Pre-award grant coordinators assist in the preparation of proposal budget details, facilitate the administrative review and approval process, and 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 NUgrant
Provide reports of proposal submissions and grant/contract award activity
- A variety of reports can be generated through NUgrant
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
