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Starting July 1, 2023, the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, School of Education and School of Information Studies will be housed under the College of Community Engagement and Professions. Learn more.

Shared Office for the Administration of Research

The mission of the Shared Office for Administration of Research (SOAR) is to provide pre- and post-award research administration services to the College of Health Sciences, College of Nursing, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, and the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health.

SOAR offers a full range of services in support of the four schools’ sponsored research activities, and acts as a liaison between investigators and the UWM Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). Principal Investigators (PIs) must notify SOAR about their submission no later than 15 business days prior to the sponsors’ due date. That said, PIs should notify SOAR as early in the process as possible. When a PI receives an award, SOAR will provide post-award management throughout the life cycle of the grant.

As of July 1, 2023, the Shared Office for Administration of Research (SOAR) will move to the Office of Research Administration (ORA) in the College of Community Engagement & Professions.

Policies and Procedures

Research-Related Links

Services We Provide

The research administrators have significant expertise in a wide range of grants including federal (NASA, NIH, NSF, etc.), state and local governments, foundations and more.

Proposal Preparation & Submission
SOAR works with investigators to plan, prepare, coordinate and submit proposals through the Office of Sponsored Programs with all required institutional endorsements.
Grants Management & Administration
SOAR provides support to faculty and staff on all administrative aspects of managing a sponsored project. We can assist with progress reports, no-cost extensions, re-budgeting, program planning, communication with sponsors and the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Financial Management of Sponsored Projects
SOAR assists with salary distribution and effort reporting, works with faculty to develop spending plans and projections, and monitors expenditures on sponsored projects.
Final Close-Out of Sponsored Projects
SOAR supports activities related to closing sponsored projects, including interpreting sponsor requirements and communicating with department financial staff and the Office of Sponsored Programs to ensure that all sponsor requirements have been met.
Compliance Management & Auditing
SOAR works with investigators, department administrative staff and the Office of Sponsored Programs to ensure compliance with federal, state and university guidelines for financial and regulatory management.

Administrative Structure

Under this shared service model each faculty investigator is assigned a specific research administrator. During the pre-award phase, the research administrator assembles the various sections of the grant proposal, as sent by the Primary Investigator (PI), and facilitates proposal routing to the Office of Sponsored Programs for final submission to the sponsor. Once an award is received, the research administrator provides post-award services for the grant.

All requests for pre- and post-awards services will be made to Director of SOAR Eric Gresnick (gresnick@uwm.edu). The director will then assign the research administrator. The research administrator will contact the PI within two business days.

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Active Grants

Who Can Help You

Grants Administration

Contact a SOAR research administrator if you have questions about applying for and managing sponsored funding.

Below is a list of specific ways in which SOAR can assist you in applying for and managing sponsored projects.

  • Account Code Opening
  • Advance Account/Backstop Funding Request
  • Award Balance
  • Award Status
  • Cost Share Award Management
  • Deficit Resolution
  • Effort Certification Questions
  • F&A Waiver Requests
  • No-Cost Extensions
  • Non-Disclosure Agreements
  • Material Transfer Agreements
  • Out Year Funding
  • PI Eligibility Request
  • Project Close-Out
  • Proposal Preparation
  • Rebudgeting
  • Salary Distribution
  • Subaward Management

Proposal Development

Contact Proposal Development Services within the Office of Research to help UWM researchers find relevant grant opportunities for their research and develop strong proposals with a competitive edge.

Other

Contact the department administrative staff if you have questions about:

  • Hiring new employees to work on a sponsored project
  • Non-sponsored account management (ex. 150 and 189 fund types)
  • P-card reallocation
  • Purchasing
  • Space allocation
  • Travel

Contact

Photo of Eric Gresnick (white man), director of shared office for administration of research
Eric Gresnick, MA, CRA
  • Director, SOAR
Portrait of Mary Heller (white woman), program coordinator for the Shared Office for Administration of Research
Mary Heller, BBA
  • Program Coordinator, SOAR
Portrait of Debbie Schmidt (white woman), research assistant for the Shared Office for Administration of Research
Debbie Schmidt
  • Research Administrator, SOAR