Head of Research Grants and Development Office en Garvan Institute of Medical Research

The purpose of the Research Grants and Development Office is to support high quality research and researchers by: 

• Supporting researchers to develop high quality research funding proposals, including co-ordinating major bids within Garvan. 

• Supporting researchers to meet their obligations to funders for awarded research grants, via grants administration and with respect to mandated reporting. 

• Supporting researchers to develop their skills and knowledge in areas of Research Grants and Development Office expertise. 

• Developing, analysing and reporting high quality research management data to support strategic decision-making by leadership. 

• Co-ordination of infrastructure funding applications and ongoing requirements. 

THE OPPORTUNITY 

The Head, Research Grants and Development Office, is a key strategic role charged with leadership of the “business of research” at Garvan. 

Salary: Up to $200,000 + 12% super + salary packaging (depending on experience) 

Employment Type: Permanent full-time 

SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS 

• Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom) 

• Ample opportunities for on-going training and development 

• Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment 

• Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times  

• 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation 

• A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave 

• Discounted Health Insurance 

• Lifestyle discounts with our community partners 

WHAT YOU WILL DO 

The key responsibilities include: 

Strategic leadership and planning 

• Lead the development and management of the Institute’s research grants operations, including both pre- and post-award processes, in consultation with internal and external stakeholders. 

• Provide high-level input into organisational strategy, including the development, review, and implementation of strategic initiatives, mentoring and incentive schemes, and collaborative agreements. 

• Develop and implement institute-wide strategies for NHMRC, MRFF and other major research funding, ensuring alignment with Garvan’s goals and scientific capability frameworks. 

• Identify and prioritise research funding opportunities, including government, industry, and philanthropic sources, and support the development of successful partnership proposals, including major bids. 

• Analyse and model research income trends, block grant funding, and performance benchmarks against comparable institutions. 

• Evaluate and respond to changes in health and medical research sectors, government funding schemes (e.g., HERDC and MRSP), and major funding policies. 

• Develop and maintain formal and informal networks with external stakeholders, including funding bodies, industry, collaborators, and government agencies. 

• Liaise with Garvan’s Commercialisation, Development and Innovation Office to provide relevant advice and support. 

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with UNSW, specifically the UNSW Research Grants and Contracts Office (RGC) and Research Strategy Office (RSO), and relevant research funding bodies. 

• Optimise the use of UNSW RSO, including funding support, post-round analysis, workshops and horizon scanning, targeted support themes, and strategic grant support and reviews. 
   

Research development and capability building 

• Design, implement, and evaluate researcher development programs and initiatives to improve grant competitiveness and support career progression and succession planning. 

• Provide strategic advice and support to researchers, particularly early career researchers, on long-term research career planning and professional development. 

• Ensure alignment of researcher development activities with Garvan committees and strategic goals 

• Develop mechanisms for measuring and evaluating outcomes from researcher development activities. 
   

Policy, systems and reporting 

• Lead the development and implementation of policies, procedures, guidelines, and templates to support grant development and administration. 

• Monitor and report on new funding opportunities, grant submissions, success rates, and research income to assist with strategic decision-making, including via a monthly management report to the Garvan Leadership Team. 

• Oversee preparation of reports, briefing papers, and analyses for boards, committees, executive leadership, and external stakeholders as required. 

• Oversee development of business specifications for a new Research Management System, oversee vendor tender process and lead the project to implement the chosen solution(s) to deliver automated and streamlined processes that connect with other  
  users of research grants information across Garvan, e.g. Finance, Legal, Researchers. 

• Develop business case(s) for additional or replacement systems as necessary.  
   

Business of research 

• Develop a 'business of research' approach for the RGDO that includes: 

• Clearly defining the role and functions of the RGDO for internal and external stakeholders; 

• Strengthening integration between RGDO, Finance, and Legal teams, including via implementation of new systems and ways of working; 

• Establishing regular management reporting and performance measurements for the RDGO; 

• Clarifying processes across all Garvan support groups involved in externally funded grants, including clear internal and external RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) assignments. 

• Develop and report on agreed KPIs for UNSW’s RGC and RSO per the Affiliation Agreement. 
   

RGDO Operations 

• Oversee the entire lifecycle of research grants and contracts, including submission, peer review, compliance, and post-award management. 

• Oversee the management of research agreements and contracts in consultation with relevant governance and administrative personnel. 

• Ensure project variations are managed and communicated with relevant Garvan departments, e.g. Finance. 

• Develop and implement streamlined systems and processes to improve grant application and administration efficiency. 

• Engage with sector peers to ensure adoption of best practices and continuous improvement. 

• Ensure risks are managed in accordance with the Enterprise Risk Management Framework. 

• Serve as liaison with key services and stakeholders within Garvan and externally. 

• Provide accurate, timely, and high-quality advice and support to researchers, executive leadership, and partners. 

• Participate in meetings and committees to inform and align research development operations with Garvan’s strategy. 

• Working with the Garvan Research Foundation to promote Garvan’s successes, research impact and research excellence. 

Team leadership and staff development 

• Direct line management, mentoring, and professional development of the Research Grants and Development team, to build a high performing team and culture. 

• Promote continuous business improvement and best practice in research grants management. 

Financial and Resource Management 

• Manage an annual budget, ensuring effective and efficient resource allocation. 

• Provide input into financial reporting for grant schemes and support the preparation of financial analyses for strategic planning. 

ABOUT YOU 

The key skills and experience include: 

• Extensive experience in peer reviewed grants and research governance, preferably within a medical research institute, hospital, or university environment. 

• Proven track record of developing and leading a strategic Research and Development function encapsulating all aspects of the granting life cycle, with demonstrable evidence of ROI (or similar). 

• In-depth knowledge of funding organisations, including the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund and other national and internal grant schemes, as well as other organisations including Cancer Councils. 

• Outstanding experience and track record of being able to communicate and work effectively with partner organisations, preferably within a medical research institute, hospital or university environment, for productive collaborative outcomes and optimum support for researchers. 

• In-depth understanding of the health and medical research environment in Australia. Broad understanding of the overseas medical research environment and funding opportunities.  

• Tertiary qualification in a relevant field such as science, health or ethics. 

• Experience in developing processes and procedures within a policy framework.  

• Proven ability to manage people of varying experience and ability. 

• Ability to build positive relationships across a wide range of stakeholders. 

• Highly developed interpersonal, communication and presentation skills (written and verbal). 

• Strong commitment to quality, accuracy, deadlines and attention to detail. 

• Proficient with technology and systems; open to piloting AI use cases to drive quality and efficiencies 

• System implementation experience, including effective change management. 

• Proven analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills; ability to provide advice to support executive decision-making and institutional strategic priorities 

• Understanding of the compliance aspects of medical research, including human and animal research ethics and research governance 

• Understanding of and commitment to Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. 

ABOUT GARVAN 

Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s.  

Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome. 

We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease. 

Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively. 

HOW TO APPLY