Research Job Opportunities

Position Overview

The Office of Sponsored Programs is responsible for ensuring the responsible stewardship of research funding, and overseeing the submission of proposals through review to ensure compliance with federal, State, University and sponsor regulations and guidelines.

The Associate Contract Review Officer (ACRO) is within the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED), and works under the direction of the Contract Review Officer. The primary function of the Associate Contract Review Officer is to ensure the University complies with state, federal, and internal regulations and policies in the contracts it executes with external parties. This is done by reviewing, negotiating, and drafting sponsored research contracts, subcontracts, sub-awards, and proposals between the University and the external parties in order to ensure compliance with those regulations and policies. The ACRO must also work with individuals from state agencies, industry, non-profits, foreign entities, and other universities as well as people within the University of Idaho. The position is expected to work independently.

Job Duties

Ensure Compliance with Policies/Procedures/Laws by (Estimated effort: 85%):

• Reviewing, evaluating, and negotiating complex contracts with external sponsors of University research, education, and other sponsored activities
• Researching relevant laws, regulations, policies, and procedures that impact proposed contract language and assess the university’s ability to comply with any constraints; disseminating information to appropriate internal customers
• Consulting with internal (Office of Technology Transfer, VPR, Office for Research Assurances, compliance committees, etc.) and external (COGR, AAU, FDP, etc.) resources regarding contract issues
• Developing, reviewing and negotiating complex subcontracts derived from externally sponsored research contracts
• Coordinating and communicating with OSP staff regarding contract terms, compliance, and post award activities
• Monitoring the Federal Register, agency websites and listservs, and attending applicable conference and training opportunities to stay apprised of regulatory changes and best practices for managing sponsored projects
• Negotiating and providing white papers or other analysis of the issues identified; developing working relationships with General Counsel; contacting funding agencies to resolve problems
• Reviewing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and other pre-award proposal documentation to ascertain compliance with obligations accepted when the proposal is submitted

Ensure Accountability for UI/ORED by (Estimated effort: 10%):

• Working with the Contract Review Officer to identify and develop administrative procedures to comply with federal and state laws and regulations, the Regents of the University policies, and generally accepted sponsored programs practices
• Providing analyses of issues to the Contract Review Officer and General Counsel; developing a work relationship with the Associate General Counsel
• Contacting funding agencies to resolve issues or concerns

Supports Continued Sponsored Programs and Research Efforts by (Estimated effort: 5%):

• Developing and participating in training programs to educate faculty, investigators, and staff, about state, federal, and university policies for research and research compliance
• Providing guidance and training to grant coordinators, administrators and principal investigators on sponsored research agreements and sub-awards
• Representing the needs of the CRU with respect to development of new processes and procedures

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree

Experience

• Negotiating or conflict resolution
• Analyzing issues and recommending solutions
• Providing customer service
• Meeting deadlines or working in high pressure situations
• Working independently or with minimal supervision
• Sponsored funding administration

Other requirements

• None

Preferred Qualifications

• J.D., MBA, or MPA degree
• Previous experience negotiating and/or drafting grants and contracts
• Experience using Adobe Pro to make forms and compile documents
• Strong service orientation
• Working knowledge of 2 CFR 200 and other federal grants regulations
• Working knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations, including the ability to determine which clauses are apply to a situation and when a clause is unacceptable
• Working knowledge of Idaho State Board of Education policies
• Using word processing, spreadsheet and email software
• Basic knowledge of intellectual property law
• Working knowledge of VERAS, TDX, and Banner

Physical Requirements

• None

Additional information

• Apply through the University of Idaho Careers page.
• In your application, please address all the minimum requirements in the Letter of Qualification. Preferential review of applicants to begin on April 16, 2025.

Position Overview

The Center for Secure and Dependable Systems at the University of Idaho is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to participate in the National Science Foundation EPSCoR funded Idaho Community-engaged Resilience for Energy-Water Systems (I-CREWS) project.

The position will predominately work with the I-CREWS modeling and characterize teams to collate, assess and generate physical models and integrate measurement data to produce datasets in support of the ICREWS project. These datasets will include physical and social science datasets related to energy and water resilience to stressors at regional and local scales. This individual will also work with the I-CREWS alternative futures team to generate data for use assessing energy-water resilience in future scenarios. The individual will collaboratively work with the modeling, alternative futures team and Energy Water Data Hub, as well as other I-CREWS project personnel. This individual will also work collaboratively to support workforce development goals in the I-CREWS project through the development of instructional materials for audiences such as students, other project team members and the public.

Job Duties

Research (Estimated effort: 70%):

• The position will predominately work with the project I-CREWS modeling and characterize teams develop energy-water system datasets generated through a combination of physical models and historical measurement of energy and water systems in that and region. These datasets will also include physical and social science datasets related to energy and water resilience to stressors at regional and local scales. This individual will also work with the I-CREWS alternative futures team to generate data for use in low-fidelity virtual reality environments.

Workforce Development (Estimated effort: 25%):

• This position will develop online training materials on how to access, analyze and use spatial datasets to describe energy and water systems. These modules would be integrated within courses offered by the University of Idaho Certificate in Environmental Education and Science Communication and the online Masters in Geographic Information Science, as well as courses broadly offered by I-CREWS partner institutions.

Instruction (Estimated effort: 5%):

• Assist in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students conducting research related to interactions between energy and water systems, especially characterizing and modeling energy-water systems and assessing datasets for machine learning applications.

Requirements

Education

• PhD in electrical engineering or related field with a power emphasis with a strong focus on energy-water modeling

Experience

• Experience in using power system modeling and simulation tools

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in publishing in peer-reviewed literature
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills
• Experience in communication to scientific audiences
• Experience in risk and resilience research related to energy or water systems
• Interest in developing instructional summary materials for audiences such as students, other project team members and the public
• Interest in working in a large collaborative team
• Proficient in both written and spoken English

Physical Requirements

• None

Additional information

• Apply through the University of Idaho Careers page.
• In your application, please address all the minimum requirements in the Letter of Qualification. Preferential review of applicants to begin on April 29, 2025.