About the Office

The Office of Research Administration at the Keck School of Medicine (KSOM) serves as a resource for research faculty and their administrators.

The office oversees grant and contract administration and research compliance to support and facilitate funding and adherence to University and Federal, State and Private Sponsor policies. It serves as the point of contact for KSOM research faculty to obtain Dean’s approval of grant or contract submissions, exceptions to F&A rates, advance funding, pre-award costs, cost sharing and transfer of unexpended fixed price contract balances. Additionally, the office offers departmental administrative support to KSOM select basic sciences.

Grant Submissions

• Grant Budget Development
  • Verify salary information for faculty and staff
  • Verify fringe benefit rate and indirect cost rates
  • Provide assistance with obtaining sub-contract information
  • Verify department cost share information
• Assist with assembly and coordination of large/complex grant applications (e.g., Program projects, center grants)
• Grant Forms
  • KSOM Transfer of Research Grant Instructions
  • KSOM Transfer of Research Grant Form
  • SF424 (grants.gov) form completion
  • Proposal Approval in Kuali Coeus
• Approvals
  • Review and approval of Indirect cost waiver request
• Facilitate institutional support requests
• Facilitate selection of institutionally limited grant proposals
• Review of internal grant budget and Investigator eligibility (e.g., Zumberge Grant applications)

Grant Post-Award

• Overdraft alerts
• Assist with Sponsored Projects Accounting (SPA) expense transfers
• Review progress report submissions including verification of effort
• Assist Principal Investigators with subcontract establishment
• Review and approve requests for advance/pre-award funding
• Financial troubleshooting for grants and closeouts

Training

• Coordinate Research Administrator’s Forums on grants management policies and procedures
• One-on-one training as needed

Compliance

• Work with USC Office of Compliance to ensure appropriate charges to grants (Faculty effort, administrative support); and Disclosure of Statement of Outside Interests Related to Research