What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Biomedical Research Network position at usm?
Special Instructions to Applicants
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the
United States on a full-time basis without the need for visa sponsorship. The
University will not sponsor applicants for work visas (e.g., H-1B).
Additional questions to be asked as part of the
applications:
-Number of employees supervised.
Guidance for cover letter:
Your cover letter should explicitly address how your
experience and qualifications align with the minimum and preferred
qualifications, as well as the knowledge, skills, and abilities outlined in the
position description. In particular, please describe:
- Leadership and Administrative Experience: Specific examples of your administrative leadership roles, including supervision of employees, budget oversight, and program or center management.
- Academic and Research Background: Highlight your scholarly achievements, including your record of peer-reviewed publications and evidence of sustained research productivity.
- Mentoring Experience: Provide examples of how you have mentored faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and/or students, including outcomes of those mentoring relationships.
- Research Funding and Grantsmanship: Highlight your track record of securing and managing externally funded research projects, especially federally funded initiatives, and your approach to developing competitive proposals.
- Collaboration and Team Science: Experience leading or participating in multi-, inter-, or trans-disciplinary research teams, particularly those involving multiple institutions or stakeholders.
- Professional Service and Outreach: Contributions to national and/or international professional service, leadership roles in professional societies, and community or industry engagement relevant to biomedical research.
- Vision for INBRE Leadership: Your approach to building research capacity in Mississippi’s biomedical research community, including your plans for mentoring, fostering collaborations, and aligning with the goals of the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence program.
Applicants are encouraged to be specific and provide
measurable outcomes or examples wherever possible.
Job Summary
The Director
of the Biomedical Research Network (BRN) will provide energetic, collaborative,
and visionary leadership, administrative guidance, and advocacy for the mission
of the BRN in the areas of research, mentoring, and community engagement. The BRN collaborates at multiple levels,
across The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) campuses, state, community,
and other academic, government, and not-for-profit organizations to promote and
expand biomedical research through innovation and develop a skilled workforce. The
Director will also lead the Mississippi IDEA Network of Biomedical Research
Excellence (MSINBRE), which is supported by funds from the National Institutes
of Health and the Office of the Vice President for Research to build biomedical
research capacity throughout the state network, supporting Primarily
Undergraduate Institutions/Emerging Research Institutions (PUI/ERI) faculty
research, mentoring, student research participation, and infrastructure. In
addition to cultivating and advancing their own research, the Director is
expected to lead, promote, and/or participate in collaborative research securing
diversified funding sources. The position is full-time (12-month), tenure
track, and begins as early as January 2026. The salary for this position is
competitive and commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the
candidate.
The
Biomedical Research Network (BRN) is a new unit established under the Vice
President for Research to promote and develop opportunities for
transdisciplinary collaboration in biomedical sciences that enhance the rate of
discovery and technological advances, that lead to the development of new
preventions, therapies, and cures for human and veterinary health. Strategic research areas include basic and
translational research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease, immunology,
genetics, cancer, biophysics, polymer/biological engineering for biomaterials,
devices, and therapeutics, health disparities research, applied behavioral and
social sciences, and other relevant areas.
The Mississippi
IDEA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (MS INBRE) is a network of
colleges, universities, and community partners, designed to build biomedical
research infrastructure in Mississippi. MSINBRE aims to improve research
capabilities by providing access to instrumentation, analysis services, outreach,
funding, and workforce training and development opportunities. In addition to an Administrative Core, MSINBRE
has programmatic Cores in PUI/ERI Developmental Research, Data Science,
Instrumentation and Services, and Community Engagement and Training. More information at msinbre.org.
The faculty
appointment will be within a relevant School including: Biological and
Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Polymer Science and
Engineering in the College of Arts and Sciences, Health Professions, and Leadership
and Advanced Nursing Practice in the College of Nursing and Health Professions.
More information at https://www.usm.edu/university/colleges-schools.php .
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead the operation and development of the Biomedical Research Network, setting the vision and strategic direction for research activities.
- Lead and manage MS INBRE in accordance with the goals and objectives of the grant award, including but not limited to fiscal management, scientific direction, compliance, performance reviews, submitting progress reports, renewal/supplemental grant applications, and collaborating with the network partners and funding agencies.
- Collaborate with faculty, researchers, industry, community organizations, state, federal, academic, and not-for-profit entities from various disciplines to promote and develop research initiatives and implement plans that support research capacity building and workforce development in biomedical research.
- Oversee the planning and implementation of research programs and projects to grow research and ensure alignment with institutional goals.
- Seek and secure external funding through various sources to support biomedical research and growth of the network.
- Support the Vice President for Research and Office of Research in establishing and maintaining effective relationships with partner organizations, as well as, state, federal, industry, and community organizations as they relate to growing the network and biomedical research. This includes representing the BRN and MSINBRE in academic, professional, and public forums.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
