Proposal Development Specialist

The Howard University; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental/vision coverage

Paid time off

Flexible work arrangements

Tuition reimbursement

Career development

Job summary

The Howard University’s Office of Research is seeking a Proposal Development Specialist to support faculty and research teams in pursuing external funding. The specialist will help translate ideas into compelling sponsor-responsive proposals and build sustainable funding strategies across Howard's research enterprise.

This role involves collaboration with faculty, cross-disciplinary teams, and multiple sponsors, contributing to the university’s research mission and capacity building in a dynamic

Qualifications

• Experience in proposal development and grant writing is preferred.
• Ability to analyze funding opportunities and sponsor criteria.

Responsibilities

• Provide proposal development support to faculty and research teams pursuing external funding.
• Translate research ideas into compelling sponsor-responsive proposals and build funding strategies.
• Develop outlines, templates, and guidance for strong applications and sponsor requirements.
• Review drafts for clarity, organization, and alignment with reviewer criteria.

Job description

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff "for fit" makes significant contributions to Howard University's overall mission.

At Howard University, we prioritize well-being and professional growth.

Here is what we offer:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us! https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

JOB FUNCTION

Howard University's Office of Research is seeking a Proposal Development Specialist as part of the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) team. The Specialist will provide proposal development support to faculty and research team pursuing external funding. The Specialist will also work across Howard's research enterprise to help investigators transform promising ideas into clear, compelling, sponsor-responsive proposals and build sustainable funding strategies.

This role is well suited for a research development professional, research administrator, or proposal writer who enjoys working across disciplines, engaging directly with faculty, and helping teams communicate the significance and impact of their work. The position offers the opportunity to contribute to proposal development across a broad portfolio of federal and non-federal sponsors while helping strengthen grantsmanship capacity within a dynamic R1 research environment.

NATURE AND SCOPE

• Serve as a dedicated proposal development contact for an assigned portfolio of schools/colleges, supporting multiple concurrent engagements against sponsor deadlines.
• Analyze funding opportunities, sponsor priorities, review criteria, and relevant prior awards to help investigators assess fit and position proposals competitively.
• Consult with faculty from early concept development through proposal refinement, helping translate research ideas into compelling, sponsor-responsive applications.
• Provide writing, editing, and organizational support for proposal narratives and non-technical proposal components, including project summaries, management plans, mentoring plans, sustainability plans, education and outreach components, data management plans, budget justifications, and interdisciplinary narratives that integrate contributions across disciplines.
• Develop outlines, writing plans, templates, checklists, and guidance that help investigators organize strong applications and respond fully to sponsor requirements.
• Review proposal drafts for clarity, organization, consistency, responsiveness to review criteria, and alignment with sponsor expectations, while preserving the author's scholarly voice and technical ownership.
• Support investigators in developing resubmission strategy, including interpretation of reviewer feedback and development of responsive revision plans.
• Build sustained working relationships with faculty and researchers and provide individualized consultation on funding mechanisms, proposal readiness, and funding strategy.
• Identify and share targeted funding opportunities aligned with faculty research interests and goals.
• Help faculty identify collaborators, institutional resources, and expertise needed to strengthen proposed projects and research teams, and support early‑career and established investigators in building competitive external funding portfolios.
• Facilitate proposal kickoff meetings, concept‑development sessions, and writing meetings, and support multidisciplinary and multi‑investigator teams through early‑stage planning, team organization, and clarification of project goals, investigator roles, and proposal requirements.
• Contribute to and help deliver workshops, webinars, resources, and other faculty development activities focused on grantsmanship and proposal competitiveness.
• Contribute to RDI programs such as the Proposal Development Institute, Research Grants Academy, sponsor information sessions, and other faculty‑facing initiatives, including sessions and campus visits involving funding agency representatives.
• Contribute to and maintain reusable proposal development resources, templates, guides, and FAQs, and to unit‑level funding opportunity briefings and limited‑submission announcements.
• Collaborate closely with Research Development colleagues, College Research Administrators, schools/colleges, and Sponsored Programs/Pre‑Award staff to provide coordinated service to investigators.
• Support structured internal peer review and provide proposal development support to faculty applicants in intramural funding programs and limited‑submission competitions.
• Maintain current knowledge o