Grant Writer, IS-1101-12

Application Deadline: 14 September 2026

Department: Office of Sponsored Projects

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting To: Unit Director

Compensation: $102,415 - $116,071 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: September 9, 2026

CLOSING DATE: September 14, 2026

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk:Non-Sensitive/Low Risk

Who May Apply:
Open to all qualified applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
• Complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

This position is located in the Office of Sponsored Projects, Under Secretary for Finance and Administration, Smithsonian Institution (SI). OSP is the primary point of administrative and financial interface between the Smithsonian (SI) and: (1) public and private organizations that provide funds for research, exhibitions, and other sponsored activities, and (2) Federal government officers charged with writing/enforcing regulations related to research funded through grants and contracts.

The Grant Writer directly contributes to the Smithsonian Institution's ability to secure external funding by improving proposal quality, increasing the success of resubmissions, identifying new funding opportunities, and helping investigators develop more competitive and more collaborative proposals. The position serves as a strategic resource that strengthens the proposal pipeline and supports growth in sponsored funding.

The Grant Writer serves as a key member of the Proposal Development team, providing strategic support to principal investigators (Pls) and project teams, to enhance the competitiveness of externally funded proposals. The Grant Writer conducts comprehensive reviews of unfunded proposals, analyzes sponsor reviewer feedback, identifies opportunities, offers edits for proposal improvement, and develops strategies for resubmission of alternative funding pathways.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Conduct Quality Assessment of New and Declined Proposals

• Identify potential Pls interested in seeking external funding opportunities and work with them to identify and develop high potential project ideas. Drafts or edits new narrative submissions as well as previously submitted proposals not selected for external funding, to help translate research ideas into clear and compelling narratives. Analyze and work to incorporate pertinent reviewer comments when available. Prepare written assessments and recommendations for investigators regarding proposal revisions as well as resubmission strategies. Meet with investigators and project teams to discuss reviewer feedback and opportunities to strengthen proposals for future submission.

Funding Opportunity Development and Capacity Building

• Identify alternate funding sources and sponsors that may be aligned with previously submitted project concepts. Match unfunded proposals with new or emerging funding opportunities from federal agencies, foundations, corporations, or other sponsors. Conduct outreach to identify new projects or investigators and provide guidance on possible funding availability.
• Develop and maintain a broad understanding of Smithsonian scientific programs, research priorities, and strategic objectives in order to identify external funding opportunities that align with institutional goals and capabilities.
• Conduct ongoing reviews of funding opportunities from government agencies, or other funding sources. Evaluate funding opportunities for alignment with Smithsonian research and programmatic priorities and identify and develop alternative methods to communicate strong funding possibilities and connections between funding opportunities and investigators.

Research Development and Large Proposal Coordination

• Serve as a coordinator for proposal development activities supporting Smithsonian scientific research, cultural and arts pan-institutional programs and initiatives. Work collaboratively with principal investigators, research teams, and administrative personnel across multiple Smithsonian units to facilitate the development and submission of competitive external funding proposals which involve collaborative effort and large dollar amounts ($5M+). Drafts or strengthens key proposal sections and communicates technical concepts effectively to varied reviewer audiences.
• Coordinate cross-disciplinary teams on technical proposal development efforts from opportunity identification through submission, ensuring that proposal teams remain informed of requirements, milestones, and deadlines. Synthesize multidisciplinary contributions into a coherent, unified proposal.
• Provide review and guidance on the preparation of technical/programmatic aspects of proposals, including management plans, facilities descriptions, mentoring plans, education, and outreach components. Ensure narratives directly address solicitation requirements and review criteria.
• Work in coordination with OSP colleagues on supporting documentation, budget, and other administrative proposal materials. Create and maintain proposal development resources, templates, schedules, and tracking tools to support efficient proposal preparation and submission processes for large proposals.
• Support institutional research development efforts through the design, implementation, and maintenance of collaborative tools, resources, and knowledge-sharing platforms. Identify and share collaborative systems used to support proposal development, project coordination, document management, and information sharing.
• Develop and maintain proposal development toolkits, templates, guidance materials, and best-practice resources designed to improve proposal quality and strengthen institutional capacity for large project external funding acquisition.

Training and Outreach

• Develop and deliver workshops, training sessions, informational materials, and one-on-cone consultations on proposal development best practices. Educate investigators and research staff on interpreting reviewer comments and preparing successful resubmissions. Contribute to institutional resources that support proposal planning, writing and sponsor engagement.

Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Experience required for this position is as follows:

• Knowledge of grant and cooperative agreement proposal development principles, research development practices, funding opportunity analysis, proposal writing and editing techniques, and Federal and non-Federal sponsor requirements sufficient to assess proposal competitiveness, identify funding opportunities, develop resubmission strategies, and provide technical guidance to investigators and project teams seeking external support.
• Knowledge of Federal agencies, foundations, corporations, and other funding organizations, including funding mechanisms, application requirements, review processes, and sponsor priorities to evaluate funding opportunities, align project concepts with sponsor interests, and advise researchers on funding strategies and proposal approaches.
• Knowledge of research development and project coordination methods sufficient to organize and facilitate proposal development activities involving multidisciplinary teams, establish schedules and milestones, coordinate technical contributions from multiple stakeholders, and ensure proposals meet sponsor requirements and deadlines.
• Knowledge of basic preservation procedures and policies, including gallery inspections to monitor the condition of artworks.
• Knowledge of communication, facilitation, and training techniques sufficient to develop and deliver workshops, prepare guidance materials, conduct consultations, and build institutional capacity in proposal development, sponsor engagement, and proposal improvement strategies.
• Skill to analyze reviewer comments, proposal evaluations, funding trends, and sponsor requirements to identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in proposal submissions and recommend practical strategies for improving proposal competitiveness and funding success.
• Skill to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with investigators, program staff, administrators, sponsor representatives, and external partners to provide guidance, facilitate collaboration, gain cooperation, and advance proposal development objectives.

Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

Relocation expenses are not paid.