Research Administrator - Pre Award

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Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU's sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.

School Of Medicine MBU

Office of Research Administration

As a member of the School of Medicine (SOM) Research Administration Pre-Award Team, the selected candidate for this position will be responsible for providing direct pre-award administrative support to investigators conducting medical research in a variety of departments, and centers at VCU.

The selected candidate will assist researchers and study teams in the development and successful submission of proposals for research funding. This position provides an opportunity for candidates with pre-award research administration experience to grow those skills in a fast-paced, diverse environment. The position will also present opportunities for career growth in the field of research administration for those presenting a willingness and ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of faculty and staff across all School of Medicine departments.

This position is eligible for remote work. Candidates living outside the Richmond metro region are encouraged to apply, but may be required to come on-site on occasion (no more than twice annually) for in-service training and professional development activities.

Pre-Award Research Administration – 75%

Work under the direction of your supervisor and SOM Office of Research Administration leadership to provide pre-award research administration support specific to the needs of SOM departments/centers and faculty investigators. Work directly with investigators on assigned proposal submissions to ensure proposals meet technical, administrative, and financial requirements, deadlines are met, and all SOM Research Administration Standard Operating Procedures and established policies/requirements of both VCU and sponsoring agencies are followed.

Will be responsible for managing the proposal development process and establishing necessary timelines with the investigators to ensure deadlines are met for all submissions assigned.

• Follow all SOMRA SOPs related to pre-award submissions.
• Create a management plan and communicate clearly with the Principal Investigators on submission requirements and assignments, ensuring roles, responsibilities, and timelines are clear for each proposal assigned.
• Prepare non-technical components of submissions seeking PI input where needed: budget, budget narrative, coordinating administrative requirements for subrecipients, preparing RAMS-SPOT submissions, completing sponsor forms, etc.
• Ensure conformance of each submission with sponsor requirements and VCU policy.
• Facilitate completion of compliance and training requirements with the PI.

• Maintain Other Support and Previous/Current/Pending Support documents for faculty participating in NIH and Department of Defense-funded research
• Create and format Other Support and Previous/Current/Pending Support documents for faculty as assigned

• Candidates must possess minimum 2 years of direct research administration experience in the area of pre-award proposal development.
• Must have established skills in the following areas: review of and adherence to sponsor proposal guidelines; budget development; ability to interpret and apply complex government regulations and contractual terms; pro-actively ask questions and seek guidance when needed.
• Must have excellent customer service skills, written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work as part of a team. Strong problem solving and time management skills are essential, including ability to adapt to frequent changes in work assignments, prioritize, and manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Must be precise, thorough, and reliable and perform daily…