Bakken Grant Writer

The Bakken Grant Writer serves as a catalyst for medical technology research and commercialization within the Institution for Engineering in Medicine (IEM) and the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center (BMDC) together with the medical device industry in Minnesota. This position reports to the BMDC Director and works closely with entrepreneurs to help them secure non-dilutive funds through federal and state grant opportunities as well as university and local funding sources to translate their medical technologies to clinical practice. This position aims to expand the IEM and BMDC research and technology portfolio, and build a diverse and equitable culture that connects biomedical engineering ecosystems across communities and society.

Key duties include the following:

• Oversee and contribute detailed writing of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants submitted by entrepreneurs through the BMDC. The mission of the SBIR/STTR programs is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy.
  • The program's goals are to:
    • Stimulate technological innovation
    • Meet Federal research and development needs
    • Foster and encourage participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by women and socially or economically disadvantaged persons
    • Increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development funding.
    • Foster technology transfer through cooperative R&D between small business and research institutions
• Identify other non-dilutive technology or business grants (e.g., through ARPA-H, DOD, NIH, NSF) that can support entrepreneurs and contribute detailed writing of those grants together with entrepreneurs to advance their technology and success towards commercialization.
• Work closely with the BMDC and IEM leadership and other experts to identify collaborators and appropriate resources to support the grant applications and entrepreneurs with critical tasks and milestones needed for their companies to succeed.
• Present progress reports and develop presentations for internal and external use.
• Develop a library of templates, awarded proposals and strategy documents for successfully seeking non-dilutive funding through various federal, state, and local grant and foundation opportunities.
• Advise sponsors, investigators, and departments across the University of Minnesota on successfully pursuing and writing technology and business grants, such as SBIR/STTRs.
• Work closely with the BMDC director to help support numerous entrepreneurs and companies coming through MedTech3.0, which is a state-wide initiative across Minnesota to build the next frontier of medtech innovation and inclusive economic growth that will open doors to millions in federal dollars and catalyze new capital and talent (https://www.greatermsp.org/pages/medtech).

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS with at least 8 years of experience;
• Writing experience with different types of technology and commercialization grants (e.g., SBIR, STTR) submitted to NIH, DoD, NSF, ARPA-H, industry, and/or foundations.
• Project management experience with grant proposals, publications, and/or complex documents/series of documents.
• Mature judgment and demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise discretion, and manage multiple priorities at once.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and critical thinking skills; adaptability to meet changing demands.
• Ability to identify, analyze, and address a wide variety of issues and problems in a high-intensity environment.
• Collegiality, approachability, and diplomacy at all levels of an organization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD or equivalent level degree and/or experience in biomedical or medical technology.

The ideal candidate will have experience functioning at a faculty or senior research level within an academic institution, and also have some business experience with start-up companies. Experience serving on SBIR/STTR and other technology grant review panels is helpful for this position.

The BMDC is an interdisciplinary program that sits within the University of Minnesota's Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM). The BMDC brings together expertise from the College of Science and Engineering and the Health Sciences (the Medical School, School of Dentistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Nursing, and College of Pharmacy). The BMDC combines basic research, applied and translational research, education and training, and outreach and public engagement related to medical devices.

The BMDC Industry Collaborations group engages with local, national and global companies to partner industry and academia to discover unmet clinical needs.

The BMDC MedWorx and Protoyping Facility supports researchers, clinicians and engineers in their efforts to resolve clinical needs. Services include 3D Printing, 3D Scanning, Engineering/CAD, Segmentation and Virtualization (VR).

The BMDC Innovation Fellows Program is a full- immersion educational and product development program for medical device creation. The goal of the program is to train Fellows to be med-tech leaders by fostering leadership and teaching risk management as relates to medical devices.

Our vision is to develop and evaluate innovative, effective acute trauma care from point of injury through early post-injury in austere, low resource, rural, and emergency care settings by creating a multidisciplinary, translational research center that brings together trauma and emergency care research across the state of Minnesota into a single entity and develops faculty and trainee research careers.

Pay Range: $120,000 - $168,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 75%-100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).