Administrator, Pre-Award II or III

Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a student-centered, applied-research institution committed to providing its students with a transformative academic and social experience and to elevating its surrounding communities. Founded in 1906, WKU is the third largest public four-year institution in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with approximately 16,293 students and nearly 2,612 faculty and staff employees.

Western Kentucky University is committed to empowering its campus community. At the heart of our mission, we seek to provide holistic education and employment experiences that prepare students, faculty, and staff to become effective scholars, contributors, and leaders in our ever-evolving communities.

Located 65 miles north of Nashville, TN, and just over 100 miles south of Louisville, KY, WKU's main campus is in Bowling Green, KY - a city with approximately 70,000 residents. Our population is ethnically diverse, with more than 85 languages spoken in and around Bowling Green, and people from 35 nationalities call our community home.

Western Kentucky University seeks to attract talented faculty and staff who are inspired individually to contribute to WKU's strategic plans and ongoing success. We offer comprehensive wellness and health benefits to employees and their families, including domestic partners and other qualified dependents and take pride in providing a workplace culture that supports balancing the responsibilities of work and family life. Paid-time off for holidays, vacation and sick leave, and a tuition discount program for employees and dependents are also provided.

Learn more about WKU and Bowling Green /about.

The Pre-Award Research Administrator is responsible for all aspects of coordinating, formatting, and submitting external funding proposals and guiding the Principal Investigator through the proposal submission process. The Pre-Award Research Administrator works under limited supervision and is responsible for working with faculty, staff, and university administrators to develop and administer external proposals for submission.

The following duties are customary for this position but are not to be construed as all inclusive. Duties may be added, deleted and assigned based on management discretion and institutional needs. This position is eligible for hybrid or remote work arrangements, must be available to travel to campus a few times per year.

Level II

• Reviews funding proposal opportunity announcements/requests for proposals to gain understanding of requirements, submission process, and sponsor guidelines, and develop pre-award checklists
• Assembles business components of grant application, routes proposal for internal approval, and prepares and submits subcontractor and other documentation
• Works with faculty and staff submitting external funding proposals, including interpreting sponsor guidelines and reviewing proposal components
• Prepares proposal's categorized budget and budget justification, confirming accuracy of costs, the correct facilities and administrative cost rate is applied, determines allowable and allocable charges, and ensures cost share is documented properly
• Manages the submission of grant/contract proposals to ensure compliance with university and sponsor policies, procedures, and guidelines
• Communicates with partner institutions to compile and review subaward materials
• Maintains working knowledge of federal and private-source electronic submission systems and directs the maintenance of university accounts for each
• Remains current on research administration policies and procedures
• Provides input to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of pre-award processes
• Assists with training faculty and staff in navigating new research administration tools and systems
• Maintains an appropriate level of professional development activity
• Performs other duties as assigned by the administrative head of the Office of Research & Creative Activity
• Identifies and proposes solutions and works toward resolutions related to complex pre-award matters
• Works with the Assistant Director and college administrators to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of pre-award services
• Serves as point of contact for proposal submission systems

Level III (Level II duties plus the following)

• Mentors other Research Administrators, as needed
• Trains faculty and staff in navigating new research administration procedures and systems
• Completes/compiles Just-In-Time materials requested by sponsor for proposals in review

• At least 2 years of relevant work experience, that must include experience with submitting proposals for external funding to a variety of sponsors.
• Knowledge of funding agencies and their programs.
• Understanding of regulations that govern federal research funding and related areas of regulatory compliance.
• Proficient with MS Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel)

Level III will also require:

• At least 4 years of relevant work experience, that must include experience…