The University of Washington’s Information School is seeking a Grants and Contracts Specialist to provide effective, timely, and compliant analysis and administration of research grants and contracts. This individual will work with principal investigators, research partners, sponsors, and University research support offices to manage the full lifecycle of grants and contracts.

Researchers in the Information School work to solve information problems from many disciplinary perspectives with funding from many different sponsors. The range and complexity of the research enterprise in the school requires high-quality, professional grants management support for novice and experienced researchers; continual monitoring, analysis, and improvement of procedures, policies, and resources for the conduct of research in the Information School; and regular engagement with professionals in other units in the Information School and the UW.

The Grants and Contracts Specialist works independently to design, develop, manage, and ensure timely submission of complex grant and contract proposals. They ensure effective receipt, budgeting, and expenditure of awards, in compliance with federal, state, funding agency, and University of Washington regulations, policies and procedures. In collaboration with the Director of Research Administration, they are responsible for post-award procedures, record keeping, analysis, monitoring and reporting systems.

There is an expectation that the person in this position will step up where they see an opportunity to apply their special expertise or talents, speak up when they identify opportunities or concerns, and lead by taking actions that exemplify the Information School’s core values. This leadership may be expressed in diverse ways, reflecting the variety of styles and cultures that are represented by Information School faculty and staff.

What You’ll Be Doing

The Grants and Contracts Specialist provides overall management of proposals and awards for approximately half of the active researchers in the school.

Pre-award proposal analysis and support

Manage the preparation of competitive and non-competitive grant and contract proposals for submission to sponsoring agencies. Provide review and analysis of proposals to ensure complete and successful submissions. Responsibilities and areas of oversight include:

• Manage preparation and submission of complex proposal budgets, including cost sharing documentation.
• Manage preparation and submission of all other administrative and compliance components, including those related to narrative portions of proposals.
• Advise researchers on sponsor guidelines and University and funding agency policies and procedures. 
• Establish timelines for and administer submission of grant and contract proposals in accordance with school, UW, and sponsor requirements and deadlines.
• Assist and act on behalf of principal investigators in negotiating terms of research grants, contracts, and subcontracts.
• Act on behalf of investigators in communicating with research partners, sponsors, and UW offices of research administration.

Post-Award financial analysis and support

Manage research awards, ensuring compliance with budget and fiscal policies, procedures, monitoring, reconciliation, and reporting for research grants and contracts. Responsibilities and areas of oversight include:

In collaboration with/on behalf of principal investigators:

• Research, interpret, and implement funding agency fiscal guidelines and rules.
• Provide financial planning and award administration support, including complex budget management, complicated expenditure transactions, and preparation of fiscal documents for external purposes.
• Initiate and monitor sub-budget allocations and sub-contract accounts; coordinate with other UW departments and external partners. 
• Monitor financial activity on grants and contracts, gifts, and internal funding allocations; provide regular budget projections; determine the need for revision of fiscal plans; respond to budget variances.
• Perform complicated expenditure transactions; review UW systems used to track award activity for compliance and accuracy. Troubleshoot and prepare expenditure corrections as necessary.
• Prepare, analyze, and distribute monthly budget management and compliance monitoring reports for research grants, contracts, and gifts - including review and reconciliation of monthly transactions and actual expenditures in comparison to budget plans.
• Analyze, verify, and coordinate salary certification report approvals (FECs and GCCRs).
• Oversee all sponsor reporting requirements including managing and timely submission of all reports (RPPR, etc.).
• Monitor, track, and document cost share commitments.
• Prepare just-in-time documents as required by sponsor.  
• Communicate and coordinate with iSchool Human Resources staff on payroll additions or changes for research project personnel as indicated by budget plans approved by principal investigators.  
• Communicate and coordinate with iSchool Finance staff on internal reporting, policy and procedure development, travel expenditures, and internal budget transfers.

