Associate Research Administrator, School of Medicine, Internal Medicine/Cardiology

Associate Research Administrator, School of Medicine, Internal Medicine/Cardiology

Benefits of working at VCU

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here .

Job Code Associate Research Administrator 1-3 (34124N-34126N)
Recruitment Pool All Applicants
Posting Number req6472
Unit School Of Medicine MBU
Department School of Medicine/Internal Medicine
Department Website Link
Location VCU
Address MCV Campus, Richmond, VA 23284 USA
Duties & Responsibilities

Associate Research Administrator

School of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. All full-time university staff are eligible for our generous benefits package that includes choices for health, vision, and dental coverage, life-insurance, short and long-term disability coverage, retirement planning, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, flexible spending accounts, tuition benefits, significant paid-time off, 12 paid holidays, and more. Explore our benefits further here: https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/university-and-academic-professional-benefits/

As a member of the Internal Medicine Division of Cardiology and Pauley Heart Center’s administrative team, the selected candidate for this Associate Research Administration position will be responsible for collaborating with primary investigators, study teams, and the cardiology research admin team to properly manage financial and administrative components of funded research grants and contracts.

The position presents an opportunity for career growth in the field of research administration for those presenting a willingness and ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with a diverse group of faculty and staff across all School of Medicine departments.

This position is eligible for hybrid telework.

Core Responsibilities:

1. Risk Management

• Demonstrates commitment to risk assessment (considering cost, benefit, and impact).
• Utilizes identified internal control mechanism.
• Practices routine verification of the accuracy of data.

2. Post Award Research Administration and Compliance Monitoring

Works in collaboration with the SOM Research Administration team, to provide post award research administration support specific to the needs of units and faculty assigned. Ensure assigned awards are managed and administrative reporting requirements are met in accordance with SOM Research Administration Standard Operating Procedures and established guidelines of both VCU and sponsoring agencies.

Serve as post award research administration support for Departments/Centers as assigned, providing hands on day-to-day management of research portfolios in the assigned area.

Post award duties could include:

• Provides financial and administrative management of department sponsored research portfolios as assigned to include grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts, including industry clinical trials.
• Provides routine updates to supervisor, noting any potential issues that may need to be elevated to a department/center’s administrative leadership.
• Works with investigators to establish new awards and initiate spending; ensures award financial record and budget are accurate in university systems.
• Meets with investigators of projects assigned no less than quarterly to review project statuses and financial projections.

• Provides financial and administrative management including monthly reviews of expenditures, projections, personnel allocations, cost share indexes. Ensures expenses allocated to a project are allowable, reasonable, and allocable, elevating compliance concerns to both PI and supervisor when needed.
• Ensures accurate labor distributions on sponsored and cost share indexes are maintained.
• Facilitate administrative components of progress reporting, work with Grants & Contracts accounting for financial reporting and invoicing as necessary.
• Facilitate administrative process for project amendments, continuations, supplements, no cost extensions.
• Alert PI and supervisor of any actual or projected deficits when identified, determining in advance means to rectify issues.
• Maintains current and complete records and communications related to each award managed. Provides supporting documentation to department fiscal personnel as requested to support purchases, travel, or labor distribution changes to be charged to a sponsored project.
• Provide data and assist supervisor as needed to prepare department level reporting for active awards.
• Performs other post award administrative duties as identified as necessary for effective award management by supervisor.

3. Pre-Award Research Administration

Work under the direction of your supervisor, to provide pre-award research administration support specific to the needs of SOM departments/centers and faculty investigators. Work directly with investigators on assigned proposal submissions to ensure proposals meet technical, administrative, and financial requirements, deadlines are met, and all SOM Research Administration Standard Operating Procedures and established policies/requirements of both VCU and sponsoring agencies are followed.

Will be responsible for managing the proposal development process and establishing necessary timelines with the investigators to ensure deadlines are met for all submissions assigned.

Pre-award duties could include:

• Follow all SOMRA SOPs related to pre-award submissions.
• Create a management plan and communicate clearly with the Principal Investigators on submission requirements and assignments, ensuring roles, responsibilities, and timelines are clear for each proposal assigned.
• Prepare non-technical components of submissions seeking PI input where needed: budget, budget narrative, coordinating administrative requirements for sub recipients, preparing RAMS-SPOT submissions, completing sponsor forms, etc.
• Ensure conformance of each submission with sponsor requirements and VCU policy.
• Prepare cost share authorizations and advance index requests, seeking department approvals as needed.
• Facilitate completion of compliance and training requirements with the PI.
• Review terms and conditions of awards and communicate special terms to.
• Investigators and department administration as needed.
• Provides data and department/center level pre-award reporting for areas assigned to team.

4. Other Research Administration Activities

Participate in SOM Research Administration team meetings and activities, provide input into SOM Research Administration procedures, training, or website materials as requested. Participate in school and university level training opportunities in Research Administration. Stay current on NIH, other Federal, state, foundation, and other common sponsoring agencies policies, procedures, and regulations. Stay current on VCU and School of Medicine policy, procedure, or guidelines related to research administration. Other duties or special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Hiring Standards:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required or
• Experience: At least 2 years of post-award research administration experience
• Must have a demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in past experiences or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Hiring Standards

• Education: Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Experience: Over 3 years of direct experience in research administration, including, financial management, effort reporting, and project close-out.
• Certifications: CRA certification or a commitment to pursue certification within the first year
• Experience in a hybrid work environment with the ability to manage tasks remotely.

Additional Information:

Open Until Filled.

VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veteran's period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Please note that if you are employed as a university employee working in any of the health system's facilities, you will need to follow VCU Health System policies, which will include but will not be limited to, vaccination requirements.

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

FLSA University Employee
Job FTE 1
Exemption Status Exempt
Restricted Position No
E-Class UF - University Employee FT
Job Category University Employee
ORP Eligible
Salary Range Commensurate with Experience up to $70,000
Compensation Type Salaried
Target Hire Date 12/1/2024
Contact Information for Candidates

TarShawn Amissah
tarshawn.amissah@vcuhealth.org

Documents Needed to Apply