ND EPSCoR to hire new Director

Jim Doolittle has let us know that he plans to retire at the end of this year. We thank Jim for his invaluable leadership in his time at ND EPSCoR, and his willingness to stay on to help the new Director get off to a successful start. We have now begun the search for his replacement. The position closes on August 21.

We seek a champion to lead the development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research, education and workforce competitiveness and capacity for the state of North Dakota in order to increase success and funding from the National Science Foundation. Under the auspices of the North Dakota Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ND EPSCoR) State Office, housed at North Dakota State University (NDSU), the director will partner throughout the state to ensure that North Dakota grows its federal funding portfolio for research, education and workforce from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NSF EPSCoR programs.

Thanks to state support, ND EPSCoR plays a vital role statewide by building research capacity, ensuring participation for all, and enhancing the research productivity, and competitiveness and national recognition of North Dakota’s scientists and engineers. The director will play a key role in ND K-12 student participation in STEM research and advance economic development. The new director of ND EPSCoR will benefit from an experienced office staff, existing solid partnerships, and a supportive State Steering Committee. With significant changes in the NSF EPSCoR funding programs, the state’s higher education research leaders see an opportunity to attract an enthusiastic communicator and coalition builder, and to attract someone able to build a business model for ND EPSCoR that is responsive to a dynamic federal landscape.  Especially critical to this role is productive interaction with North Dakota’s Tribal Colleges and the North Dakota University System’s Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs). North Dakota has the nation’s only Tribal College System (the ND Tribal College System), numbering five Tribal Colleges, all of which receive funding from NSF. 

The successful hire will ensure that ND EPSCoR supports (through staff or programs) research development strategies to increase competitiveness of faculty with NSF funding programs, including but not limited to NSF EPSCoR, and increases the partnership infrastructure in the jurisdiction across career stages and institutions. Being able to articulate a vision for the ND EPSCoR State Office that demonstrates the value proposition of the state office for a multitude of stakeholders (Tribal Colleges, PUIs, research universities, K-12, State Board of Higher Education members, etc.) is a critical job responsibility to ensure sustainability of state and federal investments.

The Director is likely to spend significant time traveling or onsite at locations other than the Fargo main campus of NDSU. Given that, the hiring department is open to a home station location elsewhere in North Dakota. 

You can learn more about the position, required qualifications, and the application process at the NDUS hiring portal.