Research Grants Associate

Research Grants Associate

Location: New York City

Type: Full-time

About SFE

Siegel Family Endowment (SFE) is a foundation focused on understanding and shaping the impact of technology on society.  SFE supports organizations whose work contributes to giving everyone the opportunity to learn and contribute to a rapidly changing society. We were founded in 2011 by David M. Siegel, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Two Sigma, a financial sciences company. We primarily focus on three interest areas: Learning, Workforce, and Infrastructure. Our grantmaking philosophy and process differs from many more traditional foundations -- we encourage you to read through the “Our Approach” on www.siegelendowment.org/​ to understand more about how we work with potential grantees.

In 2021, SFE is building a research team that aims to develop knowledge in our issue areas and to support our grantmaking efforts. Research will be conducted by SFE staff and research fellows as well as by grantee partners.  You can read more about our approach at “Research at Siegel Family Endowment: Research & Philanthropy” and “Research at Siegel Family Endowment: Our Approach.”

Position Summary 

Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Head of Research, the Research Associate will work closely with their colleagues on the research team to execute the vision across SFE’s research activities. 

The Research Associate will work with the Research team and with SFE’s partners and grantees to develop novel insights, help develop and implement research agendas, and help disseminate research findings to a variety of stakeholders. A successful candidate will be intellectually curious and action oriented. As part of a small team you will be involved with the full range of the research team’s work.

The Research Associate will help develop and implement a growing portfolio of grants to research institutions, including to academic centers and think-tanks.  Our research interests are at the intersection of technology and social sciences and includes questions around intelligence, information, innovation, development, decisions, and design (see below).  

You will play a critical role in building SFE’s reputation and partnerships. This role is an excellent opportunity to be part of a growing team and to gain exposure to a variety of research and nonprofit organizations.

Responsibilities

Research Team Support 

• Assist in managing research projects, tracking status and findings
• Support literature reviews on relevant topics,
• Work in partnership with colleagues to help develop research agendas related to inquiry questions, as aligned with SFE’s inquiry-driven approach to grantmaking
• Provide thoughtful feedback based on research finding and field learning to contribute to shaping organizational strategy
• Working with the Program team, assist in managing potential research grantee pipeline and in preparation of grantee sourcing discussions and proposals
• Respond to inquiries from a wide range of constituencies
• Help evaluate and monitor grantees.

Research Dissemination

• Help plan and execute convenings with external partners
  
• Help prepare research summaries for a variety of audiences
  
• Synthesize learnings from the research and collaborate with colleagues to uncover interesting opportunities at the intersection of our interest areas and topics for further exploration 
• Help facilitate internal learning from research grantee relationships
• Assist with writing white papers, Medium posts, and/or other publications that elevate SFE’s research or the findings from our grantees
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3+ years of experience working in an organization that conducts and/or disseminates research (broadly defined) 
• Minimum of 2+ years of experience working in nonprofit, philanthropy, or relevant field 
• Intellectual curiosity
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate technical and complex research to more understandable forms
• Exceptional interpersonal and collaboration skills
• Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritize work
• A master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field preferred