The Pre-Award Team plays a pivotal role in the acquisition of external funding from federal and non-federal entities for research, instruction and public service projects at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Working in close collaboration with principal investigators and departmental and business center staff, the team provides a range of resources and services to facilitate the pursuit of external funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pre-award staff provide expert advice on the nuances of proposal and submission requirements. This includes interpreting and ensuring compliance with complex sponsor guidelines; conducting thorough institutional reviews; and providing institutional information required by sponsors, such as financial data and legal status. The team also manages post-award prior approval transactions, including no-cost extensions, carryforward requests, PI change requests and more. As the authorized entity to endorse proposals, the Pre-Award Team affirms and certifies that proposals align with the university\u2019s objectives and comply with sponsor and institutional policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronda\u2019s role focuses on the review and submission of proposals. She ensures that applications are complete, timely and conform to university and sponsor guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronda has significant experience in grants-related work at Nebraska. Since joining the university in 1984, she has served in multiple roles related to grants administration, including positions in the Department of Psychology, College of Education and Human Sciences, College of Engineering and the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools. Ronda holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in education and human sciences from UNL. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Kate, a certified research administrator, co-leads the daily activities of the Pre-Award Team. This includes the review and submission of proposals, including large, complex proposals and defense-related submissions. Kate also works on post-award non-financial activities. She has served as a trainer, creating onboarding and training plans for new pre-award staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before joining Nebraska in 2012, Kate was a consultant with the Nebraska Business Development Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She helped small businesses interested in contracting with the government by assisting with organizational registrations in federal systems, finding bidding opportunities, and reviewing prepared bids and proposals for compliance with agency requirements. Kate holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in finance from Northwest Missouri State University and a Master of Business Administration from UNO. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Paul\u2019s work focuses on helping principal investigators and departmental liaisons submit proposals for external funding, ensuring that applications adhere to university and sponsor guidelines. As an authorized signatory, Paul submits proposals directly to sponsors, streamlining the submission process. He also assists with no-cost extensions, facilities and administrative cost waiver approvals, project transfers, progress reporting and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paul entered the research administration field in 2005 after a lengthy career in landscape contracting. He worked in various sponsored programs offices before joining Nebraska, including at Virginia Tech, Drexel University, Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Georgia. He has a bachelor\u2019s degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech, a master\u2019s degree in education from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is a certified research administrator. Paul is a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Craig helps lead the Pre-Award Team and advances its daily work, which includes reviewing and submitting proposals, maintaining records and processing non-financial post-award transactions. He\u2019s served the pre-award team since 2015. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prior to joining Nebraska, Craig gained grants and contracts experience at the U.S. Air Force and Honeywell. He has a bachelor\u2019s degree in business administration and management from UNL and previously earned a Level 2 certificate from the Defense Acquisition University. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Melina\u2019s role includes interpreting grant agency policy and funding announcement guidelines, reviewing proposal documents, communicating with funding agencies and university units, and submitting proposals. She also supports various post-award transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prior to entering the research administration field, Melina held various research and teaching positions, including teaching geology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 2020 to 2023. She holds bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s and doctorate degrees in geology from Marietta College in Ohio, Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and Nebraska, respectively. As a graduate student, she conducted research funded by the National Science Foundation, the Geological Society of America and National Geographic. In 2023, Melina earned a Pre-Award Intensive Training Certificate from the Society of Research Administrators International. She\u2019s also earned various certifications through SRAI\u2019s LevelUP Micro-credential Program.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Suzan brings nearly three decades of research administration experience to her role, which requires strategic leadership in all Sponsored Programs functions. She engages and collaborates across all areas in OSP, including policy development, proposal review and submission, award negotiation, financial oversight and project closeout to ensure efficiency and consistency. Suzan leads the Pre-Award Team and has played a pivotal role in directing that unit toward operational excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suzan is both a certified research administrator and a certified pre-award research administrator. Prior to joining UNL in 2004, she gained a wealth of experience in contracts and grants administration at the University of Georgia, the University of Southern California and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Suzan holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in theater arts from the University of Minnesota.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t