Grants Specialist

Spelman College Portal•Atlanta, GA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Grants Specialist reports directly to the Director of Research Development & Sponsored Programs in the Office of Research, Innovation, and Collaboration (ORIC) and is primarily responsible for working closely with Spelman College faculty and staff to oversee pre- and post-award activities for proposals for external funding and awarded grants from government agencies. This position is primarily responsible for ensuring the compliance of proposals for external funding submitted on behalf of the College and the proper stewardship of sponsored projects as assigned. The Grants Specialist provides professional support for the administration of externally funded grants and sponsored programs throughout the grant lifecycle, with a primary emphasis on pre-award activities. This position collaborates with faculty, principal investigators, and administrative departments to facilitate proposal development, budget preparation, sponsor submissions, and regulatory compliance. The Grants Specialist also supports post-award administration by assisting with award setup, monitoring compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements, coordinating grant modifications, and maintaining accurate grant documentation. The incumbent serves as a resource on sponsored programs policies and procedures, ensuring grants are administered in accordance with federal, state, sponsor, and institutional guidelines while supporting the College’s research and strategic funding initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with at least four years of relevant experience with sponsored programs required.
The incumbent should be capable of working effectively in a college setting and with diverse communities.
The incumbent must have previously demonstrated the ability to interact with governmental agencies (e.g. federal, state) and work collegially and respectfully with faculty, staff and funding agencies.
Must have extensive working knowledge and be able to apply a deep understanding of federal and state rules, regulations, policies, and procedures (OMB Uniform Guidance); and interpret policies and funding agency regulations for others.
Must understand and manage multiple types of award mechanisms, including grants, sub-awards, and cooperative agreements.
Must demonstrate initiative, think proactively and strategically, and adapt well to change.
The ability to work independently and exercise good judgement when appropriate is essential to success in this position.
The work is considered highly professional and technical, involving the review and processing of research and other types of grant proposals, negotiation of awards and subawards, and a variety of post-award non-financial administrative duties (no-cost extensions, amendments, compliance, problem-solving, etc.)
Good proofreading skills are essential.
Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from various stakeholders such as faculty, funding agencies, or regulatory agencies is necessary.
This position requires strong customer service focus while working in a diverse community, excellent written, verbal and time management skills.
Professional demeanor with the ability to interface with internal and external constituents and stakeholders with diplomacy and tact is essential.
The incumbent must be able to effectively present information to senior leaders and external audiences.
Advanced skills using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point).
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, Requests for Proposals (RFP), and legal documents.
Incumbent may be required to process basic letters, memos, e-mails, and formal business correspondence; handle such things as mail merges, spreadsheets using formulas and pivot tables, and creating forms, tables, and graphs.
The employee must be able to conduct extensive internet and funding database searches.
Knowledge of budget procedures and experience with Banner Financial Module a plus.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree
certification as a research administrator (CRA) is preferred.
It is expected that incumbent will pursue a certification as a Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Financial Research Administrator CFRA) within two years of hire, if not already certified.

Responsibilities

Provides guidance and expertise to grant-seekers to identify appropriate funding opportunities by conducting electronic and manual searches and disseminating this information to interested individuals.
Guides and supports faculty and staff during the proposal preparation and submission process.
Assists grant-seekers with the preparation of budgets and financial portions of applications ensuring content is accurate and complete.
Gathers institutional data and boilerplate language for proposal narratives in support of selected grant applications.
Develops and maintains a library of reference documentation, including information such as funding agency requirements, forms, checklists (and uploads to Spelman’s Faculty Collaboration Hub).
Reviews and interprets guidelines, proposals, and budgets to ensure compliance with college policies, federal regulations, and funder requirements.
Monitors the progress of internal approvals and signatures to ensure timely submission of proposals.
Interprets both funding agency and college policies and procedures and disseminates newly available information on funding regulations.
Assists in planning, developing and conducting training programs to educate faculty and staff in the policies and procedures for proposal development and sponsored project administration.
Coordinates and facilitates activities related to the establishment, implementation, and close-out of awarded grants.
Prepares awardees for effective management of external funds through orientations, regular meetings/updates, and written guidance.
Interfaces with faculty and staff to maintain compliance with policies and guidelines of funding agencies and College policies.
Ensures that funds are expended at an appropriate rate (monitor burn rates).
Informs/advises on administrative requirements, deadlines, and documents for award management, budget monitoring, and report preparation.
Decides on feasibility of budget modifications, no-cost extensions, and other award modifications.
Submits requests for no-cost extensions, re-budgeting requests, changes in scope, and other changes to the award.
Collaborates with the Office of Budget and Contracts, Office of Human Resources, Office of the Controller (Accounts Payable), and Faculty Affairs in the Office of the Provost to ensure the effective management and compliance of externally funded programs and projects.
Works closely with ORIC’s Operations Manager and the Grants Support Coordinators to provide guidance and assistance to administrative professionals to ensure effective administrative support for awardees.
Maintains and updates the pending and active grant files to include a copy of notice of awards, interim/annual progress reports, time and effort reports, correspondence from the funding agency, quarterly burn/expenditure rates, and any other post-award documents.
Ensures proper application of OMB Uniform Guidance, sponsor rules and regulations, and College policies/procedures.
Ensures compliance with sponsor-specific reporting requirements, including tracking deadlines for progress reports, quarterly/annual financial reports and project closeouts.
Proactively communicates about issues or concerns that may impact successful completion of the sponsored research and projects.
Manages the sub-award process working collaboratively with the Office of Budgets and Contracts, coordinates issuance of sub-award agreements, and serves as the primary point of contact for sub-awardee institutions/organizations.
Provides guidance to awardees and oversight to ensure interim and final reports are submitted in a timely manner.
Ensures an efficient close-out process of grants that is consistent with college timelines/procedures and is compliant with funding agency requirements.
Assists in the preparation and monitoring of Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation and ensures regulations are followed for Human Subjects research.
Assists in preparation of educational materials and communications related to research administration and sponsored projects’ activity.
Collaborates with ORIC’s Operations Manager and Budgets & Contracts to conduct orientations and trainings for current and future awardees to inform of policies, procedures, and required documents.
Assists with the management and updating of ORIC’s Faculty Collaboration Hub.
Monitors proposals and funded awards in the CAYUSE platform.
Participates in relevant trainings and workshops/conferences/seminars designed to increase knowledge of professional research administration concepts and practices.
Implements policies and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with sponsor rules and regulations.
Works collaboratively with ORIC’s Operations Manager and the Office of Marketing and Communications to develop award announcements for the Spelman Community about grants that have been funded.
Oversees and manages electronic databases, shared files, platforms, and electronic submission systems including Research.gov, NIH eRA Commons, CAYUSE eRA, Ellucian BANNER, calendars, and various spreadsheets to track grant proposals and awards.
Interfaces with other departmental units/offices to provide information or handle requests as appropriate.