JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION POST: DIVISION/DEPT/UNIT: RESPONSIBLE TO: GRADE: Research Funding Officer African Units Research Operations Office (ROO) Head of Research Operations PSP6 THE LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health. Our mission is to is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. Founded in 1899, the School has expanded in recent years at its two main sites on Keppel Street and Tavistock Place. Our staff, students and alumni work in more than 150 countries in government, academia, international agencies and health services. Research income has grown to more than 110 million per year from national and international funding sources including UK government and research councils, the European Union, the Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation and other philanthropic sources. The School s multidisciplinary expertise includes clinicians, epidemiologists, statisticians, social scientists, molecular biologists and immunologists, and we work with partners worldwide to support the development of teaching and research capacity. Our education provision has expanded to more than 1,000 London-based Master's and Research students, 3,000 studying postgraduate courses by distance learning, and 1,000 each year on short courses and continuous professional development. Our free online courses (Moocs) are studied by more than 30,000 participants globally. The School performs well in various global university league tables. In the US News Best Global Universities Ranking 2017, we are ranked sixth in the world (together with Oxford University) in the fields of social sciences and public health. In the 2016 CWTS Leiden Ranking, the School was ranked fifth in the world for research impact across all disciplines, based on the share of institutions lshtm.ac.uk 1
outputs within the top 1% of papers by citation in all areas of science and independent of size of output. The School was named University of the Year 2016 by Times Higher Education, in recognition of our response to the Ebola epidemic. The School is a member of the M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, Universities and National Academies, the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region, and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. Improving health worldwide JOB DESCRIPTION Job Purpose The Research Funding Officer supports the efficient management of a faculty s research and consultancy portfolio within agreed service levels set down by the Head of Research Operations. The role holder is responsible for assessing and providing advice on the costing and pricing of standard research applications, particularly complex or large applications, and will own the electronic submissions for their given portfolio. Review Terms and Conditions of funders in liaison with both the Research Office Contract Officers and Research Funding Manager, and will also assist the Research Funding Manager with escalated issues. The role holder will also manage the day-to-day post award administration of a portfolio of research grants. This role combines proficiency in pre and post award grant administration with an area of specialist expertise eg project costing, funders terms and conditions, EU administration, financial reporting or research management systems development. Responsibilities 1. Support the Research Funding Manager by managing the administrative processes associated with the research grant lifecycle and proactively promoting good research grant management practice aligned to School policies and procedures 2. Contribute to the development of School policy, priorities and agendas by highlighting issues and suggesting improvements 3. Have a high level of proficiency in and responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the faculty s research grant and consultancy portfolio 4. Focusing either on UK, EU and Overseas Funding, Pre-award responsibilities include: - providing advice and assistance on interpreting funders terms and conditions - providing advice and guidance on costing and pricing in line with the School s policies - financial assessment of application budgets ensuring they are costed and priced in accordance with TRAC and FEC methodology in parallel with funder s Terms and Conditions and from the perspective of LSHTM. lshtm.ac.uk 2
- to own all research applications within the given portfolio and actively add value to the application process. - online submission of applications on behalf of the School. Post-award responsibilities include: - activating awarded complex grants - authorising budget expenditure in accordance with School procedures - review and authorise Staff and Student appointments on research grants - day-to-day management and prioritisation of a portfolio of complex grants - producing research grant claims and financial statements for funders - reconciliation and closure of completed projects 5. Ensure processes are carried out on a timely basis, accurately and in accordance with the School s policy and funder requirements 6. Take responsibility for the accurate and complete entry of project data into the School s research management systems, including Pfact 7. Proactively identify problems at an early stage and resolve or refer them as appropriate 8. Implement changes in School policies, procedures and administrative systems relating to research project administration 9. Provide specialist expertise and knowledge in one or more areas of overall research administration for the ROO as a whole (eg project costing, funders terms and conditions, EU administration, financial reporting, research management systems development) 10. Keep abreast of developments in the external research environment (policy, funders) that will impact on School research administration processes and/or research funding activities 11. Build strong relationships with the Academic and Professional staff within the African Units, LSHTM Faculties, Departments and other school services. 12. Provide specialist expertise in and knowledge of one or more major funders of research for the ROO as a whole 13. Ensure that the School builds and maintains good relationships with key funding bodies through resolving pre and post award issues, especially in relation to grant progress and final reports (including financial reports) 14. Participate in relevant external professional networks and disseminate information to Faculty teams and staff. Where possible seek to influence policies in the interests of the School and network with other end users. 15. Proactively provide high quality advice to researchers and administrators on matters relating to grant administration 16. Work with colleagues across the School to streamline and improve research management processes lshtm.ac.uk 3
17. Contribute to the general work of the research operations team by covering for other members of the team during absences 18. Undertake any other duties as reasonably delegated by the Head of Research Operations or Research Funding Manager 19. Manage your own continuous professional development, internal collaborations and external networks, in order to contribute to service quality, research excellence and innovation 20. Demonstrate the School s values through your behaviour at work, including your duties and responsibilities in respect of equality and diversity, health and safety, data protection, and any other legislative requirement lshtm.ac.uk 4
PERSON SPECIFICATION Qualifications The successful candidate should: Hold an undergraduate degree and/or have equivalent specialist training and/or hold an appropriate financial qualification * A = application; I = interview; T = test Background & Experience Essential/ Desirable Essential Tested by* A, I The successful candidate should have a background in, or experience of: Complex grant administration/research management (preferably within Higher Essential A, I Education) Working effectively and flexibly as a member of a team Essential A, I Working in a customer focused environment and meeting customer needs Essential A, I Communicating complex information to non-specialists Essential A, I Working independently and proactively Essential A, I Working with high levels of accuracy and with attention to detail Essential A, I Providing informal or formal guidance and training Desirable A, I Developing written guidelines and/or training materials Desirable A, I Writing/developing material for the web Desirable A, I Knowledge The successful candidate should have demonstrable knowledge of: Financial accountancy Essential A, I Skills & Competencies The successful candidate should demonstrate: Proven ability to understand and interpret complex contract documentation and Essential A, I funder financial terms and conditions Proven ability to understand, interpret, apply and develop policies and procedures Essential A, I Excellent oral and written communication skills Essential A, I The ability to use judgement, initiative and creativity to identify and solve complex problems Excellent organisational and planning skills including proven ability to organise and prioritise workload, work efficiently and meet tight deadlines Essential Essential A, I A, I lshtm.ac.uk 5
ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION STATEMENT The School will comply with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, which requires all employees to provide documentary evidence of their legal right to work in this country prior to commencing employment. Candidates will be required to bring their passport (and visa if applicable) to interview so that it can be copied and verified. This role does not meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to enable sponsorship of migrant workers. Therefore we cannot progress applications from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK Further information about Certificate of Sponsorship and eligibility to work in the UK, can be found at: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/points lshtm.ac.uk 6