About Edacious

Edacious is a technology company revolutionizing how we measure and improve food quality. We develop innovative tools to analyze nutritional content and environmental impact, helping producers create better food and enabling consumers to make informed choices.

Position Overview

We're seeking a consultant to develop a USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grant application. This project will integrate data science, nutrition science, agricultural science, and livestock management via the creation of a pipeline to extract information from the scientific literature. This pipeline will include transformer models, natural language processing, and data extraction systems. Technical staff will be available to assist with the technical component, while the consultant will lead the writing and grant application process. Knowledge of data science is not a requirement. You will need to conduct a thorough review and analysis of the literature to identify project priorities and novelty.

Key Responsibilities

Collaborate in the development of a comprehensive USDA AFRI grant application, including:

Writing compelling specific aims and research strategy sections

Developing detailed budgets and budget justifications

Creating project timelines and management plans

Drafting facilities and equipment descriptions

Preparing bio sketches for key personnel

Coordinate with subject matter experts to gather technical content

Ensure compliance with all USDA AFRI submission requirements

Guide the proposal through internal review processes, ensuring high quality, timely submissions

Meet all submission deadlines and formatting requirements

Required Qualifications GRANT WRITING EXPERIENCE

Minimum 3 years of experience writing federal grant applications

Demonstrated success rate with USDA grants, particularly AFRI

Experience with grants.gov and other federal submission portals

Knowledge of current USDA funding priorities and review criteria

Proven ability to translate technical concepts into compelling proposals

Clear and organized technical writing skills

Track record of managing complex proposal development timelines

Familiarity with Zotero and citation management

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Publication history in peer-reviewed journals

Experience synthesizing input from multiple technical disciplines

Excellent technical writing skills with attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications

Prior experience with USDA AFRI's Foundational and Applied Science program area

Experience writing successful multi-institution or collaborative grants

Knowledge of food systems, agricultural science, or nutrition

Interest in or familiarity with data science applications in science preferred, but not required

Familiarity with current funding landscape for agricultural technology

Required Work Sample

Candidates must provide:

One example of a successful grant application (redacted as needed)

One example of a technical publication

Summary of grant success rates and funding amounts secured

Why Join Us?

At Edacious, we're building technology to make our food system more sustainable and nutritious. Our work directly impacts both human health and environmental sustainability through data-driven innovation.

Project Timeline

Application development: 4 week - 1 month engagement

Target submission: November 16th, 2024

Estimated project effort: ~30 hours per week