In collaboration with the Director of Research Services:

• Design and develop complex budget and expenditure monitoring and management reports, including compliance and audit reporting.
• Develop, revise, and administer policies and procedures for grant and contract financial management, record keeping, monitoring and reporting.   

• Assist in the design, preparation, and interpretation of analytical reports on school-wide research funding and expenditure trends and projections for iSchool administrative leaders (primarily Associate Dean for Research, Assistant Dean for Planning & Administration, and Dean).
• Respond to compliance and other fiscal information requests from iSchool management, UW central administration, and other external partners, including reviewing and approving eGC1’s, business elements of proposals, no cost extensions, travel and expense reimbursements.

Other

• Coordinate and prepare documents for audits or other special external reviews.
• Special projects as assigned.
• Attend monthly MRAM and other research administrative-related campus presentations, workshops and trainings.
• Participate in professional development opportunities.
• Attend meetings and participate in committee and iSchool events and activities as appropriate.
• Perform other related duties as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in pre- and post-award grants and contracts management.

• Proficient with complex budget development, analysis, and reporting.
• Skilled in using MS Office, including creating and using complex MS Excel spreadsheets and workbooks.
• Experience using databases for queries and reports.
• Experience and commitment to providing accurate, detailed work products.
• Ability to work and problem-solve independently.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, researchers, and staff.
• Problem-solving skills, including active listening, planning and organizing, and teamwork.
• Ability to leverage experience while exercising expertise and informed professional judgment.
• Strong commitment to excellence in grants and fiscal services.
• Demonstrated ability to manage time and priorities among competing demands.
• Ability to adapt to change and adopt new procedures and systems and contribute to process improvement.
• Demonstrated success working with diverse populations.

Desired Qualifications

• Knowledge of University of Washington fiscal policies and procedures, including those related to grants and contracts.
• Experience with federal grants and contracts policies and procedures.
• Working knowledge of UW Systems, particularly SAGE eGC1, GrantTracker, MyResearch, eProcurement/ARIBA (including BPO preparation), and MyFinancial.desktop (MyFD); working knowledge of other applications including NSF FastLane, Research.gov, and other sponsor systems.
• Project management experience.
• Ability to assess and lead improvements in processes and work products.

What’s in it for you

• Full benefits, including medical and dental insurance and retirement plan.
• Paid vacation and sick leave, as well as 11 paid holidays a year and one personal day.
• Fully subsidized transit pass.
• Work for an exciting, cutting-edge school within the University of Washington.

Conditions of Employment

• A satisfactory outcome of a reference check of previous employment.

The University of Washington’s Information School is seeking a Director of Research Development & Strategy responsible for development and implementation of research programs and strategic research initiatives within the Information School. The Director works directly with researchers to build their research programs and with the Associate Dean for Research, iSchool leadership, and other internal and external units to build capacity and meet the strategic research goals of the school.

Areas of responsibility for this position include development and implementation of:

• Strategic research programs of principal investigators, research groups, and centers
• Start-up and integration of new, complex, and large-scale research initiatives
• Approaches for building research capacity and competitiveness
• Activities to enrich the research culture in the school
• Partner and funder cultivation and communication
• Delegated decision-making authority for grant related activities in newly established research centers

At the iSchool, we create an environment that fosters appreciation, mutual respect, and engagement among and between members of the iSchool, UW community, and beyond, with special attention to the needs of people from historically marginalized communities. We envision a university in which all students, faculty and staff participate fully and meaningfully in campus life without being subjected to discrimination, bias or microaggressions. We condemn any expressions of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or any other instance of bias and discrimination against marginalized individuals and groups.

There is an expectation that the person in this position will step up where they see an opportunity to apply their special expertise or talents, speak up when they identify opportunities or concerns, and lead by taking actions that exemplify the Information School’s core values. This leadership may be expressed in diverse ways, reflecting the variety of styles and cultures that are represented by Information School faculty and staff.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Research Program Development:

Oversee, and participate in, activities related to the advancement, expansion, and promotion of iSchool research, both funded and unfunded.

