Grant Administrator

Grant Administrator

The Department of Neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital is seeking a full-time Grant Administrator (GA) to assist with departmental level research grant and contract administration. Under the direction and supervision of the Administrative Director for Research, with oversight from the Vice Chair for Research and the Senior Administrative Director for Research, the candidate will serve as the primary liaison between the Principal Investigators (PI) and MGB Research Management to assist with grant full cycle management processes and assist with essential Post Award departmental responsibilities to ensure sound management of awards. The GA will provide pre- and post-award support, complying with all policies and procedures related to research grant and contract activity. The GA will assist PIs in the overall development and submission of comprehensive, competitive grant proposals and assist with the management of award accounts. This role is an excellent opportunity for a motivated, detail-oriented individual who is interested in working within an academic medical research environment.

Types of Awards:

• Portfolio includes but is not limited to: NIH, DOD or other federally funded grants, foundation, industry, clinical trials, fellowships, subcontracts/sub-awards, consulting arrangements, billing agreements, sundry funds, and institutional service agreements.

Pre-Award Project Management (Percentage of Time: 65%):

• Offering investigators support in identifying potential funding opportunities for their research, particularly with new investigators, neurosurgical residents, and fellows. Provide feedback and guidance on proposal competitiveness.
• Oversee all aspects of the grant application process, including the development of study budgets for sponsored research applications, in accordance with sponsor fiscal policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and work with internal and external proposal submission deadlines for various funding opportunities.

• Serve as the primary contact for collaborating/subcontracting sites, external consultants, and other internal hospital departments for the development of budgets and grant materials. Address pre-award inquiries and navigate external collaborator relationships.

• Understand and conform with the administrative, budgetary, and financial compliance regulations of all sponsors as well as with MGB policies; stay current and up to date on all policy changes.
• Update & maintain Biosketches, CVs, other support documents, and various templates and grant-related materials. Manage the Other Support requests coming from internal and outside entities.
• Oversee the institutional record creation for grant submissions; work within the MGB Insight portal as well as sponsor portals (ASSIST, ProposalCentral, etc.) to ensure proper proposal preparation.
• Keep a listing of all grant applications submitted through the department, as well as a listing of those that are awarded.
• Identify and interpret cost-sharing issues and/or opportunities. Work with the Principal Investigators and the AD for Research to proactively identify and track cost sharing at the Pre-Award level.
• Assist and support PIs with submissions beyond sponsored activity applications. This includes fielding letters of inquiry, pre-proposals, budget and scope revisions, internal funding applications, submissions by other departments with key personnel within Neurosurgery, and limited submission applications.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Post-Award Project Management (Percentage of Time: 35%):

• Manage budget, reporting and compliance timelines through the grant lifecycle or contract, and attend PI portfolio review meetings with the AD for Research.
• Collaborate with PIs and the AD for Research to proactively identify and interpret cost-sharing issues and/or opportunities.
• Assist in the preparation of progress and final project reports, ensuring timely project closure and within budget.
• Assist in the coordination of and submission of requests for no cost extensions, carryover, rebudgeting, changes in scope, and other modifications to the award.
• Provide accurate and timely reports to PIs, account holders, and other stakeholders, utilizing standard periodic formats or customized reports as requested.
• Manage the “Just-in-Time” process for all federal awards.
• Maintain protocol approvals and work with the investigators to ensure amendments for funding linkage are processed in a timely fashion upon award.
• Create a system to organize investigator publications and manage the PMC Compliance process for the department.
• Assist with the onboarding process for Research Fellows, Technicians, and research staff. Work with the AD for Research and the Chairman’s Senior Credentialing Coordinator to ensure international Visa issues are processed, hire paperwork is coordinated, and all appointments are up-to-date.
• Work with the Administrative Director for Research to provide training and assistance to clinical research coordinators, fellows, Residents, and principal investigators on grant submission procedures and grant software.
• Assist with the OnCore billing process for Clinical Trial invoicing and help manage the revenue under Clinical Trial accounts.
• Assist the PIs and AD for Research with the annual research progress reports (RPPRs +/or other formats as required by sponsors).
• Work with the Administrative Director for Research on the bi-annual Effort Certification process.
• Process eCheck requests and POs on an as-needed basis.
• Perform special projects for the Department, including those as directed by the Chief, the AD for Research, and the Senior AD.
• Attend monthly Research Administrators Discussion Group (RADG) meetings, as well as the annual Research Management Retreat.
• Develop collaborative working relationships with ancillary services such as Research Management, CTO, Innovations, MGB Human Research Committee, Accounts Payable, Purchasing, Human Resources, International Office, etc.
• Attend weekly meetings with the Administrative Director for Research. Offer updates on all the pre-award activity in the department.
• Complete other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 1-3 years of related experience required; experience with NIH grants and/or clinical trials preferred.
• Ability to work and make decisions independently with minimal supervision and guidance.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

• Must be analytical, organized, and detail-oriented; able to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and deadline pressures. Ability to independently prioritize.
• Positive customer service orientation as well as the ability to work successfully as a member of a team in a large organization.
• Skill with spreadsheets and databases. Must be thoroughly familiar with MS Office, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat (PDFs) and have a willingness to learn how to work within various grant submission portals.
• Experience interpreting and ensuring compliance with regulatory policy.
• Experience fostering cooperation among PIs, central administration, and external constituencies.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills with the facility to interact professionally at all levels.
• Cognizant and respectful of cultural differences.
• Due to the amount of personal and financial information involved, the Grant Administrator must have a facility for treating sensitive information related to salaries, department finances, and science in a confidential and professional manner.

Planning and Workflow Management Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to be organized and flexible in an environment that requires continuous monitoring of priorities.
• Robust problem-solving ability, including the ability to gather information, identify resources, and imagine alternatives.
• Desire to promote change and initiate new ideas for constant improvement.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Office setting, but 100% remote work possible.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Grant application portfolio expenditures for the entire department collectively range between $16 million and $20 million per year, with approximately 75-100 grant submissions per year.

Massachusetts General Hospital is an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.