Job Description

Full job description

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS plus at least two years of experience or a combination of related education and work experience to equal at least six years.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong customer-service skills to assist and support the research community.
• Skills in problem solving.
• Demonstrated knowledge of sponsors' fiscal/administrative terms and conditions.
• Proven excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team setting tight deadlines.
• Proven ability to prioritize workload.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with people of all responsibility levels within the U of M and funding agencies.
• Experience in an academic setting. and administrative/business experience in a U of M department.
• Experience using the Enterprise Financial System (EFS), and be able to utilize the Track Changes function in Microsoft Word.
• One year of experience with sponsored accounts including experience in sponsored projects administration.

The Grant and Contract Administrator (“GA”) serves as a contract and grant expert in the central sponsored projects office. Primary duties include review and submission of extramural proposals for research, public service, and training; negotiation of contract and grant awards; and the negotiation, issuance, and oversight of subawards to other legal entities.


A Grant Contract Administrator (GCO) reviews proposal and award terms and decides if those terms are acceptable, or require negotiation. The position provides guidance and professional assistance to Principal Investigators and their departmental support staff in the administration of grants and contracts.

This position is in person, with the option to work remotely 1 - 2 days a week after successful completion of the probationary period.


Job Responsibilities


AWARDS (45%)

• Negotiate terms and conditions of incoming awards and subawards with sponsors to determine the adequacy and acceptability of terms and conditions for the University. Work with sponsor contracting officers, and principal investigators, Office of the General Counsel, other University business offices to devise or alter terms as needed to minimize administrative burden, and adherence to University policies while ensuring positive relationships with sponsoring agencies.
• Understand and apply a wide-range of University policies and procedures related to research/sponsored projects.
• Establish the award in the University’s grants and contracts system. Summarize terms and conditions to accurately reflect the parameters of the award and to provide proper notifications to principal investigators and various university business offices.
• Review modifications that require prior sponsor approval, additional funding, or other needed changes on behalf of the University.
• Issue subawards.

PROPOSALS (35%)

• Review agency proposal guidelines, requests for proposals (RFP), and broad agency announcements and compare agency requirements to proposals submitted for review and endorsement. Notify investigators and departments of errors. Exercise subjective judgment about which errors require correction prior to institutional endorsement.
• Submit the proposal using a wide variety of sponsor electronic and manual systems.
• Respond to questions and issues that arise from sponsor or the investigator prior to award (reduced budgets, budget negotiations with sponsor, questions about adherence to terms, potential terms and conditions imposed by sponsors, etc.).
• Review pre-award spending requests to determine if sponsor will permit expenditures prior to execution of an award; advise departments accurately about risks.

SUBAWARDS (10%)

• Issue subawards.
• Review scope of work and project parameters to determine the best contracting mechanism to acquire the services of the proposed subrecipient and to ensure that sponsor prior approvals (if any) are obtained.
• Ascertain applicability and ensure accurate flow down of the terms and conditions of prime awards to the proposed subrecipient, adjusting requirements as needed to fulfill principal investigator and institutional requirements and imposing terms necessary to adequately manage institutional risk.
• Negotiate subawards with proposed subrecipients; modify such subawards over time to change funding, period of performance, work scope, reporting obligations; intellectual property or data right obligations, termination and payment terms, indemnification, or other parameters as needed to ensure that the University will be able to fulfill its obligations to our prime sponsors.
• Ensure that compliance obligations (e.g., human subjects, animal subjects, export controls, intellectual property, etc.) are properly fulfilled.
• Authorize payments for subrecipients after verification that progress meets the needs of principal investigators and costs are appropriate under the sponsor’s terms.
• Monitor progress to determine if terms and conditions require adjustment or if award requires early termination for non-performance.
• Ensure timely closeout of subawards to meet sponsor requirements.

SPECIAL INITIATIVES & TRAINING (10%)

• Engage in personal, departmental, institutional, or regional/national training opportunities, regulatory reviews, conferences, and other learning opportunities (webinars, staff meetings, classes, etc.) to expand skills and to stay current on the regulatory environment.
• Engage in one or more institutional or departmental committees or work duties as assigned; business process improvement initiatives, assist coordinate campus staff, and do 1:1 training for contract and grant administrators as requested to share their own areas of expertise.
• Other duties as assigned.

Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) is the University of Minnesota system-wide office authorized to submit research proposals and receive awards from external sources on behalf of the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota. SPA is also the fiduciary for the U on grant-related matters.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U:

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD)

The University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD) consistently ranks among the top Midwestern, regional universities in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" issue.

Overlooking Lake Superior, UMD provides an alternative to both large research and small liberal arts environments and attracts students looking for a personalized learning experience on a medium-sized campus of a major university. A firm liberal arts foundation anchors a variety of traditional degree programs, as well as professional and graduate students that draw on UMD's many research institutes and labs.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America’s Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).

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