Director of Research Enterprise and Development

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION SCIENCE AND DISORDERS

Full-Time Assistant Professor, Appointment Stream, Director of Research Enterprise and Development

POSITION: Assistant Professor, Appointment Stream (outside of the tenure stream), Full-Time (12-month) faculty member within the Department of Communication Science and Disorders, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. We are seeking a full-time faculty member to serve as Director of Research Enterprise and Development.

CONTENT AREA: Any area of communication science and disorders

STARTING DATE: Goal is September 1, 2025

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The individual will be expected to teach in the classroom (undergraduate and graduate students in Communication Science and Disorders) as well as provide laboratory instruction and mentoring. The individual will deliver instructional sessions and provide support related to manuscript preparation and grant writing.

In the role of Director of Research Enterprise and Development, the individual will be expected to: establish and enhance strategic initiatives by fostering partnerships with external collaborators, assist in the preparation of competitive grant proposals, facilitate effective partnerships and collaborate with development offices at Pitt and UPMC to strengthen strategic research initiatives, represent the department at conferences, recruitment events, and donor interactions, and support and develop collaborative research projects by fostering team science initiatives.

The individual will be expected to work closely with and oversee the activities of the Research Operations Administrator in coordination with the Vice-Chair of Research. The Research Operations Administrator will provide administrative support related to this role and the activities listed above.

The individual will engage in relevant research grant proposals aligned with their academic interests. They will be expected to integrate traditional scholarly activities with administrative responsibilities listed above to maintain research engagement.

The individual will be assigned a mentoring team to support development and provide guidance related to promotion.

QUALIFICATIONS: The ideal candidate will hold a Ph.D. in Communication Science and Disorders, Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, Neuroscience, or a related field, with experience in research development, grant administration, or academic/research roles. The candidate must have excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills, as well as experience delivering research-related instructional content, mentoring students, and contributing to research-aligned educational programs. A commitment to ongoing scholarly activity and demonstrated leadership in fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations are essential for success in this role. The candidate should have classroom and laboratory teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Department of Communication Science and Disorders

CSD is one of nine departments in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS). CSD offers BA, MA, MS, AuD, and PhD degrees. We are a vibrant department with innovative research, teaching, and clinical education opportunities for faculty and students. We have experienced significant growth over the past four years, including hiring a new department chair, four new program directors, nine new faculty, and multiple staff positions. The department now employs 24 full-time faculty and 18 full-time staff. Four collaborative research initiatives, the Brain and Auditory Sciences Research Initiative (BASRI), the Pediatric Auditory, Language and Speech Initiative, the Research Enterprise in Voice and Swallowing (REVS), and the Pittsburgh Translational Aphasia Research Initiative (PTARI) house sixteen research labs with over $15M in external research awards (NIH, NSF, PCORI, NIDILRR, DARPA, and non-federal agencies). The department's mission centers on promoting equity, justice, and inclusion in the department, in clinical activities, research endeavors, and across the field. This mission is expected to be woven throughout all departmental practices and policies. Additional information on CSD can be found at

The US News and World Report ranks the SLP-MA program and the AuD program 5th nationally. Faculty are engaged in local, state, national, and international collaborations and have a strong reputation in their areas of expertise, to which they contribute through research, teaching, and professional service.

CSD reaps many benefits as part of a research-intensive university, and as a member of cohesive and well-organized departments and programs in SHRS and as one of the Schools of the Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. The department has strong connections across SHRS and the University. Additionally, CSD enjoys ongoing collaborations with the world-class University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), the Veterans Administration Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Carnegie Mellon University, and other local universities, Pittsburgh public and private school systems, and local specialized schools and agencies.

The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Since its founding in 1969, the School has created the notion of Rehabilitation Science as a discipline, grown to over 20 degree programs, forged beneficial linkages across the Health Sciences and the University, and found its graduate programs holding top spots in annual graduate school rankings. SHRS is well-positioned for the future with unparalleled research activity, strong faculty and staff, clinical education programs with excellent student outcomes, and a major focus on active/engaged learning. Five SHRS graduate programs earned top spots in the most recent US News and World Report's annual graduate school ranking of disciplines: Physical Therapy (#1), Occupational Therapy (#3), Speech-Language Pathology (#3), Audiology (#7), and Rehabilitation Counseling (#17).

The University of Pittsburgh

Founded in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. In 1787, the Pittsburgh Academy was on the edge of the American frontier. A private institution until 1966, the University is now a state-related research university as part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania. Pitt has its main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh and four regional undergraduate campuses. Current enrollment at main and regional campuses is 33,771 (24,382 undergraduates, 6,751 graduate students). In addition to numerous certificate and degree program options, Pitt offers 493 distinct degree programs, including 8 associate, 216 baccalaureate, 163 master's, 82 doctorate-research/scholarship, and 24 doctorate-professional practice programs. A member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), Pitt consistently appears in the top echelon of national and global university rankings. It was ranked #59 among national research universities in the US in the 2022 rankings of the US News and World Report. With $1.1 billion in research and development expenditures, Pitt ranks 15th overall in the U.S. National Science Foundation's rankings. The School of Medicine and its affiliates rank seventh among U.S. medical schools in NIH funding.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Applicants should apply for the position(s) online at Talent Center: Careers at Pitt or (requisition # 25001702). A complete application includes: (1) a cover letter; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) three letters of recommendation; (4) teaching statement; and (5) diversity statement. Confidential inquiries may also be sent to Lea Sayce, PhD, Professor Search Committee Chair ().