Associate Research Administrator

Department: URC Administration
Salary/Grade: EXS/6

Job Summary:

Provides administrative assistance and routine problem solving in support of unit's research programs and mission. Assistance may include the preparation &/or submission of routine research proposals, grants &/or contracts according to standard practice &/or general instruction. May assist with &/or complete proposal submissions, prepare information used in grant budgets, process and project financial transactions, &/or effort reporting activities.

University Research Institutes & Centers Administration (URICA), within the Office for Research, seeks candidates for an Associate Research Administrator (ARA). Under the guidance of senior RAs, the ARA will work with URIC faculty to develop adherent proposals for submission to funding sponsors. The ARA will read sponsor solicitation and policies, develop timelines, collect and review proposal documents, populate internal proposal systems (e.g. CERES) and sponsor systems (e.g. Research.gov, NSPIRES, etc.).

• While assisting senior RAs with proposals, the ARA will be the primary point of contact for collecting, reviewing, and managing supporting documentation, such as Current and Pending/Other Support, biosketches and other needed documents.
• The ARA will work with sub- and super-recipient institutions to coordinate subcontract proposals and collaborative submissions.
• The ARA will assist with budgeting a wide range of personnel with different appointment types. Some complexities include summary salary for academic appointment faculty, graduate students, participant support, staff and consultant roles, multiple appointments, and more.
• The ARA will develop the skills and experience necessary to serve as a knowledge base for faculty, advising on many topics, including cost-sharing issues, costing policies, supporting documents in proposal preparation.

In support of URICA best practices, and in furtherance of the training goals of building the ARA experience, the ARA will conduct reviews of all proposals moving through our unit, utilizing a checklist, training, and senior RA guidance to verify each is complete, adherent, and ready to submit. In addition, the ARA will provide post-award compliance oversight, including monitoring spending on awards, conducting analyses, providing regular summary reports and post-award guidance to URICA leadership and individual URICs as needed.

The Associate Sponsored Research Officer will support the OR mission and values of understanding empathy, modeling accountability, ensuring fairness, embracing community, and valuing creativity.

Please note:

Supervisor provides objectives, deadlines & specific instructions only for new, difficult, &/or unusual work. Work is reviewed upon completion & only occasionally to verify technical accuracy & compliance with practice, policy, & procedures. EE informs supervisor of on-going progress &/or potentially controversial matters.

EE uses an advanced knowledge of skills, methods & practices & some innovation, analysis, & reasoning to choose appropriate alternatives from among pre-defined policies & procedures to complete work that includes successive steps & involves some non-routine problems &/or decisions.

• As time and budget allows:
• New-"Brown Bag"-Interested in becoming an RA?
• Need more "How To:" sessions such as:
  • Fill out internal & external paperwork
  • Create & review budget
  • Review sponsor guidelines
  • Read a solicitation
• Five University Business Processes classes (HR700, HR705, HR715, HR725, HR740)New-"Brown Bag"-Interested in becoming an RA?
• NU-ORI-Res Dam Training session
• SCS course: Grantsmanship for the Research Professional
• ASRSP effort reporting 101
• NU Financials budget reconciliation and reporting
• Audit & Advisory best practices

Specific Responsibilities:

Complexity

• Typically administers entire research projects such as:
  • Single Principal Investigator (PI) basic proposals, grants &/or contracts
  • May assist with components of multi-PI or multi-unit proposals, grants &/or contracts
  • NIH RO1-approximately $250K/yr. over 5 yrs.
  • NIH R21-approximately $150K/yr. over 2 yrs.
  • Foundation grants
  • NSF grants
  • Fellowships

Pre-Award

• Completes pre-award administration of grant &/or contract activities.
• Reviews solicitation & determines necessary components.
• Organizes proposal, renewal and resubmission applications.
• Completes NU OSR forms.
• Completes entire application for smaller, less-complicated, simple, standard proposals.

Post-Award

• Completes post-award administration of research grants &/or contracts.
• Reviews account establishment.
• Reviews expenditures.
• Monitors project under spending and overspending.
• Communicates with PI, other unit and project personnel, OSR, ASRSP and/or sponsor accordingly.

Financial

• Reviews &/or approves transactions.
• Reconciles standard budget & payroll information ensuring that appropriate sponsored accounts are charged.

Compliance

• Resolves standard & routine compliance problems & issues involving associated NU policies & practices; local, state, federal, agency & sponsor rules, regulations & requirements regarding grant &/or contract administration.
• Becomes familiar with regulations involving research safety, animal subjects and human subjects.
• Alerts supervisor to potential higher risk compliance issues including research safety, animal subjects and human subjects.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 1 year financial or administrative support experience in a research environment or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Organization, time management, detail oriented
• Multi-tasking, communication

Target hiring range for this position will be between $61,000-$72,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

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