Scientific Writer (Instructor-Senior Instructor)

About the position The Research Development Professional (Scientific Writer) in the Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) and Department of Ophthalmology’s Division of Artificial Medical Intelligence in Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine is crucial to communicating proposed and/or completed research (e.g., grant proposals, manuscripts) to the scientific community. Research at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and health can be complex to communicate. The Scientific Writer will guide and mentor faculty, staff, and trainees to convey their research and its importance clearly and effectively to a variety of scientific audiences. The Scientific Writer will collaborate with principal investigators (PIs) to communicate their research through grant proposals, manuscripts, and other scientific and medical documents. The research development process includes assisting faculty to outline, revise, and develop grant proposals; crafting and refining specific aims; and responding to critiques from peer review. The Scientific Writer provides specialized support and consultation in the preparation of research grant proposals within the departments as needed. In some instances, the Research Development Professional may structure and write critical elements to convey the work performed within the departments.

Responsibilities

• Work with investigators within the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Division of Artificial Medical Intelligence in Ophthalmology to develop, write, and revise basic, translational, and clinical research grant proposals for NIH, NSF, DOD, foundations, and other funding agencies.
• Provide constructive feedback to investigators to improve clarity, logic, and persuasiveness of grant proposals.
• Advise investigators on best strategies to convey significance, impact, and innovation of their research plan and align with sponsor requirements.
• Consult with investigators in responding to critiques for grant proposal resubmissions and manuscript submissions.
• Maintain documents that describe the departments’ capabilities to support grant applications.
• For program applications, work with department leadership to design a strategy to craft a responsive, impactful application and work with the application PIs to implement this strategy in the form of a proposal.
• Work with investigators to develop manuscripts and other scientific and medical documents as appropriate.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with investigators.
• Administer research community-building programs (e.g., Departmental Chalk Talks program) to facilitate PI feedback from faculty colleagues and outside investigators on upcoming submissions or ideas.
• Lead or co-lead workshops and trainings on key principles and strategy related to scientific and grant writing for department faculty and trainees.
• Maintain and share up-to-date information on funding opportunities and priorities, preferences and policies of primary funding sources (e.g., NIH).
• Clearly and effectively communicate sponsor requirements for NIH, NSF, DOD, and other funding sources.
• Provide and maintain up-to-date templates for departmental letters of support and other standard documents.
• Build and maintain trust and rapport with faculty and staff as a subject matter expert in scientific writing and related areas.

Requirements

• Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.
• This is an open rank position and could be categorized as Instructor or Senior Instructor based on experience and qualifications as indicated below:
• M.S. in a scientific field with 2+ years of professional experience in scientific and medical writing or as a journal edit or Senior Instructor
• M.S. in a scientific field with 4+ years of professional experience in scientific and medical writing or as a journal editor
• Excellent critical analysis skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to quickly acquire working knowledge regarding a variety of scientific, medical, and other academic fields.
• Able to establish effective collaborations with faculty investigators in various disciplines.
• Able to meet deadlines, including organizing multiple tasks with varying and/or overlapping deadlines.
• Experience assessing and conveying the impact of scientific work to a scientific audience.
• Experience providing respectful, individualized, constructive feedback to experts in an academic setting.

Nice-to-haves

• Research-based doctorate degree in a quantitative or biomedical discipline (e.g., PhD/MD/DO/DrPH).
• Formal or structured training in providing effective academic writing support.
• Familiarity with grant proposals to major federal funding agencies (e.g., NIH, NSF).
• Experience in an institution of higher education or large hospital.
• Experience working as an independent consultant or medical writer.
• Experience as a professional editor at a scientific journal
• Membership in professional organizations (e.g., NORDP) is desirable.

Benefits

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
• Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
• Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
• Holiday Days: 10/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service
• There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage .

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