Research Fellow, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Office of Academic Affairs performs university-wide leadership and coordination of CU’s academic and research programs. In collaboration with campus executives, the office coordinates the development and review of academic programs for board and state agency approval and serves as liaison to faculty governance groups. 

Position Summary
The Research Fellow for the University of Colorado (CU) Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative will specialize in innovation and entrepreneurship research, with emphases on identifying linkages across the CU system to entrepreneurship, commercialization, and community development.  The position is for a one-year term to begin no later than August 1, 2021.  

Candidates should be interested in research necessary to catalogue existing offerings within the CU system, outreach efforts across the CU System, and original research concerning relevant offerings within other university systems. This position is best suited to an individual who desires the opportunity to research in the area(s) of experiential offerings within higher education, entrepreneurship and innovation, community development, and commercialization of novel ideas generated on campus.   

This position reports to the Faculty Lead for the CU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative as is exempt from the State of Colorado Classified Staff System.

Duties
Duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: 

• Research entrepreneurship and innovation programs, activities, and organizations within the CU System and at comparable universities and higher education systems across the United States. 
• Provide support to efforts to document and catalogue existing innovation and entrepreneurship offerings across the University of Colorado System. 
• Conduct interviews with internal CU stakeholders and external organizations to collect information related to innovation and entrepreneurship efforts and activities, including information regarding successes and lessons learned.
• Work with others to convene stakeholders across the CU system, including working with those in other disciplines and campus departments, as well as in the surrounding community, to better understand existing innovation and entrepreneurship offerings, needs, and areas for improvement. 
• Identify metrics used to inform entrepreneurship-related rankings on national and international scales
• Evaluate information collected to determine CU’s standing in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Draft reports, presentations, papers, and other written work products which help initiate meaningful steps toward broader system-wide collaboration; author or co-author research findings as needed. 
• Assist the Faculty Lead on the CU I&E project as needs arise throughout the fellowship.
• Perform other duties and projects to support the efforts of the program as assigned.

Who we are: System Administration, which also houses the Office of the President, is located in the uptown neighborhood of Denver with a few smaller offices located on the campuses.  However, this position is located in Boulder. Many of our departments support the educational and research missions of the four University of Colorado campuses, but System Administration is not considered a campus. We provide diverse opportunities for professional development, innovation, and collaboration with talented staff and faculty.  Learn more about CU System Administration .

The University of Colorado has been proactive in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can visit our COVID-19 webpage for more information.

What we offer:

Salary: The salary range has been established at $60,000 - $70,000.

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Benefits: The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision and Wellness
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
  • Vacation Days: 22
  • Sick Days: 15
  • Holiday Days: 10
• Tuition Benefit: System employees have the benefit on all campuses 
• ECO Pass: RTD Bus and light rail service
• Additional Perks & Programs: Click here to access a few more Perks and Programs

Click here to access our Total Compensation Calculator to see what your total rewards could be at CU. This position is a University Staff position.

Additional taxable fringe benefits may be available.

More information on benefits programs, including eligibility, is available at www.cu.edu/employee-services/

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
To be successful in this position, candidates will need the following:

• Excellent communication, analytical and writing skills
• Ability to conduct research and integrate relevant information from a variety of sources.
• Collaboration skills, including the ability to work with others from different areas and backgrounds to reach a common goal 
• Computer skills, including the ability to utilize Microsoft Office programs (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and learn and experiment with new software and systems
• Interpersonal skills, including the ability to facilitate interaction, communication, and teamwork between others
• Organizational skills, including the ability to set and meet goals and deadlines, manage appointments, create schedules, coordinate and facilitate meetings, and make decisions 
• Presentation skills, including the ability to collect, evaluate, display, and deliver information to a variety of audiences in a way that is easily understandable
• Ability to prepare reports, briefings, and presentations in a variety of formats (verbal, written, visual, etc.) 

Minimum Requirements

Please ensure your resume includes any and all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against these qualifications.  You must meet all minimum requirements listed at the time of application to be considered for this role.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis).
• Experience working with university students.

Preferred Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education. 
• Two (2) years of experience in researching, compiling, and evaluating business data and/or working in entrepreneurship, innovation, or field related the work performed. 
• Experience involving entrepreneurship and/or innovation activities within a higher education setting.
• Experience assisting start-up businesses and/or supporting community development.