Funding & Awards Specialist MAP

MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions is St. Michael’s Hospital’s largest research centre, with a primary strategic goal to effect policy change to advance health equity. Internationally recognized for groundbreaking science and innovation, MAP develops and implements real-world, evidence-driven program and policy solutions that disrupt cycles of socioeconomic exclusion and poor health. For more than 25 years, MAP has partnered with communities and policy makers across the country to take on complex issues such as homelessness, intimate partner violence, inequitable access to healthcare and the prevention of opioid-related harms. MAP’s impacts span from local to national and beyond. MAP’s vision is a healthier future for all.

MAP is home to 70 world-leading researchers, more than 200 research staff and students and approximately $150M multi-year contracts and awards. MAP is a proud partner of Staples Canada through Even the Odds, a fundraising and awareness initiative focused on advancing health equity across Canada. MAP is based at St. Michael’s Hospital which is a site of Unity Health Toronto, a hospital network that also includes St. Joseph’s Health Centre and Providence Healthcare.

About MAP’s Core Team

MAP’s core team is a collaborative, inclusive and energetic group that values creativity and joy in work. We provide centralized operational and strategic leadership and support to MAP’s scientists and research teams, enabling research excellence and maximizing the centre’s impact. We work together to help advance MAP’s strategic goals and support MAP scientists’ work to embed equity and evidence in Canada’s policies and practices.

About

About the Funding and Awards Specialist role at MAP

This is an exciting new role for the centre and the MAP core team. The successful candidate will develop and lead new strategies to expand and track MAP’s reach, partnerships and funding. We’re looking for a detail-oriented, strategic thinker with very strong, plain-language writing skills who thrives as part of a team. The role requires solid experience creating, implementing and managing systems to identify and successfully pursue research funding and awards for partnered research projects and initiatives. The role of this position is to support the MAP research community in planning, developing and tracking grants, awards and proposals, and ultimately to increase funding to MAP research and other signature initiatives from existing sources as well as new, previously untapped sources.

The Funding and Awards Specialist role will work closely with the MAP core team, MAP scientists and their teams, and the St. Michael’s Hospital Research Institute.

Duties And Responsibilities

Identify, develop and implement strategic research funding opportunities (20% of time):

Proactively identify funding opportunities (local, national and international) that are aligned with the goals and objectives of MAP’s research programs, partners and priorities.

Develop strategies and identify projects aimed at securing research funding in priority areas for the centre (this can involve working with other external organizations as well as internal departments within the network, e.g. St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation).

Create and manage a database of funding opportunities that can be utilized to identify strategic opportunities for research teams within the centre.

Build relationships with other organizations (academic, private, not for profit etc.) and identify collaborative funding opportunities.

Assist researchers in identifying funding opportunities to advance research programs within the centre.

Develop and implement training workshops on funding and awards related topics for researchers.

Manage the development of grants, awards and proposals (60% of time):

Develop a project management plan for each identified opportunity.

Assemble project teams and manage the overall development and submission of strategic funding proposals. These can include submissions to granting agencies, foundations, companies, donors (via the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation) etc.

Coordinate teams of researchers (both within the hospital and their external collaborators) in the development of funding proposals.

Liaise with external administrators at collaborating institutions.

Conduct technical research and contribute to proposal content (study design, protocol development, technical and non-technical writing, etc.).

Review scientific and technical proposals and provide editorial feedback to researchers on strengthening their applications.

Chair project meetings, manage the development of project budgets and obtain necessary approvals for hospital commitments to the projects.

Responsible for the overall completion and submission of funding proposals according to internal and external deadlines.

Special projects and reporting (20% of time):

Manage special projects assigned by manager (includes developing project plans, assembling and managing project teams, conducting primary and secondary research, chairing project team meetings, developing and submitting final deliverables).

Interface with Research leadership, research administration, corporate support groups including the Foundation, Corporate Communications and others to develop and roll out projects.

Establish and implement project progress reporting mechanism to key stakeholders.

Develop reports related to research metrics as required for internal and external reporting (Hospital Committees, Boards, University of Toronto, etc.).

Develop and submit project reports that are required as part of funding agreements.

Special projects and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Excellent interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills (both technical and non-technical). Experience communicating with scientists, high level executives and professionals is an asset.

Comprehensive understanding of the research funding environment and granting programs/processes.

Experience writing about equity issues, marginalized populations, public health and/or population health research is an asset.

Demonstrated alignment with MAP’s commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Self-motivated and directed with ability to motivate and direct others.

Demonstrated leadership skills that can be employed in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders and project team members.

Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple priorities and time sensitive projects.

Demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings, conduct effective briefings and presentations, and to develop consensus, both internally and externally, with people who reflect the full range of diversity in objectives.

Excellent research and problem-solving skills.

Strong mentoring and coaching skills, supporting colleagues at all levels.

Computer skills: Proficient knowledge of email, MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel.

Conditions of employment

This position may provide for a hybrid work schedule, with onsite work based at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. The normal hours of work are 37.5 hours per week for a full-time employee, recognizing that the needs of the research centre may require some flexibility in duties.

Equity statement

Equity and diversity are essential to research and academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier-free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process. When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.