News
August 28, 2025
Season 5, Episode 8
Turning with the Tides: Amid Changing Federal Policies, What’s Next for Research Administration? (Special Edition)
Aired August 28, 2025
Federal policy expert Gil Tran, CPA, Senior Specialist Leader with Attain Partners, joins this special edition of SRAI Shop Talk to break down the latest changes in research administration, including the proposed 15% IDC rate cap, JAG’s new FAIR Model and its implementation in diverse scenarios, and how research administrators can adapt to emerging federal policies on the horizon.
Gil Tran, CPA, Senior Specialist Leader at Attain Partners, is a 27-year veteran of OMB. He played an integral role in the development of the 2013 Uniform Guidance and its 2020 revisions. Gil started his “grant” journey as a research administrator at Georgetown University, and served three years as a senior cost negotiator for the HHS Cost Allocation Services and eight years at KPMG Accounting firm.
Supplementary Slides: Indirect Cost Issues – CAPs and JAG Model
In our fifth season of SRAI’s Shop Talk podcast, Navigating Change: Innovations and Conversations in Research Administration, experts across the field of research share their wealth of knowledge and the best advice on how to adapt and grow.
Hosted by Stefanie Keto & Jumionne Tiako, produced by Drew Wilson.
About Gil Tran
Gil Tran is Senior Specialist Leader, Grants Management at Attain Partners. Previously, he served as a Senior Policy Analyst with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM).
A 27-year veteran of OMB, Gil has often served as a go-to field expert and is a sought-after presenter who has earned a reputation as a source of knowledge and an engaging industry speaker. Among his contributions in shaping the financial assistance landscape for future generations are: helping reduce the audit burden for both auditees and federal government oversight agencies; playing an integral role in the development of the Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG) and consolidating cost principles in the guidance; and, in 2005, leading the development of the first-ever government-wide waiver to provide relief to grantees caused by natural disasters.
Gil’s professional contributions have been recognized with several awards, including the OMB Robert Damus Award, the National Grants Management Association (NGMA) Newton Award, and the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) Frank Greathouse Distinguished Leadership Award—all in 2022—as well as the National College and University Research Administrators Association (NCURA) Joseph F. Carrabino Award in 2015. He is widely recognized as an outstanding leader in the grants management field. Gil received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from George Mason University, Virginia. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Additionally, he chaired the Diversity Committee for the U.S. Tennis Association (Mid–Atlantic Section).
