Summary:
The Director, Research Portfolio is an experienced professional with the ability to work for a dynamic, fast-paced organization. The Director, Research Portfolio will help manage a portfolio of mechanistic and translational research awards in neuromuscular disease areas including the muscular dystrophies; motor neuron diseases; and neuromuscular junction disorders, inherited peripheral nerve disorders; congenital, metabolic and inflammatory myopathies, and channelopathies. This person will identify and address key research needs, help manage the grant review process and ongoing grant evaluations and help identify high-impact research and scientific opportunities in neuromuscular diseases. The Director, Research Portfolio reports to the VP for Research and works closely with the Grant Managers, as well as MDAs Advocacy, Health Care, Education and MOVR teams to further leverage MDAs clinical and research programs and infrastructure to accelerate therapy development for neuromuscular diseases.
Responsibilities:
- Management of Grant Programs
- Provide specialized scientific expertise to MDA in a particular portfolio of diseases.
- Help develop and direct a robust and diverse portfolio of grants that align with MDAs strategic research priorities.
- Provide continued analysis of grant portfolios and assist VP of Research in providing guidance toward achieving MDAs strategic research efforts.
- Interact with the neuromuscular community to assess research needs and opportunities
- Serve as a disease expert in identifying appropriate scientific reviewers for all grant applications, recommend grants which may be the most impactful for achieving MDAs mission
- Help prepare grant summaries and portfolio analyses at the request of the VP for Research and/or Chief Research Officer
- Provide guidance to grantees and grant applicants around scientific grant issues, and work with Scientific Program Director and the rest of the research team on establishing and revising grant policies and procedures.
- Track grantees scientific progress, publications and patent/licensing activity
- Help organize, attend and participate in all grant review meetings for MDAs research grant programs
- Provide Scientific Guidance for MDA
- Help provide content for research news updates for dissemination through online and social media channels to keep the community informed of ongoing research and drug development and allow for MDAs impact to be fully promoted.
- Provide scientific guidance and review for all disease-specific and research-oriented print and webpage content
- Provide scientific guidance and participate in collaborative advocacy efforts between MDA and other patient-advocacy organizations
- Help address scientific, research, and disease-specific questions that come in through the Resource Center
- Develop or participate in MDA webinars as appropriate, to convey the scientific/medical background or importance of MDAs efforts.
- Scientific Engagement with External Stakeholders
- Key role in planning content and managing speakers for Annual Conference
- Help plan and manage additional scientific symposia as needed throughout the year
- Attend and represent MDA at national and international neuromuscular scientific meetings
- Participate in external committees/advisory boards to provide MDAs perspective to the wider community
- Present research updates to the community at MDA sponsored meetings, as well as external meetings.
- Perform other duties as assigned