The Office of Contract and Grant Administration reports administratively to the Vice Chancellor Resource Management and Planning. Its primary mission is to assist the campus community to obtain and successfully accomplish sponsored research, instruction, and public service programs and to insure that the University's and each sponsoring agency's policies and procedures relative to contract and grant administration are carried out efficiently and effectively. The University's policies include those issued by Systemwide Administration and by the Chancellor.

In general, the Office provides administrative management and support and regulatory assistance to coordinate the actions of: (a) the Principal Investigator, (b) the staff members of the business, financial, and administrative organizational and functional groups of the campus, and (c) the scientific, technical and administrative officials of the University and of the sponsoring agency.

A satellite contract and grant office is located at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and provides administration services to principal investigators appointed to the SIO. This co-located Office of Contract and Grant Administration is a functional extension of the UCSD OCGA, although it reports on a line-basis to the Assistant Director, Administration, SIO.

SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS

1. Proposal Preparation and Analysis

   1. Analyze proposals for adherence to University and agency policy and procedures; provide advice concerning academic, legal, financial, substantiating documents and necessary approvals for human subjects, use of animals, recombinant DNA, conflict of interest, biohazardous materials, investigational new drugs, computer purchase, research assistants and commitment of campus resources.

   2. Coordinate the review of proposals and contractual documents requiring Presidential or Regental approval; prepare forwarding correspondence to Systemwide Administration together with necessary documentation.

   3. On behalf of principal investigators, transmit official University proposals to sponsoring agencies and monitor their status.

2. Negotiation and Liaison

   1. Represent the Chancellor and the principal investigator in negotiating terms and conditions, scope of work, and the price and/or support level of a variety of award documents which will be acceptable to the University.

   2. Analyze proffered contract or grant award and coordinate as necessary with the investigator and appropriate University officials.

   3. Coordinate with sponsoring agencies to obtain or supply additional information on specific proposals.

   4. Assist in pre-award audits and sponsoring agency site visits.

3. Award Acceptance and/or Execution

   1. Analyze and accept grants and execute contracts or modifications thereto (or approve for such action according to delegation of authority) signifying commitment on behalf of The Regents for performance of the project, in accordance with delegated authority by the Chancellor.

   2. Upon acceptance or execution, advise academic investigators and campus administrative officials as to the actions necessary on their part to meet commitments under the terms of the project.

   3. Distribute the contract or grant award documents to the appropriate academic and administrative offices.

4. Post Award Administration

   1. Coordinate and negotiate the obtaining of prior approvals for action required by contract or grant terms and conditions; assure on behalf of the University that the terms and conditions of the project are carried out. This includes administering the PHS Institutional and the NSF Organizational prior approval systems.

   2. Monitor and coordinate, as appropriate, the preparation and submission of required reports, issuing necessary reminders of report due dates, and other deliverables.

   3. Analyze terminated contracts and grants for completion of all required reporting actions or other closing documents.

5. Policy

   1. Formulate and administer, on behalf of the Chancellor, campus implementing contract and grant policies and procedures to comply with agency and University regulations.

   2. Interpret for principal investigators, academic departments and campus officials agency and University policies applicable to specific contract and grant actions.

   3. Interact with the sponsoring agencies, representing the Regents in negotiations for the establishment of optimum consistency in contract and grant provisions and policies; resolve problems and settle disputes between the campus and sponsoring agencies relating to contract and grant administration.

   4. Serve as campus central office for patent matters, providing direction to investigators and campus officials.

6. Service to Principal Investigators/Departments

   1. Obtain and disseminate information on sponsoring agencies' programs, regulations, and guidelines on a regular scheduled basis to investigators, their departments, colleges, divisions, and other academic units.

   2. Conduct seminars and specialized training sessions, as needed or as requested by interested departments as a means of informing principal investigators and others responsible for preparing research proposals and managing sponsored programs.

   3. Maintain a reference library on University and agency policies, procedures, regulations, and programs.

7. Document Control

   1. Administer document control for the campus in accordance with the Standard Practice and Procedure Manual and such general guidance as may be provided by Systemwide Administration.

   2. Represent the Chancellor in coordinating the transactions required in interactions with various agencies.

8. Other Liaison Activities

   1. Maintain liaison with counterparts at other campuses and universities; exchange information with them by means of periodic conferences and visits.

   2. Participate in national and regional professional associations and University and campus programs of benefit in performing assigned responsibilities.

   3. Conduct regularly scheduled meetings for campus central offices involved in research administration to maintain information flow and resolve operational problems.

9. Information and Reporting

   1. Maintain files of all active proposals, contracts, grants, agreements, and related documentation and maintain current administration records on their status.

   2. Coordinate preparation and dissemination of information concerning funding sources, sponsored research, instruction and public service activity being conducted at the campus.

   3. Submit essential management and statistical information to the Systemwide Administration information systems.

   4. Provide to the campus budgetary personnel and appropriate administrative and academic officials reports of projected levels of extramural support; interpret trends in Federal support of research to provide assistance in management of campus resources; provide advice to the campus administration concerning future commitments of campus resources and facilities as reflected in proposals; issue periodic reports reflecting contract and grant activity.