Sponsored projects are externally funded activities supporting the research, instruction, cooperative extension, and public service missions at the University of Georgia. Sponsored projects can utilize a wide variety of awarding vehicles (e.g., grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, subawards) resulting in projects between the University of Georgia, University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., and sponsors.

Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) is comprised of Pre and Post Award staff working collaboratively in one unified department. SPA works closely with research administrators and other administrative support personnel located within our colleges, schools, departments, centers and institutes to address the administrative, financial and compliance responsibilities associated with sponsored project activities.

The Sponsored Projects Administration team:

• Reviews and submits proposals
• Receives and negotiates award documents
• Accepts award funding
• Establishes Project IDs unique to each project
• Prepares and submits invoices
• Collects payments
• Prepares and submits 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.

• The SPA team is AMAZING!  Their support is HUGE!!
• I appreciate the excellent help very much by the SPA personnel in getting all of our contracts and awards done in time.
• Cody was great: very professional and helpful.  Thank you!
• Joy Hirsch in SPA was incredibly helpful.  I called to ask about one small question which she quickly answered.  I realized she was very knowledgeable about many topics of grant budget so I kept asking her questions and she spent a ton of time with me explaining how to find answers, who to ask each question to, and explaining solutions to some of my budget issues.  Keep her around please!  I’ve asked many of these questions to others and got really helpful answers from her in comparison to other experiences.
• Karla’s support was great!
• The awarding experience was very professional and done in a timely manner.  Everyone was super courteous and made the experience awesome.  I love working with the SPA team.
• Always exceptional service from SPA – fast, efficient and knowledgeable.
• I had a very tight turn-around time for the proposal submission and the budget.  Everything was done very promptly and I see willingness in working with the PI to ensure that the proposal deadline was met.  Overall, the whole experience was good.
• We work with Hunter Hellwig on a regular basis and are truly impressed with his timeliness and attention to detail.  Thanks!
• As someone new to the process of submitting proposals, I found the responsiveness and the willingness of SPA to respond and educate was exceptional and as a result I learned a lot and also feel like I have a knowledgeable partner for future proposals.
• I put this proposal together last minute and did not give adequate notice, but the SPA team was incredible.  Cody, Jenna and Chris were all amazing.  Chris was heading out at 10 but responded immediately and passed it to his backup Cody and to Jenna.  Since Cody was in a meeting until noon, Jenna followed up right away and reviewed the information I sent.  Cody produced the letters by the end of the day.  I am extraordinarily impressed with the professionalism y’all exhibited.  I am supremely grateful to have the SPA team that we have at UGA.  THANK YOU.
• 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.
• Jonathan McMichael in pre-award has been an outstanding model of service to represent SPA.  He communicates clearly, effectively, and in a timely manner.  He has truly been delightful to work with and we hope more of our awards go to him in the future for processing.
• In Innovation Gateway, we frequently work closely with some of the folks in SPA to figure out where electronic payments belong, how to get copies of old invoices, etc.  This week, we had a real bugaboo, in that our licensee needed copies of old invoices.  However, the amounts they sent us were in British Pounds Sterling, and conversions are never precise.  Joy Hirsch and Kim Johnson were efficient and friendly, and they were instrumental in helping me solve this problem.
• 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.
• Nick Hinson is extraordinary, and I am so glad to work with him.  Nick often gets assigned contracts of mine, and he is far and away the most extraordinary Sponsored Programs representative I have worked with, at any university.  Nick finds problems and solves them, anticipates road blocks, and just gets it done.  Fast.  I am so grateful that Nick is at UGA.  Just wanted to shout out and give a nod to extraordinary work.
• With the hiring of Tammi (Childs), communication via phone and email has greatly improved and her knowledge base is growing every day.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• Cathy Cuppett is extremely responsive and always very helpful. She is a key asset to the program.
• 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 had several projects (big and small) routed through SPA and have gotten fantastic assistance in the preparation, review, and submission of my proposals.

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. To locate SPA jobs, please filter by Department “FD-SPA Post Award Accounting” and “VPR-SPA Pre-Award.”