Assistant Director, Training Grants - Post Award Administrator

Department

BSD ADM - Research Administration

About the Department

The University of Chicago is an intellectual community and a globally renowned research institution dedicated to fostering innovative and impactful research in various domains, including the Biological Sciences. The Biological Sciences Division is at the forefront of cutting-edge research and the Research Administration Office plays a pivotal role in supporting and facilitating the faculty who conduct research.

Job Summary

The job provides professional support for pre-award and/or post-award activities relating to grant and contract proposals and funding within a department or unit. Pre-award activities include research, preparing applications, and editing proposals. Post-award activities include compliance monitoring, payment processing, and salary allocations. Performs work with moderate guidance and utilizes knowledge of University and business drivers.

The Assistant Director of Training Grants-Post Award Administrator provides expert financial and compliance oversight for institutional training awards, with primary responsibility for NIH T32 Institutional Research Training Grants and F31 Predoctoral Fellowship Awards. This position serves as the central point of contact for all post-award activities and ensures compliance with NIH policies, federal regulations, and institutional requirements throughout the award lifecycle.

The job provides professional support for post-award activities relating to training grants and fellowship proposals and funding within a department or unit. Post-award activities include key responsibilities, compliance monitoring. Performs work with moderate guidance and utilizes knowledge of University and business drivers.

The Assistant Director, Training Grants- Post Award Administrator provides financial management in an intensive customer service environment for the Office of Training Grants within the Research Administration Office.

This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement.

Responsibilities

T32 Institutional Research Training Grant Administration (Post Award/Financial)

• Oversee and participate in relevant post-award and financial activities for T32 training grants, including budget monitoring, expenditure tracking, and reallocation requests.
• Provide financial data and reports from university financial system (Oracle) on a regular basis.
• Maintains AURA award data and working with University Research Administration (URA) for necessary edits/updates.
• Maintains data integrity in Oracle.
• Processes the Notice of Award for new training grants and new budget years.
• Collaborates with URA and departmental pre-award administration to request and distribute applicable budget year account number(s) or requesting advance accounts if necessary.
• Collaborates with training program administrators on the review and maintenance of trainee stipends for the updating of financial projections. Monitor and reconcile trainee stipends, tuition/fees, and institutional allowances against award budgets; process cost transfers and budget modifications as needed.
• Performs quarterly review of the training grant account projection (TGAP) and subsequently, working with the program administration on necessary corrections or updates.
• Responsible for budget year final review of the TGAP and submission to URA with follow up on the Final Financial Report (FFR) being submitted to the funding agency.
• Maintaining faculty Workday costing allocations, including stipend and fees.
• Work with program administrator on processing prior approval requests, as needed.
• Provide needed financial and participant effort information in compliance with NIH requirements to the program administrator for use in completing the annual Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR).
• Liaise with program administrator to ensure correct stipend disbursements and fringe benefit calculations.
• Coordinate responses to NIH program officers and Grants Management Specialists for T32-specific inquiries and prior approval requests.

Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

• Assist program and departmental administrators to ensure all T32 and F31 awards are administered in accordance with NIH Grants Policy Statement, 2 CFR Part 200, and applicable institutional policies.
• Monitor award terms and conditions, flagging potential compliance issues and coordinating corrective actions with the Office of Sponsored Programs.
• Oversee effort reporting and salary compliance for T32-supported faculty and trainee appointments.
• Maintain current knowledge of NIH policy changes, NOT notices, and program announcements affecting training grant administration.
• Conduct periodic internal audits of trainee records, expenditures, and required documentation to ensure audit readiness.

Stakeholder Engagement & Training

• Serve as primary post-award liaison for T32 and F31 PIs, trainees, and departmental administrators.
• Provide guidance and training to new faculty, trainees, and departmental staff on NIH training grant requirements and institutional processes.
• Participate in pre-award planning for T32 renewals and F31 applications to ensure seamless transition to post-award management.
• Reviews all applications against University guidelines, in addition to drafting progress reports, non-competing applications, amendments, and budgeting. Responsible for all data entry and preparation of grant reports and trend analysis.
• Handles straightforward post-award activities including account creations, regulatory and compliance monitoring, salary allocations, effort reporting, grant projections, cost allocations, cost center charges, equipment inventory, invoice preparation, grant closing process, and account closing.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

• --

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration, finance, or a related field.

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience administering NIH grants, with direct experience managing T32 or NRSA awards strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with eRA Commons and xTrain; familiarity with NIH RPPR submission processes.
• Working knowledge of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), NIH Grants Policy Statement, and federal cost principles.
• Experience with university financial systems (eg. Workday, AURA, Oracle, Orbit).

Preferred Competencies

• Ability to work closely with faculty and senior University officials.
• Independently complete projects on time and accurately with minimal supervision.
• Flexibility and ability to work effectively under considerable time pressure.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to manage multiple awards simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain complex regulatory requirements to diverse audiences.

Working Conditions

• Office environment- Hybrid

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Financial Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$75,000.00 - $100,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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