The Daily Bulletin Archive

From the Special Adviser to the Provost for Academic Research Initiatives
This week's Research Foundation communication series focuses on the expertise supporting grants administration at the Research Foundation (RF).

The proposal application has been successfully completed and submitted, and funding has been awarded. Congratulations! So what’s next? Welcome to RF Grants Administration, where we assist you with your post-award project management.

Good post-award management of your award is key to ensuring compliance with all sponsor regulations and requirements as well as RF and campus policies and procedures. Our post-award staff is well-trained and uniquely qualified to achieve these objectives and to guide project personnel through their award life cycle, from establishment to closeout.

Susan Maerz is the manager of Grants Administration. She provides oversight in compliance and management, conducts fiscal analysis and review of sponsored awards, and supervises a staff of four grants associates who bring a broad range of knowledge and experience to the management of sponsored awards.

Jessica Berg and Lisa Gatti are your grant administrators. One of them will assist you in your award setup and management, depending on sponsor type. They will notify you of your award numbers and work closely with you in ensuring that expenditures are appropriate and allowable to your award. They will invoice or provide financial reports, monitor program reports, and work with you and your sponsor whenever a modification is required. Gatti is adept at training you to view your award information in the Oracle business system, and she can schedule a session with you to demonstrate the use of the PI portal.

Maerz, Berg, and Gatti are certified research administrators (CRA), having passed the rigorous requirements for certification through the Research Administrators Certification Council, and have a combined total of more than three decades of project management experience.

Dale Bessinger is your contact for cost sharing, IFRs (Income Fund Reimbursable), and effort reports. It is his job to ensure compliance with salary certifications, and you will likely see him about campus, as he works with faculty to obtain required signatures. 

Lauren Ashcroft is your point of contact for Research Management projects, incentive awards, and cash deposits to your account. She works with campus and RF central office personnel to maintain equipment inventory and insurance records, and she is a great resource to point you in the right direction if you aren’t sure where to take your questions.

Sincerely,

Mark W. Severson, Ph.D.
Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences