Institute Associate, Global Sustainability Alliance

Overview 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. Responsibilities 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. Identify researchers who work across a range of topics who could potentially form teams capable of winning external funding, match them to potential opportunities, and solicit 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, including hiring student research assistants, monitoring their timekeeping, managing grant budgets and expenses, monitoring and submitting expense reports for the Director as well as themselves, and coordinating meetings and research-related events. Perform 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. 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. Ability to integrate across a wide range of topics. Strong writing ability and extensive writing skills for research projects and grant proposals are essential. Ability to write clearly, concisely, and persuasively is highly preferred. Efficient research skills and keeping on top of all funding opportunities in the sustainability space, with knowledge of GW and other institutions’ scholars working on relevant topics. Keeping up with the academic literature on sustainability to write effective proposals is highly desired. Effective networking ability to identify and work with new scholars to build teams. Ability to work independently; the Institute structure is horizontal and the Institute Associate is expected to generate new opportunities for proposals and projects while working closely with the Director. Administrative experience, including preparing and executing budgets, administering grants, and providing support for the Sustainability Research Institute and the Alliance to ensure smooth operations. Deeper experience in the academic or private sector is a strong plus. Experience writing grant proposals is extremely helpful. Work Schedule Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm Location & Work Arrangement 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr