Grants Specialist, Astronomy Program

Job Posting Title

Grants Specialist, Astronomy Program

McDonald Observatory

All Applicants

40

Exempt

Immediately

Expected to Continue

UT MAIN CAMPUS

The Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory promote excellence in research and education within the Astronomy Program. As one of the top-ranked astronomy programs nationwide, we lead innovative research in cosmology, galaxy formation and evolution, stellar development and star formation, exoplanetary systems, the Solar System, and instrumentation. We are also a key founding partner in the next-generation Giant Magellan Telescope.

The department research administrator (DRA) will be responsible for managing grants, contracts, and sponsored programs for faculty and researchers. This includes proposal support, grant administration, and ensuring compliance. The role also involves administrative and financial duties and serves as a supportive resource.

The successful candidate will have a strong customer service focus, be a self-starter who can work independently and as part of a team to meet shared and individual goals, and have demonstrated the ability to be flexible, adaptable, and responsive.

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage
• Retirement contributions
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid holidays

Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered.

Support the Astronomy Programs faculty and researchers by coordinating externally funded research and sponsored projects, exercising sound and independent judgment. This includes assisting with proposal preparation and submission to the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP), managing awards and subawards, monitoring financial and operational activity, and overseeing the closeout process.

• Pre-Award:
  Review and analyze faculty and researchers’ sponsored project proposals for compliance with sponsor, federal, state, local, and university guidelines and regulations, including drafting and renewing research agreements. Provides grant proposal development support, including meeting with Principal Investigators (PIs), researching the submission process, communicating with sponsors, creating detailed budgets and justifications, providing templates for administrative proposal documents, reviewing and suggesting edits when proposals do not meet criteria, and managing change requests.
• Proposal Systems:
  Use internal and external systems related to electronic proposal and subcontract submissions, including UT Research Management System (UTRMS), as well as external sponsor proposal systems like NSF Fastlane, CLane, Cayuse, Research.gov, and Grants.gov. Ensure accurate and timely submissions through the submission portals and track the status of submitted proposals.
• Subaward Support:
  Prepare and coordinate subawards, modifications, and additional contractual agreements under the award that comply with the prime sponsor’s requirements, including all relevant federal, state, and University policies and regulations. Manage subrecipient monitoring activities, such as collecting subrecipient audit reports, researching compliance information, and billing for activities.
• Post Award:
  Work with the business office team members, PIs, and OSP to streamline post-award management processes. This includes budget analysis, projection creation, account setup, credit requests, grant overdrafts, incremental budgets, identification of staff appointments on grants, resolution of inconsistencies, budget reallocation recommendations, and management of expiring awards. Assist with post-award amendments through OSP, including processing cost and no-cost extensions, and credit authorizations.
  
  Support the contract closeout process and respond to audit inquiries. Ensure compliance with internal and external policies and procedures, including institutional, sponsor-specific, Federal OMB Circular policies, and Uniform Guidance (CFR-200).
• Reporting:
  Assist with the annual and ad hoc reports, including pre- and post-award metrics, and analyze trends. Develop training,…