Research Project Coordinator

KU Center on Disabilities (KUCD) seeks a research project coordinator to support projects related to educating and supporting young adults with disability and the professionals who work with them. This position will work across projects to coordinate project activities, monitor and communicate study progress, and assist with grant management and reporting tasks. These projects focus on the following areas:

• Professional development for and on-going collaborations with secondary special educators and other professionals who work with young adults with disabilities.
• Integrated postsecondary education for young adults with intellectual disability in Kansas, particularly KU Transition to Postsecondary Education (KU TPE).

The research project coordinator is an important part of the KUCD team and may supervise the work of professional staff (e.g., research assistants or aides) and students supporting research project goals. The coordinator monitors tasks and responsibilities to ensure accurate and timely completion across projects and works collaboratively with team members to support task completion. The ideal candidate will have previous project coordination experience, be highly reliable at meeting established goals and deliverables within strict timelines, pay close attention to detail, be adept at independent problem-solving, and collaborate well within a complex team including colleagues at multiple universities and other community partners.

About KUCD
The University of Kansas, Kansas University Center on Disabilities (KUCD) is recognized as a leading research center in the field of disability. KUCD implements and conducts grant-funded research projects focusing on (a) applied research on effective assessment and instructional methods with a particular focus on self-determination and transition from high-school to employment, postsecondary education, or community participation and (b) interdisciplinary training in the disability field. KUCD is part of the Life Span Institute (LSI), a leading research unit at the University of Kansas.

This position is located at the University of Kansas-Lawrence and occasional travel in Kansas and within the United States will be required.

KUCD is committed to fostering a supportive research and educational environment for all faculty, staff, and students.

The research project coordinator is a critical role and responsibilities include the following:

50% - Coordinate projects to provide all required deliverables and meet established goals within project timelines.

• Coordinate the development of materials/resources aligned with project goals and deadlines, working closely with project leadership to ensure alignment with grant goals and deliverables.
• Organize study activities such as: (a) recruiting/managing participants, (b) tracking study activities and timelines, (c) data collection organization and monitoring, including training data collectors, and tracking data collection activities, and (d) ensuring timely provision of participant incentives or other participant support (e.g. travel reimbursement, honoraria, etc.) as required.
• Communicate regular, timely, thoroughly summarized project updates to all team members through careful planning of internal study team meetings, written status updating on a consistent schedule, being sure to escalate items of concern to project leadership as needed.
• Organize inventory and ordering of necessary supplies and coordinate shipping of materials as needed.
• Strengthen team working relationships by communicating professionally with team members at multiple universities and other local community organizations, study participants (e.g., teachers and students with disabilities), project funders, and the public around study details and activities as required and appropriate.
  

20% - Coordinate project meetings and events including in-person and virtual meetings, presentations and training sessions:

• Use efficient and effective methods to determine meeting times/places (e.g. using online calendars and meeting apps).
• Communicate with participants and sponsors via phone and digital means.
• Implement logistics (e.g., obtain meeting space, purchase food or materials, organize travel or travel reimbursement, etc.).
• Support the development of meeting/training materials and disperse them through a variety of methods (e.g., email, online, print, etc.).
• Attend and provide administrative support at meetings/trainings, as needed.
• Submit expense/travel materials per KU requirements.
  

20% - Provide project communications across KU personnel (e.g. KUCD researchers and TPE staff) as well as others outside of KU (e.g., prospective students, families, and personnel at other universities or agencies) using multiple methods to meet project activities/goals.

• Prepare and deliver presentations regarding project recruitment, implementation, or results via in-person or virtual delivery methods.
• Assist in creating summary reports and other information dissemination products for projects (e.g., editing, verifying accurate references, creating graphics or charts using project data). This includes contributing to annual reporting requirements as well as project update reports.
• Market project events to reach multiple audiences for a variety of purposes through multiple methods such as social media channels, email/digital marketing applications, website, and print using marketing language, imagery and methods, as well as collaboration with other campus units and community organizations.
• Collaborate with KUCD information dissemination team for KUCD hosted events and through tasks, such as ensuring materials accessibility (including plain language, creating video products, multimedia elements, social media posts, and website management.
• Perform entry of project data into data collection systems to support annual project tracking and reporting requirements from project funders.
  

10% - Provide administrative support for a variety of project activities (e.g. data collection and management, generating drafts of project materials, assembling print materials, ordering project supplies, etc.).

1. Bachelor's degree with one year of related professional experience.
2. Excellent written communication skills as evidenced in application materials.
3. Strong attention to detail, as evidenced by application materials.
4. Three years of work experience that required strong interpersonal, administrative, and organizational skills with capacity for responding to and managing rapidly developing priorities, as evidenced in application materials.
5. Three years of experience using a variety of software systems such as: Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Drive, Emma, Canva, Zoom, MS Teams, SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, Qualtrics as demonstrated by application materials and work experience.

This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is commonly recognized as the standard qualification for similar roles in the public and private sector, ensuring that the university remains competitive with industry aligned practices, enhances collaboration with external partners, and supports the delivery of services and programs that meet professional and market-driven expectations.

A complete application consists of:

1. Completion of the online application.
2. Resume
3. Cover Letter
4. 3 Professional References from previous employers

Application deadline is Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 11:59PM Central Time.

Sarah Smith
sarah.smith@ku.edu

$55,200.00 - 64,381.00 commensurate with experience

Monday March 2, 2026

Sunday March 8, 2026