Research Funding Developer

The Research Funding Developer is part of a centralized Research Support Team and provides support to researchers across all aspects of pre-award research support. This includes proactive research development, research agreements, and partnership building to facilitate high-quality research, while also supporting the broader research environment and impact agenda.

Reporting to a Research Manager and working collaboratively within a team, the RFD helps researchers develop and secure external research grants by providing specialist support throughout the pre-award and contracting process. Acting as a key point of contact for researchers, the RFD offers expert guidance on funder terms and conditions, costing and pricing, due diligence of external partners, and submission processes. They also play a vital role in negotiating research agreements, setting up projects, and ensuring a smooth transition from pre-award to post-award support by working closely with colleagues in the Team and Finance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify and disseminate relevant funding opportunities from UKRI, Arts Council, charities, and other funders.
• Support researchers in writing, editing, costing, and submitting competitive funding bids.
• Align external opportunities with UCA’s research strengths and strategic goals.
• Coordinate collaborative bids, including international and interdisciplinary partnerships.
• Deliver training sessions and maintain guidance materials on research funding.
• Track application outcomes to inform strategy and success rates.

For an informal conversation regarding the role please contact:

Dr Abby Whittall, Research Manager at Abby.Whittall@uca.ac.uk.

At UCA, creativity and innovation are at the heart of what we do. Our legacy of educating eager and passionate artists, makers and thinkers runs back almost 160 years, and today we’re helping shape a global future that supports and nourishes talent worldwide.

Our campuses across Surrey and Kent are vibrant communities, each specialising in different areas of the creative industries. We are also home to a thriving research hub, with academic experts and fellows leading the way in research on sustainability, design, textiles, animation, history and culture, and more.

Are you ready to share your passion for creativity with the next generation of innovators? If so, we want to hear from you.

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