Senior HBCU/NSF Grant Development Consultant / Project Lead 2026P-0535
Ascension is seeking a Senior HBCU/NSF Grant Development Consultant / Project Lead to support Morgan State University faculty and research leadership in strengthening their competitiveness for National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunities.
The ideal candidate is a recognized expert in NSF proposal development with demonstrated experience navigating NSF funding mechanisms, merit review criteria, proposal strategy, and faculty research development. The successful candidate will work directly with faculty researchers, research administrators, and university leadership to identify targeted NSF opportunities, strengthen research concepts, improve proposal readiness, and provide strategic guidance throughout the grant development lifecycle.
This role requires an experienced consultant who understands the unique challenges and opportunities of HBCU research institutions and can effectively mentor faculty across multiple STEM disciplines. The consultant should be comfortable working independently, facilitating virtual workshops, reviewing proposal materials, and providing actionable recommendations that improve proposal competitiveness.
The successful candidate will bring:
- Deep understanding of NSF programs, directorates, and funding priorities.
- Experience developing, reviewing, or managing competitive NSF proposals.
- Ability to translate NSF requirements and merit review criteria into practical guidance for faculty researchers.
- Strong facilitation, mentoring, writing, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Experience working with faculty, research offices, or higher education institutions.
Summary of Contractor Role
The Senior HBCU/NSF Grant Development Consultant will provide specialized consulting support to Morgan State University’s Office of Research Administration (ORA) and faculty community. The consultant will lead individualized faculty consultations, facilitate NSF grant development workshops, provide proposal reviews and written feedback, support research strategy development, and advise university leadership on NSF funding approaches.
The consultant will help faculty improve proposal competitiveness by:
- Identifying appropriate NSF funding opportunities.
- Aligning research concepts with NSF program priorities.
- Strengthening proposal narratives and supporting components.
- Improving compliance with NSF submission requirements.
- Providing mentoring and professional development related to grant acquisition.
The consultant will support approximately five faculty members through individualized consulting engagements, monthly cohort meetings, NSF presentations, customized workshops, and ORA advisory support.
Anticipated Position Activities
The consultant will:
- Lead individualized consultations with Morgan State University faculty to assess research concepts, identify NSF funding opportunities, and develop grant pursuit strategies.
- Advise faculty on NSF program solicitations, funding priorities, merit review criteria, and proposal expectations.
- Support development of research plans, proposal outlines, submission strategies, budgets, and proposal timelines.
- Review NSF proposal drafts and provide detailed written feedback, recommendations, and improvement strategies.
- Provide limited non-technical drafting and editing support for proposal components.
- Facilitate monthly virtual faculty cohort meetings focused on NSF funding opportunities, proposal development strategies, and common submission challenges.
- Develop and deliver NSF grant development presentations covering NSF programs, merit review processes, funding strategies, and proposal preparation.
- Design and facilitate customized interactive NSF grant development workshops for faculty researchers.
- Provide follow-up mentoring sessions with faculty pursuing NSF opportunities.
- Meet with the Vice President for Research and Office of Research Administration leadership to provide recommendations on NSF funding strategies.
- Review and improve existing grant development resources, templates, and faculty guidance materials.
- Conduct NSF proposal compliance reviews to ensure required submission components are complete before Research.gov submission.
- Prepare progress updates and communicate project status, recommendations, and issues to university stakeholders.
How to Apply
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| Job Category | Consulting |
| MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS | Bachelor’s degree required | Excellent written communication, editing, facilitation, and mentoring skills. |
| REQUIRED SKILLS | Minimum 8–10+ years of relevant experience supporting NSF grant development, research administration, faculty research development, or competitive proposal preparation. |
| TECHNICAL SKILLS | Demonstrated experience with NSF proposal development, review, or administration | Documented experience with successful NSF-funded proposals as: NSF program officer; NSF award recipient; Principal Investigator; Research administrator; or Comparable NSF grant development professional | Experience advising faculty or researchers on competitive grant submissions | Experience delivering presentations, workshops, or training sessions to faculty and professional audiences. |
| DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS | Prior experience working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) | Experience supporting HBCU faculty research development programs | Experience with NSF CAREER, HBCU Excellence in Research, Mid-Career Advancement, or similar NSF programs | Experience working with university Offices of Research Administration | Familiarity with NSF Research.gov submission requirements | Experience mentoring early-career faculty | Experience developing faculty research capacity-building programs. | Experience facilitating virtual workshops using Zoom | Microsoft Teams, or similar platforms | Strong understanding of NSF merit review principles. |
| SUITABILITY/SECURITY REQUIREMENTS | No Public Trust requirement identified. |