Research Advisor, Office of Research and Innovation Services

Laurentian University/Université Laurentienne; Northeastern Ontario; On-site; CAD 64,000 - 73,000; Full time

Job summary

Laurentian University is seeking a Research Advisor in the Office of Research and Innovation Services. You will provide comprehensive pre-award grant support and help researchers prepare proposals in NSERC/CIHR/Mitacs contexts.

You will liaise with funding agencies, draft letters of support, and manage processes using ROMEO, while contributing to workshops and post-award collaborations.

Qualifications

• Master's/Graduate degree in science, engineering or health.
• A doctoral degree would be considered an asset.
• Three to five years of experience in academic research or research funding.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated problem-solving, attention to detail, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills; ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to manage multiple projects independently and collaborate within a team.
• Understanding of external grants and funding agency regulations.
• Fluency in English and French (written and spoken).

Responsibilities

• Provide pre-award grant and proposal development support to researchers.
• Assist faculty with applications for grants and contracts and interpret agency policies.
• Maintain knowledge of NSERC, CIHR, and Mitacs programs and liaise with agencies.
• Draft letters of support and assist with internal grants and awards.
• Use ROMEO database to obtain internal approvals before submissions.
• Organize skill development workshops and internal competitions.
• Collaborate with Post-Award Officer on sub-agreements, extensions, and compliance.

Education

Master's/Graduate Degree in Science/Engineering/Health

Doctoral degree (asset)

Verbal and written communication

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

Time management

Organizational skills

Analytical thinking

Project management

Independent work / initiative

Discretion with confidential data

Bilingual English/French

Understanding grants & funding agency regulations

Job description

Research Advisor, Office of Research and Innovation Services

Position No.: JOBPOST-2026-001357

Salary: $ 46.44 - $ 53.23 per hour

Competition ends: Tuesday, September 29th at 4:30 pm

Reporting to the Director, Research and Innovation Services, the Research Advisor provides comprehensive pre-award grant and proposal development support to researchers primarily within the fields of Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Health. The Research Advisor assists faculty members with application preparation for grants and contracts, interprets funding agency policies, and maintains expert knowledge of external programs offered through funding bodies. Additionally, the incumbent supports institutional grant applications and research awards, ensures proposals strictly comply with University and funding agency guidelines, utilizes internal grants management systems and drafts letters of support. The Research Advisor also facilitates skill development workshops, assists with the administration of internal peer-reviewed competitions, and collaborates with the Post-Award Officer to support post-award administrative processes including sub-agreements, extensions, eligibility, and conflicts of interest.

• Provides pre-award services to researchers applying for grants primarily in the fields of Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Health.
• Assists faculty members in the preparation of applications for grants and contracts.
• Maintains expert knowledge of research programs offered through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Mitacs programs.
• Liaises with granting agencies and interprets policies and procedures for faculty.
• Assists with large institutional grants, and applications for research awards and prizes including applications to the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Canada Research Chairs (CRC) programs.
• Ensures that research proposals meet university or funding agency guidelines and requirements and receive approval by appropriate administrators.
• Drafts letters of support and reference letters for faculty and student grant applications for review by the Vice-President Research and/or Director, Research and Innovation Services.
• Uses the ROMEO database to ensure appropriate internal approvals prior to submitting applications and makes changes to the database as necessary.

Internal Competitions, Workshops & Post-Award Support

• Organizes skill development workshops for faculty, staff, and students regarding accessing research funding and enhancing opportunities to obtain research funding.
• Assists with the organization and administration of various internal peer-reviewed research competitions as required.
• Works with the Post-Award Officer to solve post-award related issues such as sub-agreements, extensions, end dates, terminations, change of status, eligibility, and conflict of interest.

Other Duties

• Performs other duties within the professional scope and skill level of the position, in full compliance with applicable legislation, university policies, and collective agreements.

Qualifications

• Master's/Graduate Degree in Science, engineering or a health-related field.
• A doctoral degree would be considered an asset.
• Three (3) to five (5) years of experience working in an academic research setting, or in a research funding agency.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated problem-solving, attention to detail, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills. ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision, take initiative, and collaborate effectively within a team environment.
• Proven discretion and sound judgment when managing highly confidential business, financial, or personnel data.
• Understanding of the processes involved in managing external grants and research funds, including compliance with funding agency regulations.
• Ability to interpret grant guidelines and institutional policies to guide researchers effectively.
• Experience in planning and facilitating skill-development workshops and info sessions for academic audiences.
• Knowledge of post-award administrative compliance, including grant modifications, sub-agreements, eligibility requirements, and conflict of interest policies.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting, editing, and reviewing grant proposals, technical abstracts, and official letters of support.
• Knowledge of major funding agency guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application procedures (e.g., NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, CFI, Mitacs).
• Ability to work fluently (verbal and written) in both official languages, French and English, is required.

***We are aware that some applicants are experiencing difficulty using our careers portal. Should you complete an application through our online form and receive an error, please submit your application to [e-mail]***

The official University hours of operation shall be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, during, and including, the months from September to April, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m Monday through Friday during and including May to August., amounting to thirty-three and three-quarter (33.75) hours per week.

At Laurentian University, we recognize that work-life balance is essential for both personal well-being and professional success. Our policy offers employees some flexibility to better balance personal needs while maintaining effective service delivery.

Laurentian University is an inclusive and welcoming community committed to employment equity. Applications are encouraged from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. Laurentian University’s bilingualism policy provides a provision regarding the language requirement for persons self-identifying as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Laurentian University is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact Human Resources for more information ([e-mail]).