Grants Specialist I

Iowa State University - College of Design; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Professional development opportunities

Flexible work arrangements

Onsite childcare

Job summary

Iowa State University - College of Veterinary Medicine is seeking a Grants Specialist I to support pre-award grant administration, proposal development, and budget preparation in the Research and Graduate Studies team in Ames.

The role collaborates with faculty and staff to identify funding opportunities, coordinate submissions, ensure sponsor guidelines compliance, and maintain proposal data across university systems, offering training and growth in research administration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, public administration, or related field.
• Experience budgeting, financial reporting, or financial projections.
• Experience preparing grant, contract, or sponsored project proposals.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel (formulas, pivots, reporting).
• Experience applying funding guidelines and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate preparation, internal review and submission of grant proposals.
• Develop budgets, justifications and supporting documentation.
• Enter proposal data in university systems and track timelines.
• Assist faculty with sponsor guidelines and submission requirements.
• Support post-submission actions and sponsor requests.
• Collect and verify research-related data and records.
• Collaborate with university partners on research administration.
• Monitor funding opportunities and distribute to faculty.

Skills

Budget development

Grant administration

Communication

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration / Finance / Public Administration

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Budgeting software

Proposal management systems

Job description

## Position Title:Grants Specialist I## Job Group:Professional & Scientific## Required Minimum Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree## Job Description:Come join the Research and Graduate Studies team within Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine as a **Grant Specialist I**. Help advance research that improves animal health, veterinary medicine, and scientific discovery. As a central resource for faculty, researchers, and students, our team supports external funding, research development, and graduate education across the college. In this role, you will serve in a **pre-award research administration** capacity, partnering with faculty throughout the grant proposal development and submission process. Responsibilities include identifying funding opportunities, developing proposal budgets, coordinating proposal submissions, assisting with sponsor guidelines and requirements, preparing proposal materials, and supporting other pre-award research administration activities. You will collaborate with faculty, researchers, and university partners to help secure external funding that advances the college's research mission. This is an excellent opportunity for an early career professional interested in research administration. We are committed to providing training and development to help the successful candidate build expertise in **pre-award grant administration** and research support. Working closely with faculty, researchers, students, and university partners, you'll gain experience in funding opportunity identification, proposal development, budget preparation, proposal coordination, and sponsor submission requirements while helping transform innovative ideas into competitive funding proposals. **Additional Details*** **Location:** Ames, Iowa* **Schedule:** Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. **What You'll Do*** Coordinate the preparation, internal review and submission of grant proposals.* Develop proposal budgets, justifications and supporting documentation.* Enter and maintain proposal information in university systems.* Coordinate proposal routing, approvals, and submission timelines.* Assist faculty with interpreting sponsor guidelines, preparing proposal materials, and meeting submission requirements* Support post-submission activities, including sponsor requests and required documentation.* Collect, maintain, and verify research-related data and records.* Assist with research programs, events, workshops, and student initiatives.* Monitor and distribute funding opportunities to faculty and staff.* Collaborate with university partners to support research administration activities. **Preferred Qualifications*** Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Public Administration, Higher Education Administration, Research Administration, or a related field.* Experience developing budgets, financial reports, or financial projections.* Experience preparing or submitting grant, contract, or sponsored project proposals.* Proficiency in Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, pivot tables, and data reporting.* Experience reviewing and applying policies, procedures, funding requirements, or compliance guidelines. **Why Join Us?**Join a collaborative and supportive team that helps advance research, innovation, and graduate education within Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. This entry-level role offers the opportunity to build expertise in research administration while working alongside faculty, researchers, students, and university partners to support impactful research initiatives. Iowa State University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement benefits, generous paid time off, professional development opportunities, and flexible work arrangements where business needs permit. Learn more about our benefits: https://jobs.iastate.edu/benefits.Join a team where your contributions support groundbreaking research while providing opportunities to learn, grow, and make a lasting impact. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position. **Application Instructions:** To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:* Resume/Curriculum Vitae* Letter of Application/Cover Letter **Why Choose Iowa State University?** Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental, as well as:* Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans* Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans* Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)* Life insurance and long-term disability* Flexible Spending Accounts* Various voluntary benefits and discounts* Employee Assistance Program* Wellbeing program* Iowa State offers WorkFlex options for some positions. WorkFlex offers flexibility on when, where, and how you do your work. For more information, please speak with the Hiring Manager. If you have questions regarding this application process, please email [e-mail], or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.## Appointment Type:Regular## Number of Months Employed Per Year:12 Month Work Period## Time Type:Full time## Pay Grade:PS807## Original Posting Date:October 14, 2026## Posting Close Date:October 28, 2026## Job Requisition Number:R20076