The Grants Management User Network (GMUN) has been developed at the suggestion of the Certified Approvers Advisory Committee to:
- Replace some of the functions of the disbanded SPA Advisory Committee
- Develop a list of pre-award and post-award contacts for each college and/or department engaged in research
- Create structured channels of communication between central research administrative units and colleges/departments
Read the Charge to Grants Management User Network. See the GMUN User Group Presentation Archive. Review past GMUN Advisory Committee Minutes (Archive).
To be added to the GMUN pre and/or post-award listserv please email Bryan Nash (nash0180@umn.edu).
Resources
Certified Approver Community of Practice
The Certified Approver Community of Practice is for current and prospective CAs. Their website serves as a forum to share ideas, expertise, tools and job aids.
Preaward Onboarding Checklist
The GMUN Advisory Committee has developed a customizable Preaward Onboarding Checklist for on-boarding new department-level pre-award administrators. This checklist covers key contacts, Training, Systems & Access, References/Resources useful to all departments. Supervisors are encouraged to adapt this document as needed for new employees.
Postaward Onboarding Checklist
The GMUN Advisory Committee has developed a customizable checklist for onboarding new department-level post-award administrators. This checklist covers Key Contacts, Training, Systems & Access, and References/Resources useful to all departments. Supervisors are encouraged to adapt this document as needed for new employees. While it may be most useful for new employees, existing employees may benefit as well.
General Meetings
Upcoming Meetings
-TBA
May 9, 2023 Meeting
Watch a recording of the 2023 GMUN Spring General Meeting
View/download meeting materials (May 9, 2023)
September 28, 2022 Meeting
Watch a recording of the 2022 GMUN Fall General Meeting
Agenda
Reporting Harassment to Agencies - Pamela Webb
Hot Topics - Pamela Webb
F&A Best Practices and FAQ - David Hagen & April Coon
Pre-Award vs. Advanced Accounts - Patrick Donnell
View/download meeting materials (September 28, 2022)
Key Contacts
List of Key Contacts - Send updates for the Key Contacts list to Bryan Nash (nash0180@umn.edu).
Expectations of Key Contacts
Pre-Award/Proposal Preparation Key Contact
- Act as a liaison between designated units, central offices, and collaborating colleges regarding issues of pre-award and proposal processing
- Disseminate grants management information to their own units
- Encourage and ensure timely processing of budgets and Proposal Routing Forms in the Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS)
- Communicate proposal processing deadlines, policies, and procedures to research staff
- Work with their unit(s) to enhance the unit’s ability to fully utilize EGMS and other grants management and compliance systems during the pre-award process
Post-Award Key Contact
- Act as liaison between designated unist, central offices, and collaborating colleges regarding issues of award setup and post-award management
- Disseminate grants management information to their other unit
- Communicate policies and procedures regarding award acceptance and post-award management of grants and contracts to affected parties with their unit(s)
- Work with their unit(s) to enhance the unit’s ability to fully utilize all post-award management tools available to the.
- Work with the Certified Approver(s) in their unit where responsibilities overlap between their role and the role of the CA
GMUN Advisory Committee (GMUNAC)
The Grants Management User Network (GMUN) Advisory Committee is charged with providing the organizational structure for the network.
The Advisory Committee will perform the following tasks for the network:
- Represent a broad and diverse constituency
- Bring forward factors and changing conditions for discussion that could impact the effective administration of the research process
- Coordinate the interests of other customer groups whose focus is grants management and provide an established vehicle to share their feedback with the VPR and controller
- Provide a single point of contact for groups (project teams) seeking advice and input from grants management community
- Solicit information, approaches or solutions to challenges from key contacts for GMUNAC discussion and follow-up
The GMUN Advisory Committee will comprise nine representatives from the colleges, the chair of the Certified Approver Advisory Committee, assistant director of RIACT, and the directors of SPA and SFR. Every effort will be made to have balanced representation across the colleges and campuses and to represent both pre- and post-award roles.
Members will be nominated by their fellow GMUN Key Contacts or themselves. The director, Sponsored Projects Administration and the director, Sponsored Financial Reporting will approve new members from a list of nominees recommended by the Advisory Committee. Terms will rotate with a three-year duration. In addition, two ex-officio members will be appointed to serve a two-year term (GMUN Advisory Committee List and Term Expiration). These members will represent OVPR or controller programs and units, such as Sponsored Projects Administration, Sponsored Financial Reporting, RIACT, Research Subjects Protection Programs, IACUC, FIRST, and Regulatory Affairs.