Facilitate, advise, and oversee:

• Planning of new and expanded research initiatives, groups, and centers.
• Development of large and complex collaborative proposals and projects.
• Grant writing for large, multi-million-dollar grants, working closely with PI’s and Faculty.
• Start-up of large and complex awards and initiatives.
• Reviews, site visits, audits, and other special reports and funder requirements.
• Diversification of researcher funding portfolios.
• Communication and coordination among researchers, collaborators, Research Services team, and other school and campus units.
• Interpretation of and compliance with sponsor and University policies and expectations.

Research Strategy and Operations:

Direct, advise, and support:

• Processes and resources for improving funding competitiveness and management of research agendas and programs.
• Priorities for researcher engagement with foundations, industry, and corporate partners through Corporate & Foundation Relations and iAffiliates.
• Analysis, evaluation, and reporting on research activities to guide programmatic investments, and build research capabilities.
• Processes and standards for research agreements, MOUs, NDAs, intellectual property, data sharing, and other special arrangements and conditions, in liaison with other UW units (e.g., AG’s office, CoMotion).
• Coordination of resources and records to meet the needs of research development and administration.
• Development and implementation of policies and processes that interface with other campus units and external agencies and partners.
• Represent the Associate Dean for Research and the iSchool research enterprise as needed in interactions on campus and with external stakeholders.

Research Development Coordination:

Design and direct:

• Current awareness approaches for tracking funding programs and priorities.
• General and targeted communication of funding opportunities for researchers across the school.
• Reports, reviews, and metrics of research activity, accomplishments, and trends.
• Promotion of research activities, events, and impact, in liaison with iSchool Communications, campus, and external channels.
• Research-related content on iSchool communication platforms.
• Meetings and events to support research awareness and culture.

Other:

• Serve on campus committees that relate to research operations in the school.
• Responsibility for decision-making and approval processes when the Associate Dean for Research is absent or unavailable.
• Represents the Research Services unit at ad hoc iSchool and University meetings related to the conduct of research.
• Participates in professional development opportunities.
• Attend and participate in iSchool meetings, events, committees, and activities as appropriate.
• Performs other related duties as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Masters in Information Science, Communications, Public Administration, or related field; or equivalent education or experience.
• Minimum 3 years of experience working in an environment with funded research programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge of academic research processes.
• Strong problem-solving capability and the ability to learn complex content quickly for application to grant seeking and development.
• Ability to coordinate resources and delegate responsibilities to meet deadlines.
• Ability to understand and interpret complex academic material from relevant disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to write in a clear, concise, and cogent manner.
• A track record of success in writing and submitting research proposals for external funding.
• Experience with project management.
• Excellent organizational and record keeping skills.
• Strong critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to function independently and proactively while exercising skill and informed professional judgment.
• Ability to develop positive relationships with colleagues and external constituents.
• Strong time management and prioritization skills, with the ability to effectively manage multiple and competing demands.
• Demonstrated success in working with diverse populations.
• Proficient in using MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Suite, and equivalent software.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in an academic research environment.
• Knowledge of federal and private research funding agencies and programs.
• Thorough understanding of UW grant and contract management policies and practices.
• Working knowledge of information science and related fields.
• Expertise in program evaluation and policy analysis.
• Experience interpreting, explaining, and helping individuals comply with complex policies.
• Experience managing communications on behalf of a program or organization.
• Knowledge of research policies and procedures, including those of the University of Washington Human Subjects Division and the federal Office for Human Research Protections.
• Ph.D. or equivalent research experience in Information Science or related discipline.

What’s in it for you:

• Full benefits, including medical and dental insurance and retirement plan.
• Paid vacation and sick leave, as well as 11 paid holidays a year and one personal day.
• Fully subsidized transit pass.
• Professional development opportunities.

Work for an exciting, cutting-edge research school within the University