Grants Management Office EMPLOYMENT TYPE Regular, Full-Time HOURS OF WORK 37.5 hours per week EMPLOYEE GROUP Non-Union REPORTS TO Manager, Grants Management Office

The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, a University of Toronto affiliated research center, is one of the world’s leading centers in biomedical research. With ground-breaking discoveries in research areas such as diabetes, genetic disorders, cancer, and women’s and infant health, the Institute is committed to excellence in health research and the training of young investigators. Strong partnerships with the clinical programs of Mount Sinai Hospital ensure that scientific knowledge is used to promote human health. Your significant contributions will assist in maintaining our momentum in advancing our research.

Position Overview

Reporting to Senior Manager, Grants Management Office, the Grants and Awards Officer is responsible for driving the growth of research at Sinai Health by managing all aspects of the process of obtaining research grants. The Grants and Awards Officer manages the research grant and supporting contract process from inception through pre-proposal to post-compliance monitoring. Throughout this process, the Grants and Awards Officer will ensure that research complies with Hospital policies, federal and provincial regulations, grant guidelines and ethical standards.

As The Grants And Awards Officer You Will

• Provide expert advice to researchers on appropriate funding opportunities for their proposed research;
• Conduct assessments of research initiatives against eligibility criteria for internal as well as provincial and federal funding opportunities;
• Review and assess research proposals and counsel applicants regarding complex external and internal legal and compliance standards (including those bearing on research ethics, health and safety, animal care, research security etc.);
• Manage all pre award and post award activities while ensuring compliance, integrity and high ethical standards of all budgets and proposals sent to external sponsors
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external funding agencies, partner organizations, and internal departments, fostering effective collaboration and successful grant implementation
• Negotiate with internal and external partners the terms of research proposals and obtain approvals e.g. match funding, letters of support;
• Manage the entire grants application process, including collecting necessary documentation, coordinating with stakeholders, the internal grant approval process, and submitting complete and accurate applications within deadlines.
• Collaborate with finance and program teams to develop budgets for grant proposals
• implement Research Institute and sponsoring agency policies, procedures and guidelines
• Communicate with external funding agencies regarding the development of proposals and maintain up-to-date knowledge of all sponsor programs, guidelines etc. and communicate changes as necessary
• Ensure the institute and researchers are performing work in compliance with granting agency policies and applicable laws
• Liaise with other academic institutions such as teaching hospitals, universities and colleges both domestic and international
• Manage the contract request process and develop, negotiate and review research agreement templates in conjunction with the Office of Technology Transfer which are in accordance with hospital policies, granting agency policies and applicable laws
• Liaise with the Office of Technology Transfer, Director, Sourcing and Procurement and Hospital legal counsel as required
• Identify targeted funding opportunities, programs and agencies/foundations by using electronic and other resources and disseminate information to appropriate faculty members
• Assess research budgets against Hospital and funding agency policies, guidelines, and eligibility criteria to ensure compliance with institutional rates and policies as well as funding agency requirements;
• Negotiate terms of research and funding agreements using established legal templates;
• Liaise with colleagues specializing in partnerships and contract development, as required, to enable the creation of non-standard agreements;
• Administer agreements, including sourcing and advising on obtaining matching funds from the institution;
• Organize and administer internal peer-reviewed research funding competitions;
• Responsible for the set up of internal funding accounts for new grants/funded projects
• Liaise with Research Accounting and participate in various meetings
• Manage the Grants Management Office database and audit data to ensure accuracy for reporting and use by Finance, Grants Management Office, Director, LTRI and other departments as requested
• Ensure that the repository of publications by the researchers is in compliance with open access policy mandated by granting agencies and federal/provincial agencies
• Create, develop, and draft program guidelines and application processes for internal and external funding opportunities and programs;
• Develop and deliver skill-development workshops for faculty, staff and students on:
• all aspects of research funding;
• grant development to maximize opportunities to obtain research funding; and
• eligibility, requirements, and processes for specific funding opportunities; and
• Organize and present at workshops, webinars, and learning materials on relevant topics (i.e., equity, diversity and inclusion in research, grant-writing best practices, budget development, knowledge mobilization, data management, mitigation of national security risks in research, etc.).
• Conduct thorough research to identify potential funding opportunities from government agencies, foundations, and other relevant sources. Stay updated with funding trends and opportunities in the research field.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate grant application success rate (funded/ not funded) measure progress and trends.
• Other duties as may be required and pertain to Grants Management.

Education & Experience

Requirements for the position include:

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (preferably a Master’s degree in science);
• Five years of administrative experience, preferably in a university research or research institute environment;
• Detailed knowledge of Tri-Council and US federal grant administration requirements is an asset.

Skills

• Experience with electronic forms and basic financial management skills including budgets is an asset;
• Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines and produce quality results on time with attention to detail;
• Fully computer literate with demonstrated ability to work with Microsoft Office – word processing, spreadsheets, relational databases and web software;
• Service-orientation;
• Excellent understanding of academic research and research processes;
• Sound understanding of potential ethics and governance issues in research
• Leadership and interpersonal skills;
• High ethical standards;
• Negotiation and influencing skills;
• Excellent comprehension, interpersonal and communications skills;
• Demonstrated problem-solving, organizational and administrative skills;
• Strong multi-tasking and time management skills;
• Exceptional ability to synthesize new materials quickly;
• Self-directed individual with demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

In accordance with Institute’s policy and legislated health and safety requirements, employment is conditional upon the verification of credentials, completion of a health review, and demonstrating proof of immunity and vaccination status of vaccine-preventable diseases. All employees and affiliates will follow safe work practices and comply with health and safety policies, procedures, and training. Successful candidates will be required to provide two (2) written reference letters from their former employer(s)/supervisor(s).

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our people and patients, Sinai Health has made it a priority to support everyone in getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Consistent with this, our Staff Immunization & Surveillance Policy was recently updated to include the requirement for full vaccination – currently defined as receiving two doses and serving a 14-day waiting period following the second dose – in order to be able to work at Sinai Health. To be compliant with our updated Policy, you must provide proof of dual COVID-19 vaccination, as indicated on the Prospective Immunization and Surveillance Policy Information Sheet, in order to be eligible for employment at Sinai Health. If you believe you are one of the very few people who may require an exemption from vaccination, supporting medical information must be submitted to our Occupational Health department, who will review and assess.

We are a fully committed to fairness and equity in employment and our recruitment and selection practices. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, members of sexual minority groups, members of racialized groups, women and any others who may contribute to the further diversification of our Sinai Health community. Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required under our Access for People with Disabilities policy. Applicants need to make their requirements known in advance.

The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute is a scent sensitive environment, and all members of the community are expected to refrain from wearing or using scented products while visiting or working at the Institute. We also support a barrier-free workplace supported by the Institute’s accessibility plan, accommodation and disability management policies and procedures.