Post-Award Research Management SIG

The need to connect and streamline post-award research management services has never been greater that it is in these times of growing complexity and expanding compliance obligations.

The ability of a research organisation to focus on the deliver great research hinges on the ability of the organisation to effectively and efficiently manage post-award research matters.

We define Post-Award as the stage in the research grant lifecycle:

• Commencing from the point at which a sponsor informs an institution that a grant application has been successful, or that they wish to enter into a non-grant research contract.
• Ending at the point at which the awarded grant is completed, terminated or transferred to another institution, with all financial obligations, deliverables and reporting obligations to a funder fulfilled.

Included in Post -Award is the financial management of research funding which has become a specialized function in many research organisations.  The scrutiny on the post award expenditure of funds, and compliance requirements from funding bodies has significantly increased, as have various non-financial compliance obligations.

Most of the ARMS members’ involved in the post award administration of research, including the financial management of project funds will predominantly be working with the same funding bodies, and will have common issues relating to contracting, compliance, and the interpretation of the rules. They will also likely be experiencing similar challenges connecting the various post-award research support services in their organizations.

The Post-Award Research Management SIG will promote the dissemination and institutional collaboration for members with the aim of providing:

• A forum for those professional staff within ARMS involved in research post award, including finance, to discuss new process, compliance requirements, technical developments, issues, innovations to reduce duplication;
• Act as a conduit for issue identification across institutions with potential for multi-institutional requests for development to the relevant research information management organisations;
• Be a combined voice to, and form a relationship with, the federal funding agencies post award teams;
• Discuss and review best practice in post-award processes and systems, including the connection of post-award services;
• Enable partnering of institutions for knowledge transfer and assistance;
• Be a mechanism for members to discuss interpretation of funding body rules relating to the post-award management of grants;
• Enable knowledge transfer, potential professional development opportunities and create a network of ARMS members with an interest in research finance.
• In conjunction with the ARMS office, work towards standardised templates and agreements across our universities through SIG working groups

The Co-Convenors are:

Connie Killey

Director, Research Finance, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Deakin University

Connie Killey has extensive experience in the tertiary education and health sectors. For over a decade, Connie has been leading research finance functions, previously as the Director of Research and Revenue Accounting Services at Monash University, and currently as the Director, Research Finance, at Deakin University. Connie has an MBA and is a graduate of the Harvard High Potential Leaders Program. She is a member of the Institute of Public Accountants, (MIPA), Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD) and an Associate Fellow of the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM).

As a member of ARMS and NCURA, Connie is an active member of the global research administration community and has a particular passion for shifting the focus of research finance from compliance to being facilitators of research, and working with researchers, research managers and administrators to maximise their funding to facilitate better outcomes. Connie is an accredited ARMS Training Fellow on the Post Award, Research Finance, and Costing and Pricing modules, and is driven to enhancing the financial literacy for researchers and non-finance administrators to facilitate decision making.

Frank Anastasopoulos

Associate Director (Post-Award), Research Grant and Contract Services (RGCS) Research, Innovation and Commercialisation | The University of Melbourne

Frank Anastasopoulos has extensive experience in leadership of research management and services, having led research management teams at The University of Melbourne and at the National Heart Foundation, and has also worked in research, conducting both academic and commercial biomedical research in collaboration with industry partners. This includes employment with both commercial and not-for-profit organisation.

Frank is currently the Associate Director (Post-Award) in the Research Grant and Contract Services team at The University of Melbourne.

For enquiries please email ARMSMembership@researchmanagement.org.au