Graduate Fellowships and Awards Coordinator

Overview

Position Overview The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (GPA) seeks a Graduate Fellowships and Awards Coordinator to lead the administration of internal (GPA-funded) award and fellowship processes, support graduate students holding external non-employment based fellowships, and provide budgetary oversight for GPA accounts. This position manages all pre- and post-award processes, ensures compliance with university and agency requirements, and applies data-driven approaches to improve award and fellowship programs.

The Coordinator also maintains online application systems and website content, collaborates with campus partners on financial and HR processes, and provides strategic recommendations for future funding allocations. Reporting to the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (VPGPA), this role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on graduate student success and institutional excellence. The position is based primarily on the KU Lawrence campus with flexibility for some remote work within the state of Kansas.

35% - Fellowship Coordination

• Independently coordinate internal fellowship (e.g., UGF, CDF) competitions for the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs.
• Maintain and update all relevant website content for internal fellowships.
• Maintain all relevant web-based application forms for award submissions, nominations, and program applications.
• Prepare and distribute calls for fellowship applications/nominations; respond to inquiries from students, faculty, and staff.
• Receive applications, review for eligibility, and coordinate the work of review committees or other selection processes.
• Prepare and distribute fellowship notifications.
• Maintain records of awardees for both internal and reporting purposes.
• Work closely with Human Resource Management, the SSC, Schools/CLAS, and the Provost’s Office to ensure the hiring of internal fellowships administered by GPA.
• Use empirical (data-based) approaches to evaluate quality of fellowship applications and processes, and make recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Provide administrative support for graduate students who hold non-employment-based external fellowships (including the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program [GRFP]) and related fellowships including:
• Liaise with KUCR post-award staff serving as contact for federal agencies, meeting annual reporting for non-budgetary requirements for NSF GRFP.
• Provide expertise on development of fellowship onboarding documents.
• Develop and manage communication plans in collaboration with the Director of Professional Development & Communications to alert current students about upcoming deadlines and competitions for internal fellowships.
• Provide regular and timely updates to the VPGPA regarding fellowship cycles and progress.

30% - Awards Coordination

• Independently manage award competitions for the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, including faculty, graduate student, postdoctoral researcher, and staff awards.
• Maintain and update all relevant website content for internal awards.
• Maintain all relevant web-based application forms for award submissions, nominations, and program applications.
• Prepare and distribute award calls; respond to inquiries from students, faculty, and staff.
• Receive applications, review for eligibility, and coordinate the work of review committees or other selection processes.
• Prepare and distribute award notifications.
• Maintain records of awardees.
• Use empirical (data-based) approaches to evaluate quality of award applications and processes and make recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Communicate with agencies and organizations about external awards and nominations that require internal selection processes.
• Monitor and manage email traffic in the Graduate Awards email account.
• Develop and manage communication plans in collaboration with the Director of Professional Development & Communications to alert current students about upcoming deadlines and competitions for awards.
• Provide regular and timely updates to the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs regarding award cycles and progress.

20% - Budget Support and Administration

• Provide budgetary support for all cost centers under the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs.
• Analyze current budget and committed fellowship obligations to recommend award/fellowship quantities and funding levels for the upcoming fiscal year.
• Assist the VPGPA with annual Budget Collection Process requests.
• Attend monthly budget meetings with VPGPA, Budget Analyst, and Executive Associate.
• Serve as the primary point of contact and administrator of the Graduate Student Emergency Aid Network fund.
• Coordinate with GPA Administrative Associate and Executive Associate to facilitate purchasing and procurement.
• Work closely with the Shared Service Center on details of award disbursements to ensure awards are disbursed promptly and in accordance with university policies.
• Prepare and submits post-award…