"Grants Research Administrator (Post Award)"

Unit:

College of Humanities & Sciences MBU

Department:

Psychology

Duties & Responsibilities:

The College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) is seeking applicants to a Grants Research Administrator position. This position will primarily be responsible for the day-to-day aspects of post award research administration. Post award expectations include award verification and set up, preparation of sponsor required financial reports, index reconciliation, and review/submission of various post award administrative tasks (e.g., NCEs, re-budgeting requests, prior approval requests) for an assigned grants portfolio. We are seeking to hire two successful candidates from this posting. The individual(s) will work within the Department of Psychology and will be expected to work collaboratively with the CHS Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) Team. As needed, the positions may assist and support Principal Investigators and the College grants team with pre-awards support. This position is primarily in-person, with a hybrid option available at times.

The Department of Psychology is an innovative unit in the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences with a robust research portfolio and is a diverse department with almost 50 faculty members from varying backgrounds. The department serves a student body of over 1,700 undergraduate students and over 130 graduate students. These positions are part of a team overseeing a $10 to 12M+/year federal grant portfolio and work collaboratively to ensure compliance with Commonwealth and University policies, as well as grant requirements and guidelines. The positions report primarily to the departmental Director of Operations and have a secondary report to CHS grants leadership.

The VCU job series for this position is Associate Research Administrator in the Research job family. For more information, please see VCU Human Resources’ Job Family and Salary Ranges at here.

VCU combines learning, research, creativity, service and discovery with a commitment to inclusive excellence. Ranked by U.S. News as one of the 30 “most innovative” public universities in the country, VCU is a premier, urban, public research university home to multiple nationally ranked programs. Here your success is supported, and your career can thrive.

VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will add your military years of service to our leave plan. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!

Typical Duties Post-Award Duties

• Perform monthly financial reconciliation of assigned sponsored program indexes
• Fulfill grant management responsibilities (e.g., award review and setup, no cost extensions [NCEs] prior approval requests, re-budgeting requests, effort reporting)
• Provide detailed review and analysis of award agreements and contract documents to maintain compliance with local, state, university, and federal regulations
• Initiate and complete labor distributions and/or post cost transfer requests as needed
• Assist faculty with grant financial reports and other aspects of grants post-award (e.g., progress reports, renewal budgets)
• Initiate the grant close out process at the conclusion of research projects

Individuals will be expected to work collaboratively with VCU’s Office of Grants & Contracts to resolve accounting issues, as well as VCU’s Division of Sponsored Programs to coordinate the submission of grant proposals and post award administrative actions and reports. Additionally, the team members will assist by providing knowledge and education to the College of Humanities and Sciences’ research faculty and staff on issues pertaining to grants and federal compliance. This position will complete other duties as assigned in a timely and professional manner as requested.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field and/or three or more years of experience in research administration.
• Ability to work well under deadline pressures, exhibiting sound judgement without sacrificing accuracy or customer service in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
• Knowledge and experience in working with grant and contract procedures.
• Ability to apply and interpret university and federal policies, procedures, laws, and regulations concerning sponsored projects.
• Open and collaborative style that encourages teamwork and cooperation.
• Excellent computer skills in the use of MS Office with emphasis on Excel spreadsheets and MS Word processing.
• Knowledge of various electronic sponsor portal systems.
• Ability to prioritize work and handle multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to reason, think logically, and analyze situations to achieve resolution of problems or concerns.
• Demonstrated ability to research, investigate, analyze, and evaluate all project related data regarding budgets and expenditures for each assigned project.
• Exceptional communication, organization skills, customer service, and interpersonal skills.
• Must have the ability to effectively and clearly answer inquiries of faculty, staff, and sponsors.
• Knowledge of state and federal regulations related to research administration, including Uniform Guidance (2CFR200), and Cost Accounting Standards.
• Must demonstrate an interest and willingness to learn the ins and outs of pre OR post award grant administration.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications such as Certified Research Administrator (CRA), Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA), Certified Pre-Award Administrator (CPRA) or relevant certification in Project Management
• Experience in pre-award research administration is a plus

Application process:

Please provide a cover letter, resume/CV, and a list of three professional references and their contact information.

Salary Range:

$55,000 to $70,000

Benefits

: 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 benefits, 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.

FLSA Exemption Status:

Exempt

Hours per Week:

40

Restricted Position:

No

ORP Eligible:

No

Flexible Work Arrangement:

Fully Onsite

Contact Information:

Contact Name: Dr. Robin Everhart
Contact Email: reverhart@vcu.edu