The Office of Sponsored Programs is composed of dedicated teams that provide full lifecycle oversight of externally sponsored activities.
Pre-Award
The Pre-Award Team provides comprehensive services to support faculty and staff in securing external funding. This team reviews proposals to ensure compliance with sponsor guidelines, institutional policies and applicable regulations, and manages the formal submission to sponsors as the institution’s authorized organizational representative. In addition to these core services, the Pre-Award Team also handles non-financial post-award transactions, such as no-cost extensions, key personnel changes and other administrative modifications to awards. Working closely with researchers and support staff, the team offers guidance and expertise throughout the lifecycle of a sponsored project to ensure compliance and a smooth experience.
Award Acceptance & Contract Negotiation/Industry Contract Negotiation
The Award Acceptance & Contract Negotiation Team works with the Industry Contract Negotiation Team to manage the review, negotiation and acceptance of externally funded awards. These teams ensure that award terms and conditions align with sponsor requirements, institutional policies and applicable regulations. They collaborate with sponsors to resolve issues, negotiate terms and finalize agreements to support successful project implementation. Once agreements are finalized, the teams facilitate the formal acceptance of awards on behalf of the institution.
Award Setup
Within the Award Acceptance & Contract Negotiation Team, the Award Setup Team is responsible for establishing WBS (work breakdown structure) accounts for newly funded projects. This team ensures that accounts are created accurately and efficiently, capturing all sponsor and project-specific data while adhering to institutional and sponsor requirements. By providing researchers and support staff with properly established accounts, the Award Setup Team supports effective financial management throughout the project’s lifecycle.
Post-Award
The Post-Award Team provides expert oversight and management throughout the financial and administrative phases of externally funded projects. This team ensures compliance with sponsor requirements, institutional policies and applicable regulations by managing invoicing, cash management, effort reporting, financial reporting, award closeout and audit coordination. They work closely with researchers, support staff and other institutional offices to provide guidance and ensure the accurate and timely completion of sponsor requirements, supporting the successful administration of sponsored projects.
Business Systems & Operations
The Business Systems & Operations Team supports the technological and administrative infrastructure for research administration. This team manages the institution’s internal proposal routing system, ensuring smooth operation, user support and the accuracy of institutional data. They also maintain and coordinate registrations in sponsor systems, ensuring compliance and readiness for submissions. In addition, the team provides expertise and support for electronic research administration (eRA) systems, enabling efficient and accurate management of research activities across the institution.
