Job Description Summary
The GW Sustainability Research Institute is seeking an Institute Associate, who will assist and report directly to the Director of the Institute. The GW Sustainability Research Institute is the research division of the newly established GWU Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Sustainability is a broad cross-disciplinary field that encompasses a wide range of subjects related to the environmental, social, and economic health of the planet. The Alliance will work with faculty, staff, and students across all of GW’s schools and related Institutes as well as many of its administrative and operations offices to coordinate, strengthen, and amplify the work done by GW in this dynamic field. The Sustainability Research Institute is central to this mission and will complement the Alliance’s teaching division and outreach activities. The Institute Associate will work closely with the Director of the Institute to help identify new funding opportunities, build teams of GW faculty, staff, and students to work on grant proposals, conduct transdisciplinary research on sustainability topics, and provide administrative support for all aspects of sustainability research. The Institute Associate will also work to imbue GW teaching with the output of our cutting-edge research in sustainability and apply it to achieve measurable improvements to the GW campus and local, regional, and global communities. Specifically, the duties include: Help build multidisciplinary teams of researchers drawing on all of GW’s schools and Institutes as well as partners from the U.S. and abroad. This effort includes identifying researchers who work across a range of topics who could potentially form teams capable of winning external funding, matching them to potential opportunities, and soliciting their participation as appropriate. Assist the Director in developing and writing grant proposals for federal funders ( NSF , NIH ), private foundations, and corporate funders and oversee their timely submission, in close cooperation with the Office of the Vice President of Research or other appropriate university offices. Become familiar with and comply with applicable procedures for preparing and administering grant-funded research. Conduct research, independently and as part of a team, on topics related to sustainability. The specific topic is open to any sustainability field, broadly conceived. The Institute currently has projects investigating urban sustainability, green energy transitions, and Arctic development. Topics could be related to these or other areas of sustainability. This work should result in publications in peer-reviewed journals and books. Provide administrative support for all aspects of sustainability research. This includes the administrative aspects of hiring student research assistants and monitoring their timekeeping, managing grant budgets, expenses, and reallocations, monitoring and submitting expense reports for the Director as well as themselves, assuring other expenses are submitted and paid in a timely manner, coordinating meetings and research-related events. In addition to the above, the Institute Associate performs other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position. Work Location This is a hybrid, full-time position. On-campus presence will be on the GW Foggy Bottom campus in downtown Washington DC, easily accessible from the Foggy Bottom Metrorail station. Remote work plan to be developed in consultation with supervisor.
Minimum Qualifications
Qualified candidates will hold a BA/BS in a related discipline. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position.
Preferred Qualifications
Background in one of the areas related to sustainability, either in the social or natural sciences. This expertise could either deepen existing knowledge at the Institute or help to broaden it. It could be academic experience or work in the public or private sphere. An ability to integrate across a wide range of topics is highly desired. Strong writing ability. Extensive writing skills for research projects and grant proposals essential. Ability to write clearly, concisely, and in a style that is persuasive strongly preferred. Efficient research skills. Keeping on top of all funding opportunities in the sustainability space and knowing which scholars at GW and other institutions are working on the most relevant topics essential. Staying on top of the academic literature on sustainability in order to have the ability to write the most effective proposals highly desired. Effective networking ability. A considerable amount of time will be spent identifying and working with a variety of new scholars in order to build teams. Ability to work independently. The Institute structure will be horizontal and the Institute Associate will be expected to work independently and come up with new opportunities for proposals and projects as well as work closely with the Director of the Institute. Administrative experience. Ability to help prepare and execute budgets, administer grants, and provide support for the Sustainability Research Institute and the Alliance as needed to ensure smooth and effective operations. Deeper experience in the academic or private sector is a strong plus. Experience writing grant proposals extremely helpful.
Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm
