Research Development Officer

Career Guide

A Research Development Officer supports researchers and research leaders to win funding. They help identify suitable grant opportunities, shape proposals, coordinate submissions, and improve the quality and competitiveness of applications across a university, hospital, or research institute.

Browse All Roles

Key Responsibilities

Identify relevant funding opportunities and deadlines
Advise researchers on funder requirements and application strategy
Coordinate proposal development timelines and inputs
Draft and edit grant narratives for clarity and alignment to guidelines
Support budgeting and resource planning in collaboration with finance teams
Organize internal reviews and quality checks before submission
Maintain proposal records, templates, and submission trackers
Train researchers on grant writing practices and submission processes
Support partnership building with internal teams and external collaborators
Track funding outcomes and prepare reports for leadership

Top Skills for Success

Grant Writing

Proposal Editing

Project Coordination

Stakeholder Management

Funding Opportunity Research

Budget Development

Compliance Awareness

Attention to Detail

Clear Written Communication

Training Facilitation

Data Tracking

Time Management

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Senior Research Development Officer

Research Development Manager

Director of Research Development

Research Office Lead

Proposal Development Lead

Transition Opportunities

Grants Manager Research Program Manager Research Operations Manager Partnerships Manager

Foundation Relations Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Budget DevelopmentFunder Guidelines InterpretationProposal StorytellingSubmission Systems ExperienceInternal Review Process DesignImpact Writing

Development SuggestionsBuild a small portfolio of edited proposals, practice translating funder rules into simple checklists, partner with a finance colleague to learn budgeting basics, and lead at least one end to end submission to strengthen coordination skills.

Market Intelligence Report

Research Development Officer is part of the Business Operations category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

See the market intelligence report

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 50,000 to 70,000

Mid LevelUSD 70,000 to 95,000

Senior LevelUSD 95,000 to 130,000

Growth Trend

Demand is steady to growing, driven by competitive research funding, increased reporting requirements, and institutions investing in dedicated pre award support to improve win rates.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Universities and collegesAcademic medical centersHospitals with research programsIndependent research institutesGovernment research agenciesNonprofit research organizations

Industry Sectors

Higher EducationHealthcareLife SciencesGovernmentNonprofit

Recommended Next Steps

Create a repeatable proposal timeline template and use it on your next submission

Take a grant writing course focused on structure and clarity

Shadow a budget development process and document the steps

Compile a library of successful proposal samples and reusable text blocks

Set up a simple tracker for opportunities, submissions, and outcomes

Request feedback from researchers after each submission and apply it to your process