Pre-Award Research Administrator I

The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; Boston (MA); Remote; USD 56,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Tufts University’s Office of University Research and Innovation is seeking a detail-oriented Research Administration professional to support a portfolio of departments with proposal submissions and compliance across ~100 sponsored proposals annually.

Under the Associate Director, you will help ensure sponsor requirements align with university policies, assist with non-fiscal post-award actions, and provide guidance to principal investigators and research admins.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 0-2 years of professional experience in research administration, grants, or compliance.
• Familiarity with federal research funding regulations or ability to learn.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with research administration systems or ability to learn.

Responsibilities

• Review sponsored proposals and budgets for compliance.
• Assist with preparation of agreements and negotiations.
• Prepare non-fiscal post-award documentation.
• Serve as a resource to principal investigators and departmental administrators.

Skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Microsoft Office

Organizational skills

Time management

Teamwork

Adaptability

Grants.gov familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in relevant field

Tools

Grants.gov

NIH eRA Commons

NSF Research.gov

ProposalCentral

Job description

Overview

The Office of University Research and Innovation (OURI) supports Tufts University's research, scholarship, innovation, and entrepreneurial activities across all campuses. OURI partners with faculty, staff, students, and university leadership to advance groundbreaking research, secure external funding, ensure regulatory compliance, and translate discoveries into real-world impact.

OURI provides expertise and oversight across sponsored research administration, research compliance, intellectual property management, technology commercialization, startup development, and industry partnerships. Through these efforts, OURI helps strengthen Tufts' research enterprise while supporting the university's commitment to innovation, collaboration, and academic excellence.

Research Administration plays a critical role in making research possible. Working in partnership with faculty, research administrators support the business, regulatory, and compliance activities that enable groundbreaking discoveries, scholarly activity, and externally funded research. Research administration offers a rewarding career path at the intersection of research, problem-solving, and service.

This role offers significant flexibility and can be performed primarily remotely, with only occasional on-campus presence as needed.

What You'll Do

Working under the direction of the Associate Director, Pre-Award Research Administration, you will support a portfolio of departments responsible for submitting approximately 100 sponsored proposals annually. As part of a collaborative research administration team, you will assist faculty and investigators throughout the proposal process, helping ensure compliance with sponsor requirements and university policies while supporting non-fiscal post-award activities. This role offers an opportunity to build expertise in research administration within a supportive, growth-oriented environment.

Responsibilities include:

• Review sponsored proposals and budgets to ensure compliance with sponsor requirements and university policies.
• Assist with the preparation of agreements and support negotiations involving standard terms and conditions under supervision.
• Prepare documentation for non-fiscal post-award actions, including no-cost extensions, budget reallocations, and contract amendments.
• Serve as a resource to principal investigators and departmental research administrators by answering questions and providing guidance on policies and procedures.
• Assist with ad hoc reporting and administrative projects.
• Develop and maintain expertise in research administration, sponsor requirements, and university policies.
• Perform other duties as needed.

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 0-2 years of professional experience in research administration, higher education, grants administration, compliance, finance, project coordination, or a related field.
• Understanding of federal research funding regulations and related compliance requirements, or the ability to learn and apply them.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with, or the ability to learn, electronic research administration and grants management systems, such as Grants.gov, NIH eRA Commons, NSF Research.gov/FastLane, ProposalCentral, and other sponsor systems.
• Strong customer service, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting sponsored research, grants administration, contracts administration, compliance, finance, higher education administration, or a related function.
• Knowledge of major federal sponsors and funding agencies, including NIH, NSF, DOD, DOE, or foundations.
• Experience working with faculty, researchers, or other professional stakeholders.
• Interest in building a career in research administration.

Pay Range

Minimum $55,600.00, Midpoint $69,500.00, Maximum $83,400.00

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.