Sponsored projects are externally funded activities supporting the research, public service, instruction, or cooperative extension mission at the University of Georgia. Sponsored projects can utilize a wide variety of awarding vehicles (e.g., grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, MOU’s) resulting in agreements between the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., and a sponsor. At UGA, the Sponsored Projects Administration  comprises Pre-Award and Post-Award Accounting staff in one unified department. SPA works closely with administrative support in departments including DLSA’s, grants coordinators, accountants, and business managers to address the administrative burden placed on faculty engaging in sponsored project activities.

The Sponsored Projects Administration team:

• Reviews and submits proposals
• Receives and negotiates award documents
• Accepts award funding
• Establishes accounts
• Sends invoices and collects project revenues
• Provides financial reports
• Provides project spending guidance and oversight
• Negotiates material changes to agreements after award
• Assists with project and financial closeout
• Ensures audit compliance

Our mission is to be the nation’s premier sponsored projects administration team. We are committed to innovative thinking, timely communication, and exceptional service to provide faculty and staff with the highest levels of support as they compete for and manage extramural funding.

• We believe in cooperative teamwork, exceptional service, and ethical business practices.
• We believe that good communication is key to effective relationships, and effective relationships are key to success.
• We pride ourselves on attention to detail and forethought.
• We believe in providing excellent customer service to both internal and external customers.
• We value knowledge, expertise, accuracy, flexibility, mindfulness, and problem solving.
• When something works, we commit to sharing it across the institution.
• We aim to epitomize professionalism in every interaction, whether internal or external.
• We believe there is no gray area in honesty, integrity, or accountability.
• We provide options for what is possible rather than focusing on what is not allowed.
• We strive for success, the first time.
• We give our best in even the most menial of tasks, knowing that if we do the small things well, the big things will follow.

• I want to take the opportunity to recognize the great support we have received form Brad Langford and Ken Dover. They both have been incredibly professional and helpful when we have contacted them to help us with a variety of issues.
• I have worked with Melissa Mottley for years through my position at Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Melissa is effective, friendly, and prompt. You simply could not ask for anything more in someone in that position.
• With the hiring of Tammi (Childs), communication via phone and email has greatly improved and her knowledge base is growing every day.
• I wanted to send quick note to thank Carrie Williams for getting the invoices for 10-31-RE336-235 and 10-31-RE336-236 out yesterday as promised. I know you said that you would be working on the other 3 invoices today, and I very much appreciate it.I’d like to thank Gail Chester for her commitment to the UGA research mission. She is quick to offer help if she senses a need, and she has no fear of diving into the gear-work to figure out what is causing a problem in order to offer a solution at the source.
• This is well done. I hope that we can keep Brittany around for awhile.
• I’ve been working with Joe Ann Eades. She’s been great: timely, organized and calm even when I am pushing the deadline way past what I intended to!
• Everyone that I have dealt with within the past year has been extremely friendly and if they did not know an answer immediately, they always got back in a timely manner.
• Our pre-award contact and awarding contact are very efficient and always willing to go the extra mile to help us when we have any issues
• Brittany Taylor in Post Award Accounting is helpful and responsive. She is a pleasure to work with 🙂
• Jason Reisfeld was a pleasure to work with. He provided all the information and support I needed to prepare my NEH proposal on time, caught and helped me correct a number of errors in the proposal, and when he noticed a last minute problem with the proposal just before 5:00 pm the day it was due, he generously stayed late while I fixed the problem so that he could submit it by the deadline.
• I had an opportunity to work with Joy Hirsch yesterday on some snags related to the timing and process for closing out a research grant of mine and wanted to let you know that she was amazing. As a law professor, I am not the best with budgets and numbers and she was incredibly patient with me. Plus, since this was my first time obtaining outside funding for a project and working with your office and the University process for grants, I likely took extra patience. She figured out the problem in no time, realized what was necessary to correct it, and immediately took care of everything. It was a pleasure to work with her and we are all fortunate to have her on the UGA Team. Just wanted to let you know that, because of Joy, things went very smoothly for me yesterday afternoon and I am grateful.
• I have always had efficient service when working with Melissa Mottley, and she continues to be great to work with.
• I have seen an amazing transformation in our ability to work together to get grants, NCE, Award Pendings, etc., paperwork done more seamlessly and in a timely fashion. More importantly than the merging, it is the personalities that you have leading and doing the work.  Kudos!
• I have been very pleased, it is better than it has ever been for me. Everyone that I have dealt with has been very pleasant and answers in a timely manner.
• Just wanted to give Jason Reisfeld a big pat on the back!! I know working with him will be seamlessly professional and efficient. I bug him on a regular basis and he is nothing short of amazing. Always finds the answer if he doesn’t already know it and responds in a timely manner.
• I wanted to be sure and let you know what a great job Cedric Miller did recently in resolving a long-standing problem with sub-award invoices from the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Cedric spent a solid 30 minutes on the telephone with an MDA employee trying to figure out why our invoices were not being paid. It turned out that the problem was due to multiple failures on the MDA side. Cedric was very patient, polite, and professional and never lost his cool, even though it was a very frustrating situation. He did a great job.
• Cathy Cuppett is extremely responsive and always very helpful. She is a key asset to the program.
• I have worked with Maryann Deom over many years on complex state contracts and she is knowledgeable, responsive, prompt and collegial. I have worked with Tammi Childs and Cedric Miller on these same complex state contracts over the last 2 years and they are also knowledgeable, responsive, prompt and collegial.   I have no suggestions at this time and like to acknowledge excellent work.
• Kudos to Lynn Beard for taking the time to explain the conversion accounts and year-end processes to the Engineering department. The department was very appreciative.
• Everyone was really supportive during the entire process. I greatly appreciate their time and diligence!
• I have really enjoyed my interactions with Jessica Gordy. She has been a wonderful support system for me this year and I appreciate all of the effort she has put into helping me submit grants.
• I have had several projects (big and small) routed through SPA and have gotten fantastic assistance in the preparation, review, and submission of my proposals.
• Sam (Guzak) is a valuable asset to the team! He is quick to respond to issues and is always so pleasant.

Sponsored Projects Administration is always looking for engaging, enthusiastic people to join our research administration team. You can find job openings in SPA by checking UGA Jobs. For accounting and financial positions, filter by department “F&A Sponsored Projects Post-Award.” For research administration opportunities, filter by department “Research SPA Pre-Award.”

We are also looking for a dynamic leader to join SPA as our new Associate Director of Post Award Accounting. See details about the position.