Post Award Opt-In Services

Overview 

URA Post-Award Research Administration Services provides post-award support of faculty member’s funded research portfolio. The support includes a dedicated URA Post Award Grants Specialist assigned to work with each faculty member on all post award needs. The support is designed to handle administrative and financial matters associated with a faculty member’s research portfolio, so that the faculty member may focus on the technical and academic content. Portfolio volume and complexity will be reviewed at least annually to ensure reasonable assignments within the URA post award team.

Services We Provide

The assigned URA Post Award Specialist will serve as the faculty member’s point of contact for all post award questions and needs. This support will include, but is not limited to:

New Award Setup  Facilitate set up of accounts for new awards, including award notice review, spending plan preparation/execution, issuance of subawards and other tertiary agreements. 
Transaction Support
  • Set up payroll and other recurring transactions
  • Set up research staff in relevant procurement systems
  • Review and approve transactions for compliance with university/sponsor policies and availability of funds
Financial Management
  • Prepare monthly forecast sheets that summarize a faculty member’s financial position track spending per account, and provide visibility into spending trends/issues
  • Complete monthly reconciliation of transactions posting to accounts to ensure accuracy and compliance
  • Provide financial reports to unit and divisional leadership on sponsored award activity 
  • Provide other reports as needed to suit faculty and unit needs 
Prior Approval Requests Prepare and submit prior approval requests to award agencies including no-cost extensions, rebudget requests, effort increase/reduction, change in PI/Senior Personnel, etc.
Reporting and Closeout Support
  • Prepare and submit annual reports, financial or otherwise, during life of award (RPPRs, interim financial reports, etc.)
  • Coordinate award closeout reports with relevant departments on campus (FFR, Final Invention Statement, Property/Equipment) 
  • Ensure that award record is closed timely
  • Work closely with divisional staff/faculty member to avoid/mitigate overdraft or payment issues
Meetings/Communications The dedicated post-award specialist will be available to meet with faculty or unit staff as needed to review accounts, answer questions, and provide insight on trends and potential problems. Email and phone communications will be answered promptly. 

Benefits of Opt-In Post Award Services 

The faculty member and unit staff will work collaboratively with the URA Post Award Specialist throughout the life of the award and should expect the following benefits from this collaboration:

  • The faculty member will be able to focus his/her time on the technical or academic aims of the project and rely on the post-award specialist for all administrative matters related to award management
  • URA Post-Award Services shares an office with the other URA teams (Pre-award, Central Post-Award, Billing and Collections, Subawards, Research Integrity and Account create), as well as other central offices (Procurement, Shared Services, Payroll and HR).  This allows for greater and easier collaboration between all parties involved in award management.  Faculty can expect quicker turnaround times and support staff with access to more resources and training
  • URA post-award specialists will be service oriented, knowledgeable of agency/sponsor requirements, and trained in the necessary policies, procedures, and systems

For an estimate of cost for opting in to Post-Award Services, please reach out to Natasha Meier, Assistant Director of Post Award Services at nameier@uchicago.edu.