Research Support Officer

UK Dementia Research Institute; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 Days holiday

Pension scheme (CARE)

Cycle to work scheme

On-site gym

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

University College London (UCL) is seeking a Research Support Officer to join the Award Services team within RIS. You will help with costing, pricing and submission of research and innovation proposals, ensuring accuracy, compliance and successful funder engagement.

You will analyse funder terms, support direct/indirect cost treatment, and coordinate with departments, funders and internal colleagues using systems including Worktribe and funder portals to maintain data quality and enable timely

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in research management.
• Understanding of research and innovation funding issues and costs.
• Experience managing complex projects with tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Support timely review, costing, pricing and submission of research proposals.
• Provide advice on costing, pricing, overhead recovery and funder terms.
• Ensure proposals are reviewed and approved in line with processes.
• Review risk assessments and support the institutional authorisation process.
• Liaise with funders, collaborators and internal colleagues; use Worktribe and portals.
• Work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment delivering high-quality service.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Worktribe

Funding portals

Job description

Ref Number B09-01395 Professional Expertise Research and Research Support Department Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement) (B09) Location London Working Pattern Full time Salary £43,981-£52,586 Contract Type Permanent Working Type Hybrid Available for Secondment No Closing Date 31-Aug-2026

About us

UCL is a radically different university. Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, we were the first university in England to welcome students of any religion and the first to welcome women to university education. Today UCL has over 50,000 students and 15,000 staff, is one of the world’s top 10 universities and is recognised as one of the most successful research institutions in the world, consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2024) and is 2nd in the UK for research power and 1st in London (REF 2021).

Playing a key role in supporting the UCL research portfolio of 4,500 active research awards and contracts with an annual research income of £500M, Research and Innovation Services (RIS) supports and advances UCL’s position as a world beating research led University.Award Services , one of four teams within RIS, provides a range specialist advice to UCL's externally funded research and innovation portfolio through the departments of: Research Support & Development (Pre-award); European Research and Innovation Office; Finance and Compliance (Post-Award). The service is delivered in partnership with academic and professional services colleagues across UCL, collaborating organisations, and funders.

About the role

We are seeking a Research Support Officer to join our Award Services team. The successful candidate will play an important role in supporting the success and financial performance of UCL’s research activity. You will work closely with academic and professional services colleagues to support the timely review, costing, pricing and submission of research and innovation proposals, helping to ensure applications are accurate, compliant and positioned for success.

You will provide practical and informed advice on the costing and pricing of research activity, including funder terms and conditions, overhead recovery, TRAC and FEC methodology, and the treatment of direct and indirect costs. Working across a portfolio of applications, you will help departments navigate both standard and more complex funding calls, ensuring proposals are reviewed and approved in line with UCL processes, service standards and funder requirements.

The role also involves reviewing risk assessments and approvals, supporting the institutional authorisation process, and helping to ensure that reputational, financial and compliance risks are appropriately considered. You will liaise with funders, collaborators and internal colleagues where needed, and work across systems including Worktribe and funder portals to maintain accurate data and support effective proposal development and award set-up.

This is a varied role in a busy and collaborative environment, well suited to someone who enjoys working at pace, solving problems and providing a high-quality service.

About you

You will be educated to degree level or bring equivalent relevant experience gained in the workplace. You will have a strong understanding of research and innovation funding issues, along with experience of managing complex pieces of work and delivering to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

You will be confident analysing and interpreting detailed written documentation and using your judgement to identify issues, assess risk and support sound decision-making. You will also be comfortable explaining complex financial or procedural information clearly to non-specialists, adapting your approach for different audiences and building effective working relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.

We are looking for someone with a clear and professional communication style, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively. You will be organised, responsive and able to prioritise effectively, while maintaining a strong focus on customer service and continuous improvement.

Experience of supporting research and/or innovation projects in a higher education environment would be desirable, as would experience of research or innovation management systems and costing software. Above all, you will bring a proactive and supportive approach, with the flexibility to work in a changing environment and contribute positively as part of a collaborative team.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.