The Grants Development Office oversees all activities appropriate to the successful pursuit and administration of university grants and contracts, both internally and externally funded. The Grants Development Manager:

• assists with managing a portfolio of grants that in recent years has included sponsored support from the U.S. Department of Education (SSS, NASS and McNair programs); NSF; foundations, including the Mellon Foundation and Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies; the State of Minnesota; and business and industry;
• assists faculty, staff, and administrators with pre- and post-award grant activity; 
• supports and advocates for grant sponsored activities across campus.

The Grants Development Office is a cooperative effort between the University of Minnesota Morris and the University of Minnesota Sponsored Projects Administration and Research & Innovation Office located on the Twin Cities campus. The Manager reports to the Morris campus Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA) & Dean and has a dotted line reporting responsibility to the University of Minnesota Research & Innovation Office.

Responsibilities include:

Grant development and coordination of pre-award grant activity (45%)

• Manage and continue to develop the campusâ™s portfolio of external grants, including mentoring faculty and staff in their efforts to develop proposals to external and internal funding sources, and grant cultivation.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and administration to develop funding proposals and to assure steady progress as proposal deadlines approach.Identify and help diversify external funding sources for various campus constituencies.
• Coordinate with the UMN Research & Innovation Office on strategic planning, funding opportunities, processes, and the elevation of research and innovation.
• Understand and apply wide-range of University policy and procedures related to research/sponsored projects and use various electronic systems for grants management.
• Interpret federal, state and sponsor terms and conditions and reconcile with applicable University policy and procedure to provide proper internal guidance to investigators, senior research officials and staff.
• Provide assistance to faculty and staff on budget development, management, and reporting, including questions of direct and indirect costs, and applicability.
• Conduct preliminary review of proposals for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to policies and procedures.
• Ensure that funding proposals and budgets are accurate, complete, and conform to funder requirements and University of Minnesota policy.
• Respond to issues that arise from the sponsor, or investigator prior to award.

Management and coordination of post-award grant activity (40%)

• Work with sponsor legal counsel and contracting officers, and principal investigators, Office of the General Counsel, division chairs, dean, other University business offices to devise or alter grant terms as needed to ensure proper costing and adherence to University policies while maintaining positive relationships with sponsoring agencies.
• Understand and apply University policy and procedures related to research/sponsored projects and use various electronic systems for grants management.
• Interpret federal, state and sponsor terms and conditions and reconcile with applicable University policy and procedure to provide proper internal guidance to investigators, senior research officials and staff.
• Prepare post-award documents for use by the appropriate University offices. Serve as a resource during award set-up and project launch.
• Schedule regular check-ins with PIs. Review active grant balances, and facilitate revisions when appropriate.
• Provide assistance to faculty, staff, and personnel from outside agencies in the identification and resolution of problems that result from all stages of sponsored research activity.

Day-to-Day Direction of the Morris Campus Grants Development Office (15%)

• Supervision:  Work with the Officeâ™s Post-Award Grants Coordinator on all pre- and post-award activities.
• Team Leadership: Promote and enhance a culture of integrity, service and excellence. Foster a positive, productive, healthy work environment for all team members. 
• Campus Leadership:  Set funding goals annually and develop an annual plan for pursuing and managing grants, including plans for helping to increase faculty pursuit of external fundings. Provide leadership, vision and planning for general enhancement of sponsored projects activities. Provide campus-wide consultation on a variety of policies and issues regarding preparing, conducting and/or administrating sponsored projects.
• Budgets and grant statistics:  Monitor, review and evaluate yearly proposal and award amounts as well as grant expenditures and develop and recommend plans to increase external funding activity. Monitor Facilities and administrative (F&A) costs and provide administrators and business offices with updates and assessments.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree with at least 6 years of experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous grant budgeting and management experience
• Experience working in higher education
• Experience with enterprise grants management systems (including grants.gov, NSF FastLane, MNGEMS, etc.)
• Ability to interact with people of all responsibility levels within the University, and funding agencies.
• Ability to prioritize workload
• Supervisory experience
• Able to work both independently and in a team environment

About University of Minnesota Morris

The University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) provides a rigorous undergraduate liberal arts education, preparing its students to be global citizens who value and pursue intellectual growth, civic engagement, intercultural competence, and environmental stewardship.As a public land-grant institution, UMM is a center for education, culture, and research for the region, nation, and world. UMM is committed to outstanding teaching, dynamic learning, innovative faculty and student scholarship and creative activity, and public outreach. Our residential academic setting fosters collaboration, diversity, and a deep sense of community.

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