N.C. PSI Research Fellow

About the role

The N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative (PSI) at NC State University invites applications for a Research Fellow focused on interdisciplinary Project Coordination and Facilitation. This position offers a unique opportunity for an early career scientist to develop leadership, facilitation, and project management skills, particularly as they relate to team science and assembly of interdisciplinary teams around plant science and agricultural research problems. The term for this position is for 12 months, with the potential for renewal based on performance and funding availability.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate team formation by identifying complementary expertise across departments and connecting faculty around shared research themes and accelerator technologies.
• Organize and facilitate interdisciplinary workshops, team meetings, and proposal development sessions to foster collaboration and innovation.
• Contribute to annual reports, newsletters, and success stories that showcase PSI’s research enterprise.
• Working with the Proposal Development Unit (PDU) to support the planning, coordination, and submission of large-scale, interdisciplinary research proposals (e.g., NSF, USDA, DOE, DARPA, foundations).
• Execute project management responsibilities such as project planning and scoping, team coordination, budget and resource management, schedule and timeline management, and project handoff for high-priority projects.
• Aid in drafting and editing proposal components, including project descriptions, management plans, and broader impacts sections.
• Oversee progress tracking, milestone documentation, and reporting for ongoing interdisciplinary research projects.
• Research best practices for internal processes and interdisciplinary research team formation and establish SOPs and guidance documents.
• Support data management, compliance tracking, and documentation related to N.C. PSI metrics of success.
• Engage in training related to high-level meeting facilitation, research administration, project management, research computing, and team science leadership.
• Collaborate with NC State’s Office of Research and Innovation and Proposal Development Unit to gain experience in institutional research strategy and infrastructure planning.
• Engage with a mentorship committee that will ensure that professional development and opportunities align with research fellows’ career goals.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to organize, coordinate, and communicate across multiple research groups or disciplines.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience leading meetings and preparing technical documents, reports, or grant materials.
• Proven organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks and deadlines in a dynamic research environment.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with faculty, staff, and external partners to advance PSI’s mission.

Skills

• Experience in organizational leadership, facilitation, operations, and/or interdisciplinary coordination.
• Experience coordinating or supporting large interdisciplinary research projects involving multiple investigators, departments, or external partners.
• Experience leading meetings and preparing technical documents, reports, or grant materials.
• Experience in writing SOPs, grant proposals, and other documents.

Benefits

• Wolfpack Perks and Benefits as per the university’s policies.