To ensure pre- and post-award activity of faculty is fully supported, RAO is built on a model of having separate administrators who specialize in pre- and post-award administration. The teams work in synergy to support each faculty member’s portfolio throughout the life cycle of each proposal and award. When departments opt to join the RAO team, the department’s existing research support staff will be integrated into RAO while continuing to support faculty from their department to provide continuity in support.
Research
Research Administration Office
The BSD Research Administration Office (RAO) was established in January 2024 under the leadership of Katie Pizer, Executive Director of Research and Grants Administration, Mike Retzer, Director of Pre-Award Administration, and Amy Trammell, Director of Post-Award Administration. The goal of RAO is to provide a centralized team of research administrators from the BSD who can work together collaboratively, access shared resources, and provide high quality pre- and post-award support to faculty from the participating departments. The RAO leadership team also provides general research administrative support across the division including hosting monthly meetings to disseminate institutional and agency updates, providing regular reports, and hosting drop in hours for questions and discussion of pre- and post-award activities.
- Identify funding opportunities
- Prepare checklist for each planned application to guide proposal development process
- Lead budget development and complete required administrative forms
- Secure unit and institutional endorsement from University Research Administration (URA) for all external funding applications.
- Assist PI in final proposal development activities and submission.
- Complete agency required “Just in Time” requests in collaboration with faculty.
- Oversee award intake process and activation of new competing awards in collaboration with URA
- Maintain master biosketches and Other Support documentation for all RAO faculty.
- Ensure submission of all required technical reports, both annual/interim and final, to sponsors including NIH RPPRs and NIH Final Invention Statement
- Work with URA to setup financial accounts for new awards
- Revise internal budgets in accordance with award received and verify budget with faculty.
- Work with URA to setup outgoing subawards and sponsored consulting agreements
- Maintain faculty effort worksheets and effort workbooks for PI staff
- Provide regular financial projections to faculty to monitor account spending for accuracy of activity and to ensure projects are not overspent.
- Approve all financial transactions including all OSRF payments, reimbursement requests, and orders.
- Submit all required prior approval requests to sponsors for project changes (for example: reductions in key personnel effort, carryover requests, and no cost extensions)
- Work with URA to complete interim and final financial reports and provide financial details required for NIH RPPRs.
If your department is interested in learning more about the RAO model and the possibility of opting in, contact Katie Pizer at kpizer@bsd.uchicago.edu.