Jennifer Cahn, PhD

Biography

Dr. Jennifer Cahn assists SOM researchers in their search for funding, and she also serves as a resource on both internal and external guidelines. She served as grant writer at our legacy institution in Brownsville under the School of Science, Mathematics, and Technology, and prior to that as assistant to the Director of Institutional Advancement. Dr. Cahn can be reached at her Harlingen office and is happy to travel to any of the UTRGV sites to discuss your ongoing research and ways to help find funding for individual research, interdepartmental programs, clinical research, and related projects. The Office of the Associate Dean of Research, which determines priorities in grant writing support, particularly encourages collaborative and interdisciplinary projects.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Director of Research Administration

• Responsible for the oversight and direction of pre- and post-award management, compliance, budgeting, and evaluation of research programs and processes in the School of Medicine in alignment with Division of Research (DoR) policies and procedures.

• Initiates and nurtures critical partnerships and alliances throughout the institution’s research enterprise, with institutional partners, and other external stakeholders to increase institutional research competitiveness.

• Provides active leadership in the identification, solicitation, and cultivation of major funding agencies, to include State and Federal agencies, corporations, and foundations in coordination with the DoR.

• Establishes the direction, goals, implementation strategy, and policies for the assigned area.

• Works closely with DoR leadership to ensure SOM policies align with institutional policies and advocates for SOM research enterprise with institutional offices.

• Leads processes to increase research portfolio and ensure strategic initiatives are being met while maintaining the highest levels of customer satisfaction, efficiency, and research compliance.