Research Administrator

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia is seeking a proactive and detail oriented individual for the role of Research Funding Administrator. As a member of the Research Enterprise Support Team (REST), you will assist with the development and submission of proposals for extramural funding to support University research, instruction, and public service projects. You will work closely with faculty as they develop their proposals, assisting with the preparation of financial and administrative components, and the review of technical portions for compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements. You will submit proposals to a variety of government (federal, state, local), non-profit, and industry sponsors. You will work with a team to ensure funding proposals are fully compliant with all relevant policies, working to secure the best chance of funding success. This position involves written and verbal communication (1:1, small group, and team-based), reading, policy interpretation and implementation, proofreading, writing, and budgeting.

We will consider both individuals with grant/contract experience and those new to the field. Salary is commensurate with experience. The University of Georgia offers generous benefits, with more information available at https://hr.uga.edu/Current_Employees/Benefits/benefits/ . This position is hybrid, with the majority of work conducted remotely.

Responsibilities

Pre-Award (75% of Effort) :

• Assisting faculty in preparing and processing highly complex grant proposals, assist with proposal development, and non-typical reporting requirements utilizing the grants portal.
• Assist faculty, staff, and graduate students in propose/application development, preparation and submission (both new proposals and proposal for additional funding to existing agreements).
• Serve as a Delegated Limited Submission Authority for the department (this is a signature designation at the University of Georgia that grants authority to submit funding proposals).
• Create budgets, budget justifications, cost share budgets, directions regarding proposal content and formats to assure compliance with agency guidelines and requests for information, applicable Federal, State and Institutional regulations.
• Ensure accuracy of budgets, including salary and fringe benefits rates, travel, indirect costs, cost share, and sub-contracts.
• Assist faculty in identifying potential funding opportunities that are aligned with their research interests.

Post-Award (15% of Effort) :

• Account management and monthly reconciliation for restricted projects.
• Meeting with faculty PI’s to review account activity, and ensure proper close-out of accounts.
• Reviewing expenditures for compliance and submit needed requests (award modifications), review purchasing for export controls and work with REST accounts to process journal vouchers.
• Coordinating the approval process for annual and end-of-project salary certifications.
• Ensuring that grant activities and expenditures are in accordance with federal, state, and university policies.
• Assist faculty with effort planning.
• Sub-contract administration, administrative action requests, research buyouts, no-cost extensions, and ensuring that grant projects are closed out properly.
• Liaise with the Sponsored Project Administration (SPA) and Accounts Receivable offices on campus.

Approvals and Compliance (10% of Effort):

• Review/approve departmental transactions in the UGA Financial Management system
• Ensure compliance with UGA financial processes and standards.

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, public affairs, or related discipline or an equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to interact with a variety of personalities at all levels, exercising tact, confidentiality, sound judgment, diplomacy, and flexibility to promote positive working relationships and job effectiveness.
• Substantially developed interpersonal and teamwork skills to successfully work with diverse groups in an academic environment.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and manage multiple competing projects in an organized, efficient manner by prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines.
• Ability to act independently and exercise sound judgment with sensitivity to identify matters that require higher-level management consultation.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated experience performing complex analyses involving programmatic and fiscal considerations, formation of action plans, and independently making decisions.
• Delegated Limited Submission Authority (DLSA) status typically is expected to be attained at this level within one year. Team leadership will guide new employees through this process.
• Past experience with federal funding policies, pre-, or post-award grant administration is highly preferred, but not required

Certified Research Administrator (CRAs) are highly encouraged to provide, but this designation is not required.