Project Manager

Tasks & Deliverables

A. Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) & Administrative Support

• Draft FOA templates and administrative sections for GMS review.
• Maintain FOA publication tracking log and clearance workflows.
• Deliverable: FOA Template & Publication Tracking Spreadsheet.

Application Intake & Validation

• Monitor Electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons receipt queue.
• Validate administrative completeness (forms present, page limits) and flag missing items.
• Prepare administrative completeness reports for each application.
• Deliverable: Application Intake Report (one per application).

Budget Review Support

• Perform mathematical verification and consistency checks between SF-424 Research & Budget Justification.
• Produce budget comparison worksheets and preliminary cost-analysis summaries.
• Deliverable: Budget Verification Worksheet & Cost Summary.

Compliance & Checklist Reviews

• Check presence of required assurances (human subjects, vertebrate animals, IACUC, IRB approvals), registrations (SAM/UEI), and other attachments.
• Prepare checklist summary for GMS review.
• Deliverable: Compliance Checklist.

Risk & Due Diligence

• Compile institutional award history, audit summaries (Single Audit), and other source documents for GMS.
• Deliverable: Applicant Risk Brief.

Just-In-Time (JIT) Tracking

• Track JIT requests; validate completeness of JIT materials and prepare JIT summary memos.
• Deliverable: JIT Status Log & JIT Memo.

Communications & Workflow

• Draft standard correspondence and internal routing memos for GMS approval.
• Maintain shared mailbox triage log.
• Deliverable: Draft Correspondence Packet.

B. Award & Notice Preparation

Draft Notice of Award (NoA) Packages

• Assemble draft Notice of Award elements (funding summary, terms to consider, recommended conditions) for GMS review.
• Deliverable: Draft NoA Package (for review only).

Funding Documentation

• Prepare funding summary sheets, obligation worksheets, and internal checklists.
• Deliverable: Funding Summary & Obligation Worksheet.

C. Post-Award Tasks

Post-Award Setup & Onboarding

• Enter award metadata into NIH tracking systems (under supervision), create grantee file folders, and assemble administrative award packets.
• Deliverable: Award Setup Checklist.

Financial Monitoring & Reporting Support

• Reconcile budget vs. awarded amounts; prepare monthly/quarterly financial status summaries for GMS review.
• Track and summarize Federal Financial Report (FFR) submissions and flag delinquent reports.
• Deliverable: Financial Monitoring Report (monthly/quarterly).

Grant Administration & Compliance Monitoring

• Review and summarize progress reports, other support, no-cost extension requests, and prior approval requests for completeness and policy issues.
• Prepare issue logs and draft recommendation memos for GMS action.
• Deliverable: Post-Award Compliance Summary & Issue Log.

Amendments, Modifications & Closeout Support

• Compile documentation for administrative amendments and closeout packages (final FFR reconciliation, final progress report, property disposition).
• Prepare draft closeout checklists and closeout memos.
• Deliverable: Closeout Package & Checklist.

Closeout & Records Management

• Ensure award records meet NIH retention/compliance standards and prepare electronic archive packages.
• Deliverable: Archived Award Record Package.

D. Performance Standards & Acceptance Criteria

• Timeliness: Deliverables submitted within agreed due dates.
• Accuracy: Zero arithmetic errors on budget worksheets; policy-related flags must reference applicable NIH policy citations.
• Completeness: Each deliverable contains required fields and a one-page executive summary.
• Quality: Documents are professional, editable (MS Word/Excel), and include version control.
• GMS reviewer will accept, accept with comments, or reject deliverable within 5 business days.

E. Reporting & Meetings

• Status Reports: Weekly brief status report on active tasks and outstanding items (1-page plus dashboard).
• Monthly Meeting: Monthly review with GMS leadership to review performance metrics, risks, and backlog.
• Ad Hoc: Immediate escalation for items that could materially affect award timing or compliance.

Key Personnel & Qualifications

Grants Management Specialist

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
• 5+ years of federal grants experience; NIH experience preferred.
• Experience with eRA Commons and IMPAC II.
• 3+ years of experience in finance/accounting preferred.
• Proficiency with SF-424, modular budgets, and indirect cost calculations.
• Knowledge of NIH Grants Policy Statement, human subjects regulations, and audit reporting.
• Must meet NIH background check and required clearance standards.

Project Manager

• Develops project management documentation and monitors/reports progress to project owners.
• Conducts project analysis and reports to upper management.
• Develops and tracks project budgets.
• Researches project management best practices and new industry standards.
• Provides subject matter expertise and support to other project managers.