Contracts & Grants Specialist III

CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics:

The College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), one of 13 colleges at the University of Central Florida (UCF), offers a B.S. degree in Photonic Science and Engineering and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Optics and Photonics. Faculty engages in a broad spectrum of research covering all areas of optics and photonics, ranging from fundamental physics to device and systems research. The college has 35 core faculty members and over 19 faculty members with joint appointments, about 60 research scientists and postdoctoral fellows, and over 170 undergraduate and 130 graduate students.

UCF and its 13 colleges provide opportunities to almost 72,000 students, offering 194 bachelor’s and master’s degrees and 34 doctoral programs. Students come from all 50 states and over 147 countries. As one of the largest universities in the country, UCF is committed to innovative community partnerships, world-class research with local and global impact, and the integration of technology and learning.

Additional information is available at https://www.creol.ucf.edu.

The Opportunity:

The Contracts and Grants Specialist III will provide pre-award and proposal submission support to the faculty and staff in CREOL. This position will collaborate with principal investigators and others to find applicable funding opportunities to pursue and coordinate with university partners to prepare submissions included in grant proposals.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with Principal Investigators (PIs) and their teams, Office of Research and Commercialization staff, Directors, and Research Coordinators to develop proposals for official submission; specifically prepare sponsor forms including budgetary, application forms, and ancillary submission documents for inclusion with the proposal submission, as well as internal administrative forms. Interpret sponsor guidelines and assist with completing college and university forms. Create and manage a timeline for faculty for when proposals must be submitted.

• Develop single and multiple (Co-PIs) project budgets, sub-award, and cost share budgets, some of which are complex if multiple colleges or subs are included. Prepare budget justifications for proposals in compliance with UCF and sponsor regulations.

• Develop and format bio sketches of key personnel involved in a grant project following the format requirements of the specific funding agency (i.e. ScienCV). Manage sub-awardee and consultant participants to ensure they are compliant with participating in the proposal and documents are complete.

• Submit completed complex proposals to the Office of Research on behalf of PIs through Huron for internal review and approval before submission; including creating single, multiple, and cost-share budgets, coordinating any compliance issues, and addressing any comments and changes before official submission to ensure proposals are accurate, complete, and in full compliance with sponsor and university policies, procedures, and requirements. Prepare and approve credit share splits.

• For proposal purposes, serve as a liaison between faculty, faculty from other UCF colleges, outside researchers, federal program managers, sub-contractors, public/private funding agencies, other pre-award personnel from other colleges, and UCF’s Office of Research and Commercialization. Submit project deliverables to sponsors and update HRS accordingly.

• Advise faculty, staff, and other relevant personnel on the interpretation of sponsor guidelines, university processes, forms, regulations, and policies related to proposal & budgetary requirements.

• Manage the coordination of contract & grant modification requests (i.e. proposal revisions, budget and budget justification modifications, sub-award revisions, etc.).

• Contribute to developing policies and procedures with the college senior leadership staff. Maintain the College’s intranet proposal database.

• Provide requested research activity to College Administration (i.e. monthly proposal and award activity to previous year comparison), and other duties as assigned by the Finance Director, Associate Dean for Research, and/or College Dean.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's or Master's degree and 4+ years of relevant experience. Or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219. Click here for more information

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in higher education research administration, particularly in pre-award and proposal submission processes.

• Proficiency in using research administration software such as Huron, ScienCV, and other grant management systems.

• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal skills.

• Ability to communicate and coordinate with individuals from varied backgrounds and experiences. 

• Excellent problem-solving skills and critical analysis abilities, while maintaining a high-volume and diverse portfolio.

• Capable of working independently and being self-sufficient, while also working in a team setting developing highly effective and valued professional relationships with peers, colleagues, and cross-functional teams.

• Knowledge of and experience working with Federal regulations related to contracts and grants preferred.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks!  UCF offers:

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program 

• Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays

• Retirement savings options 

• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions 

• Education assistance 

• Flexible work environment 

• And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide.

Dive into our Total Rewards Calculator to discover the diverse selection available to you, giving you a glimpse into the benefits that together shape your comprehensive rewards package at UCF.

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions:

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty, graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, post-doctoral positions, undergraduate positions, visiting assistant professors, and visiting research associates.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

The University of Central Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer including Disabled/Vets.  Click on UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement to view the President’s Statement.

The UCF affirmative action plans for qualified individuals with disabilities and protected Veterans are available for inspection in the Office of Institutional Equity, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., upon request.

As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request. 

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.