Written by Justo Torres, Director.
Contracts and Grants (C&G) is a central administrative unit that partners across the university to manage the post-award financial processes of externally-funded contracts, grants and/or cooperative agreements (collectively known as awards). In furtherance of that mission, C&G is divided into two primary areas of responsibility: Operations (currently being rebranded as Post Award) and Systems and Compliance.
The responsibility of C&G Operations begins at award intake. A team of three fiscal assistants is responsible for receiving awards, reviewing awards, establishing their Project IDs, properly assigning data attributes and establishing their budgets in the Financial System. Awards are then transferred to one of 19 fiscal managers, who will be responsible for the project for its entire life, which averages three to five years. The fiscal manager’s primary duties include billing (invoices or electronic drawdown), cash management, AR follow-up, financial reporting, processing modifications as needed and closeout.
C&G Operations is a critical component of the university’s mission of ensuring compliant research and other sponsored activity. Aside from ensuring solid fiscal compliance and accountability, C&G Operations partners with the Controller’s Office, Procurement & Business Services, Foundations Accounting & Investments, OIT and the Office of Research and Innovation to ensure that systems and processes around campus foster a compliant research environment.
C&G Operations is under the direction of Allison Nelson. Ms. Nelson joined C&G in 2015 and has over 20 years of research administration and accounting experience.