Research Development and Strategy Extern
University of Chicago
Mentors
Matt Zajac, PhD., Assistant Director, Office of Research Development
Mia Nowotarski, PhD., Assistant Director, Office of Research Development
Rebecca McNaughton, PhD., Executive Director, Office of Research Development
About Us
The Office of Research Development (ORD) is a unit within the Office of Research that serves as a key strategic partner for faculty across the university in their pursuit of funding for research. This central office supports development of research initiatives and proposals across UChicago divisions, manages campus-wide internal grant evaluations, and increases the competitiveness of proposals through proposal development services. ORD assists faculty with identifying funding opportunities, team development, and all phases of proposal development, including but not limited to project management, scope and narrative development, review and editing, and site visit review preparation. We also partner with units across the university that engage with foundations and corporations to position faculty for success in securing research funding.
Externship Description
This externship focuses on the strategy and programmatic systems behind winning research funding including tracking sponsor interests, assessing funding trends, mapping faculty expertise to potential funders/partners, and creating reports, guides, or communication tools. The extern will help design, test, and implement workflows that connect funding intelligence with actionable communication by gathering and organizing information, analyzing data, and developing tools/systems for sharing the outcomes. The extern may also contribute to proposal support and project management, depending on interest and team needs.
This externship is especially relevant for students interested in applying technical skills to research strategy, institutional intelligence, and communication systems. This externship should interest students who are excited by the combination of data science, automation, strategic communication, and research development. It is particularly well suited for someone who wants to use computational and organizational skills to solve a real institutional challenge: making funding opportunities more visible, personalized, and actionable for researchers.
Specific Objectives
Note that ORD is seeking two externs. Depending on alignment with skills and interest, the externs will build practical information resources and tools for research funding from federal and foundation sources.
The extern will learn how to:
- Analyze funding opportunities and funding trends
- Use and evaluate internal and external software and AI tools
- Develop automated workflows
- Contribute to research development communication strategy
The extern will gain domain knowledge in:
- Federal and foundation research funding landscapes
- Strategic communication and research intelligence
- Integration of AI and automation into administrative and research support processes
The extern will:
- Receive one-on-one mentorship and regular feedback at weekly virtual meetings
- Participate in a weekly virtual ORD team meeting to share knowledge
- Participate in testing of AI tools and systems with industry partners (Google, Clarivate, etc.)
Qualifications
- Strong organizational and analytical skills
- Interest or experience in computer science, data science, or automation
- Curiosity about how AI and software tools can improve institutional workflows
- Interest in research funding, research development, or higher education administration
- Ability to work with data and translate findings into useful communications
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team setting