Blog
August 13, 2024
Creating exceptional value for our clients through value alignment
Pre-Award Administrators oversee the submission of quality, competitive proposals in coordination with investigators and staff. The Pre-Award phase varies from institution to institution, but always represents the beginning of the grant lifecycle. Pre-Award Administration typically begins with budget preparation and proposal submission and ends with award review, negotiation, and acceptance.
The seven core values of The Attain Way and many of the values of a Pre-Award Administrator are interwoven and displayed throughout the profession. Hear from Senior Consultant and Research Administrator, Sarah Milligan, MPA, CRA, as she walks through how Attain Partners’ service to clients fits into The Attain Way.
Invent the Future
We believe that hope is a critical ignition to creating a better world. Our clients are striving toward great things. We work with you to create a breakthrough vision of the future and execute with purpose and diligence to secure results.
Research administrators are deeply involved in research development by assisting Principal Investigators with the administrative burden that goes along with funding. It is our hope that by taking on this administrative burden and assisting investigators in developing competitive proposals, that they will achieve great things and create a better world through their research.
Be Bold
Our clients face tough challenges, but we believe that the glass is half full. We will confront the current reality, whatever it may be, but maintain an unwavering faith in achieving and delivering a purposeful end result.
Research administrators are often faced with challenges between tight deadlines, perplexing guidelines and requirements, and navigating the politics of an institution. At Attain Partners, we confront those challenges with skills, knowledge, and diplomacy. As research administrators, we know that a solution can be found, the proposal must be submitted, and that the research must go on.
Obsess Externally
Our entire focus is on serving our constituent public, including the society at large and the communities in which we live.
Research administrators are absolutely obsessed with serving society in our roles. We are in the perfect place to assist investigators with work that directly affects their institution, community, and society at large.
Be the Best
We strive to be the best in everything we do, while meeting deadline and budget commitments. We don’t just sell it—we live it.
Research administrators possess a wide array of skills, abilities, and broad knowledge to ensure compliance; meet deadlines; communicate in faculty, sponsor, and research administrator jargon; stay up to date on the constantly changing requirements and guidelines; and so much more. While it can be hard to Be the Best and be a generalist at once, Research administrators are constantly striving to meet that goal.
Team for Speed
True teamwork creates agility. We collaborate with our colleagues and clients, bringing passion, focus, and perseverance to our work.
Research administrators live in a world of “it depends,” and must often rely on colleagues from all over the world to help un-muddy the requirements. We must always persevere through the ever-changing landscape of research and research administration and serve our clients with a passion for our work and a focus on the end result.
Execute with Discipline
Great ideas are nothing without discipline and deliberate execution. With stunning intensity, we lead by example and create an empowering environment for great work.
Research administrators can be seen as gatekeepers in the field of research, but we are often holding those gates open for investigators. We have the ability to create an environment that allows investigators to do great work by deliberately working to maintain compliance with the necessary discipline and credibility to do so.
Have Absolute Integrity
Our word is our bond. We act with honesty, respect each other, and honor all commitments. No exceptions.
Research administrators are ethical. We are always working to build trust with investigators, departmental staff, and sponsoring agencies. Investigators and universities as a whole rely on research administrators to provide information that they can trust is accurate.
Attain Partners – Research Administration Experts
Compliance is critical to your organization’s ability to make an impact. Our team provides world-class expertise in navigating the complex and dynamic regulatory environment, implementing industry best practices, and optimizing performance.
Learn more about our services here and explore blog posts from our research administration experts here.
About the Author
Sarah Milligan is a Senior Consultant at Attain Partners with over nine years of experience in Higher Education focusing on pre-award research administration. Prior to joining Attain Partners, Sarah was Senior College Grant Officer at the University of Kentucky, providing pre-award and non-financial post-award administration for several colleges. Sarah is a Certified Research Administrator and holds an MPA.
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