Unit administrators provides financial, human resource, reporting and other administrative support services to the unit's Principal Investigators. Unit administrators who are performing research administration functions should have a good understanding of UVM, federal and other sponsor policies and regulations, policies and procedures.

Unit Administrators should take advantage of SPA’s extensive trainings in research administration. To enroll go to SPA EDU.

Academic unit administrative staff typically provide the following pre-award and post-award support:

  • Assist with the preparation of grant applications; forms, budget development or other administrative tasks related to proposal submission
  • Assist with finding answers to pre and post award questions
  • Assist Principal Investigator in preparation of advance account request
  • Upon award notification, meets with Principal Investigator to ensure an accurate award set-up occurs
  • If necessary, sets up cost share chart string with budget entry
  • Works with PI to ensure salary distribution are correct and completed timely on the sponsored project and cost share activities
  • Assists Principal Investigator with any recruitment efforts for personnel
  • Enters requisitions for purchases
  • Assists Principal Investigator with pur-card reallocations
  • Assists Principal Investigator with travel and expense reports
  • Makes any necessary journal entries to correct expenses on grant
  • Resolves budget checking errors on sponsored projects
  • Meets with Principal Investigator to review grant expenditures and effort reports
  • Assists with monitoring grant expenditures
  • Ninety days prior to grant expiration, meets with Principal Investigator to review spending plans to avoid any last minute changes or transfers
  • Thirty days prior to grant expiration, runs Close Out report and assists in resolving any outstanding issues
  • Makes necessary notifications to change any default chart-strings or move pur-card to new chart-string
  • Twenty to thirty days after grant ends, runs close out report and correct any errors
  • Thirty days after grant ends, lets the SPA Financial Administrator know the grant is ready for the final financial report
  • Serves as resource to Principal Investigator for any financial or human resource issue