Pre-award grant coordinators assist in the preparation of proposal budget details, facilitate the administrative review and approval process, and submit proposals.
Awards coordinators and contract managers review and negotiate contracts and agreements.
Post-award project specialists provide a variety of financial and administrative services once UNL has been awarded a grant or a contract, assisting faculty with everything from budget setup to managing the entire award.
Pre-Award Services
Assist with proposal preparation
- Serve as a central distribution center for standard application materials to federal and state agencies
- Provide training for and access to electronic databases (like Grants.gov), to help faculty conduct funding searches
- Provide consultation and assistance in all phases of budget design and preparation
- Provide assistance in completing all federal forms (budget, representations and certifications, and assurances)
- Maintain communication with and provide training for departmental personnel (liaisons) involved in proposal preparation
Serve as a liaison with external agencies
- Identify program officers at external agencies to explore funding opportunities, to follow up on proposals, and to obtain feedback and reviewers’ comments
- Provide consultation on contacting and working with federal agencies and foundations
Provide campus clearance and proposal transmittals
- Provide assistance in securing institutional approvals and authorization signatures
- Submit proposals electronically or package and mail proposals for faculty
Conduct negotiations
- Negotiate pre-award and post-award budgets with agency technical and fiscal officers
- Negotiate agreement terms, as necessary, to ensure acceptability to the university
Review and accept awards
- Review awards to ensure agreement is acceptable to the university
- Provide the necessary institutional acceptance for awards
Maintain official university records on current proposal submissions and grants/contracts awarded
- Records are kept in NuRamp
Provide reports of proposal submissions and grant/contract award activity
- A variety of reports can be generated through NuRamp
Post-Award Services
Provide financial management for awards
- Establish accounts in the UNL and state accounting systems
- Invoice sponsors and receive funds
- Draw funds from federal letters of credit
- Issue sub-agreements
Assist with other aspects of award management
- Manage effort reporting (Personnel Activity Reports).
- Provide training and guidance to department grant managers
- Coordinate accounting procedures and provide briefings to principal investigators concerning award instrument requirements
- Review department procedures for compliance and internal control
- Obtain approval for budgetary revisions, no-cost extensions and expenditures
Assist with reporting and closeout
- File required financial reports: 269, 272, 270 reports; contractor’s release; inventions and subcontracts report; property certification; contractor’s assignments of refunds, rebates, credits and amounts; final equipment property report; cumulative claim and reconciliation statement
- Provide closeout and termination assistance for grants and contracts
Coordinate audits
- Provide financial schedules for annual A-133 audit
- Serve as liaison between department and various auditors/reviewers
