Assistant Director, Grants & Contracts

Overview

The Assistant Director, Grants & Contracts, is responsible for providing services supporting the acquisition and non-financial oversight of sponsored research and other sponsored activity made to Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago through grants, contracts, and subawards. As a member of the Grants & Contracts officer team in the Office of Sponsored Programs, provide life cycle support for extramural sponsored projects, working directly with Principal Investigators (PIs), Research Managers, and other research support staff. 

Primary responsibilities: proposal development assistance including funding searches, budget and proposal preparation, application document preparation and review, communications with subrecipient organizations, negotiation and acceptance of grant, contract and subaward agreements, non-financial oversight and monitoring of sponsored projects technical reporting terms through award closeout, negotiation and oversight of subaward and consulting agreements.  The Asst. Director maintains a portfolio based on a PI’s clinical division or research program and works cooperatively among the team.  Works collaboratively with OSP Industry Studies/Research Contracts team, Research Business Managers, OSP-Accounting and other Research Administration staff in support of organizational research goals established by Lurie Children’s and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute.

Responsibilities: 

1.    Interpret Federal, State and institutional policies, procedures, guidelines, and deadlines on a daily basis related to grant and contract acquisition and award oversight, and advise PIs and Lurie Children’s staff accordingly.
2.    Develop budgets and assist PIs in developing budgets for proposals, and review proposal budgets for agency compliance, institutional policy, and accuracy prior to transmission to grantmaking agencies/lead applicants.
3.    Provide interpretation of sponsor guidelines and facilitate communications with grant making agency staff when clarifications are needed. Develop and provide proposal checklists and timelines.
4.    Work with PIs, Research Managers and other research support staff to collect and assemble proposal documentation. Obtain grant system accounts for PIs and staff.
5.    Conduct compliance review of Federal grant applications, and transmit proposal applications and/or documents to grant agency/lead applicant.
6.    Facilitate Just-In-Time and other pre-award actions requiring institutional authorized review.
7.    Review terms and conditions of award documents from external sponsors for acceptance by Lurie Children’s Hospital. Negotiate terms and conditions in alignment with organizational expectations.
8.    Ensure accuracy of proposal and award records and documentation maintained in central proposal and award database and office shared files; ensure accurate entry of faculty effort levels and non-financial award obligations as organizational deliverables.
9.    Work cooperatively with Grants & Contracts Officer team and with Research Administration staff to develop and disseminate proposal checklists, proposal templates, standard reports, policies, and other internal process steps, checklists and forms. Assist in ensuring documents posted to SMCRI/OSP website are accurate. 

10.    When Lurie Children’s is the Subrecipient of another organization’s grant/contract award, serve as liaison to lead entity for subaward/subcontract documentation and compliance purposes.
11.    Process internal steps to issue new and continuing award documents to Lurie Children’s Hospital Office of Sponsored Program Accounting for award financial setup and issuance.
12.    Provide post-award actions requiring institutional review and agency prior approval, which may include changes to personnel, budget, scope, terms, subrecipients; extensions, amendments and other actions as required within accepted award terms or agency regulations.
13.    In collaboration with PI/PI staff, prepare, negotiate and issue subaward agreements and consultant agreements. Ensure tracking for both office process and audit purposes, including tracking and processing of subaward/consultant invoices, following organizational processes. Maintain subaward record management within central proposal/award database and meet Federal reporting obligations.
14.    Work with PIs, research staff and Research Business Managers (RBM) to review and submit progress reports which may include spending estimates provided by RBM staff; facilitate review and transmission of non-technical final reports required by agencies.
15.    With OSP Grants & Contracts team, provide consistent guidance and training to PIs, research staff and departmental staff in OSP processes and policies.
16.    Monitor compliance of PIs with award terms and advises Director, OSP of any non-compliance concerns.
17.    Assist Director, OSP in preparing reports on proposal and award activity for internal and external audiences.

Requirements:

1.    Education: Bachelor’s degree in relevant field is required.
2.    Job Related Experience: 2 – 5 years administrative experience required in research administration, preferably in a scientific setting.
3.    Skills/Knowledge: Experience with federal policies and systems related to sponsored research/grants administration. Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as a team player, manage time and multiple tasks, set priorities and manage deadlines in professional manner. Interpersonal skills necessary to interact with external contacts, physicians, PIs and other internal personnel. Experience with Microsoft Office (in particular Word, Excel, PowerPoint, 365). Prefer familiarity with Cayuse Research Suite or other web-based proposal and award systems.
4.    Physical Demands: While most of the work is sedentary, specific duties will involve going to other campus buildings.