Grants and Contracts Specialist

Stony Brook University; Stony Brook (NY); On-site; USD 88,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Stony Brook University is seeking a Project Staff Assistant in the Office Of Dean, Medicine to support the development and submission of externally funded research proposals. The role emphasizes pre-award activities with some post-award tasks and requires adaptable, team-oriented, detail-focused individuals.

The position demands a bachelor’s degree and 2 years of research administration experience, plus knowledge of federal grant regulations and experience with electronic research administration

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (foreign equivalent or higher). Two (2) years of full time research administration experience in sponsored programs management.
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal grant and contract regulations (e.g. Uniform Guidance, NIH, NSF, ARPA-H, DoD, DOE) and non-federal funding environments, including industry, foundation, and local government sponsors.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or comparable certification.
• Five (5) or more years of full-time research administration experience.
• Experience working within higher education and in a central or departmental research administration office at a university or medical center.
• Experience working with electronic research administration systems (e.g. Grants.gov, NIH, eRA, Commons and ASSIST, NSF Reearch.gov, Huron Click).

Responsibilities

• Assist with pre-award activities including proposal development, budgeting, internal submission processes, and sponsor portals.
• Serve as liaison with the Office of Sponsored Programs for pre- and post-award coordination.
• Assist with Just-in-Time requests and transfer of existing awards.
• Support faculty with award modifications, progress reports, and fellowship proposals.
• Provide backup support for departmental staff and Dean’s Office compliance reviews.
• Identify funding opportunities across sponsor websites and advise faculty accordingly.
• Perform other duties or projects as assigned.

Skills

Research administration

Grant regulations

Federal funding

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Grants.gov

NIH eRA

ASSIST

NSF Research.gov

Huron Click

Job description

Required Qualifications (as Evidenced By An Attached Resume)

Bachelor’s degree (foreign equivalent or higher). Two (2) years of full time research administration experience in sponsored programs management.

Comprehensive knowledge of federal grant and contract regulations (e.g. Uniform Guidance, NIH, NSF, ARPA-H, DoD, DOE) and non-federal funding environments, including industry, foundation, and local government sponsors.

Preferred Qualifications

Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or comparable certification.

Five (5) or more years of full-time research administration experience.

Experience working within higher education and in a central or departmental research administration office at a university or medical center.

Experience working with electronic research administration systems (e.g. Grants.gov, NIH, eRA, Commons and ASSIST, NSF Reearch.gov, Huron Click).

Brief Description Of Duties

The Grants & Contracts Specialist (GCS) will be part of the Office of Scientific Affairs within the Renaissance School of Medicine and will work closely with faculty and central university offices, such as the Office of Sponsored Programs, to support and coordinate the development and submission of proposals for externally sponsored research. The position focuses primarily on pre-award activities, with some responsibility for post-award tasks. This role requires adaptability and flexibility to accommodate ongoing changes in internal and external policies and regulations, shifting deadlines, and competing priorities. The incumbent must be able to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and effective verbal and written communication skills are essential, along with the ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Success in this role requires excellent time management, effective decision-making, and the ability to maintain composure in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment. The incumbent must be proactive, solutions-oriented, demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, and be capable of managing a high volume of work while maintaining a high level of accuracy and service excellence. The ideal candidate will have the ability to thrive in a diverse, deadline-driven environment.

Duties

• Under general supervision, facilitate the administration of Sponsored Programs within the School of Medicine (SOM) through coordination of administrative activities.
  • Apply knowledge of policies and procedures to determine appropriate action, elevate complex issues as needed, and utilize analytical, problem-solving, and collaborative skills to support faculty, administrators, and research teams across SOM departments.
  • Assist faculty with the administrative components of externally funded research proposals and other sponsored projects, including budget development, coordination of the internal submission process in my Research, collaboration with PIs, populating sponsor portals with required materials, and submission of federal and non-federal proposals to OSP in accordance with sponsor guidelines.
  • Provide assistance to faculty and administrators in proposed development, including budgeting, interpretation of sponsor terms and policies, and University policies and procedures.
  • Ensure timely and accurate submission of proposals in accordance with sponsor deadlines, federal, and state regulations, sponsor guidelines, and University policies governing sponsored research; consult with appropriate offices as needed on compliance matters.
  • Serve as a liaison on behalf of faculty with the Office of Sponsored Programs (pre and post-award teams) to resolve issues, clarify submission and award information, support researchers throughout the proposal and award lifecycle.
  • Assist with Just-in-Time (JIT) requests, including collecting and compiling required documentation.
  • Assist new hires with the transfer of existing awards and support a smooth transition to the University.
  • Assist faculty with processing award modification requests through the internal electronic research administration system, including but not limited to no-cost extensions, budget modifications, and personnel changes.
  • Assist faculty with progress reports as required by the terms and conditions of the award.
  • Assist graduate, MD/PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows with fellowship proposal preparation and submission, including coordinating sponsor ID setup, guiding applicants through the submission process, tracking application progress and outstanding items, resolving issues, and ensuring compliance with institutional policies.
• Serve as backup support for departmental staff performing pre and post-award activities.
• Serve as a secondary backup for Dean's Office compliance reviews within SOM; ensure completion of application reviews for proposals routed through the Dean's Office; including effort reporting, cost sharing, clinical offset agreements, and VA joint appointment MOUs.
• Identify research funding opportunities across sponsor websites (e.g. NIH, NSF) and advise faculty of relevant program announcements aligned with their research areas.
• Other duties or projects as assigned.

Special Notes

The Research Foundation of SUNY is a private educational corporation. Employment is subject to the Research Foundation policies and procedures, sponsor guidelines and the availability of funding. FLSA Exempt position, not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA. Minimum salary threshold must be met to maintain FLSA exemption.

This is an on-site in NY position.

For this position, we are unable to sponsor candidates for work visas.

Stony Brook University is committed to excellence in diversity and the creation of an inclusive learning, and working environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status and all other protected classes under federal or state laws.

If you need a disability-related accommodation, please call the university Office of Equity and Access (OEA) at [phone] or visit OEA.

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SUNY Research Foundation: A Great Place to Work.

The starting salary range (or hiring range) to be offered for this position is noted below, it represents SBU’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Official Job Title

Project Staff Assistant

Job Field

Administrative & Professional (non-Clinical)

Primary Location

US-NY-Stony Brook

Department/Hiring Area

Office Of Dean, Medicine

Schedule

Full-time

Posting Start Date

Aug 26, 2026

Posting End Date

Sep 9, 2026, 11:59:00 PM

Salary

$88,000-$95,000

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Grade

E99

SBU Area

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York at Stony Brook