Pre-Award Office
The mission of the Vice President for Research Pre-Award Office is to assist investigators with the preparation and submission of applications for extramural funding.
Some of the services offered by the Pre-Award Office include researching the funding opportunity, starting and managing the application, providing instructions and checklists of requirements for the opportunity, reviewing all submission documents, assisting with budget preparation, and liaising with the Office of Sponsored Projects to submit the application. The Pre-Award Office currently serves specific departments and colleges across main campus and health sciences.
Meet the Team
Pre-Award Managers
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Sr. Pre-Award Grants & Contracts Manager, Main Campus Team
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Kiera joined the University of Utah in 2007 at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, and has been involved in research administration since 2011. She has managed both pre- and post-award components of research with cardiovascular, cancer and orthopaedic group at the University and brings her years of knowledge and experience to our SVPHS Pre-Award team. Kiera received her BS in psychology in 2007 from the University of Utah and her MBA from Western Governs University with an emphasis in Healthcare Management in 2019. When not focusing on research, Kiera enjoys spending time with her family and traveling to any beach destination.
Pre-Award Training
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Tey works with the SVPHS Research Unit as a Grants and Contracts Officer in the Pre-Award Office. She graduated from Brigham Young University Hawaii in 2015 with a BS in Biology. Prior to joining the University’s School of Biological Sciences in 2019 she served as a legal assistant and undergraduate researcher. She is committed to creating an inclusive educational environment and enjoys expanding her knowledge of sponsored projects while aligning with the mission to foster research administration excellence.
Main Campus Team
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Shawn comes to the University of Utah from the University of Montana. For the past 6 years she has provided pre and post-award services in the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) to multiple Colleges and Centers at UM. In addition, she was the OSP – University of Montana Foundation (UMF) liaison assisting in the set-up of UMF awards with Research Compliance.
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Stephanie began working at the University of Utah in March 2008. Stephanie’s “forever” job, as she states, started right here at the University of Utah. In 2017 she began working for the Neurosurgery-Physiology Department; a job she says “changed her life”. By taking classes and shadowing co-workers, she was able to expand her skills and began learning more about research administration at the University of Utah.
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Krista joined the University of Utah in 2017 as the Graduate Coordinator for Physics & Astronomy. In 2019 she transitioned into the Grants/ Contracts Officer position for Physics & Astronomy and delved quickly into learning everything there is to know about grants! She graduated from the University of Utah in 2004 in Exercise & Sport Science and later completed her MBA through South University.
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Felicia joined the Main Campus, Pre-Award team June 2022. Prior to her current position, Felicia worked within the University’s School of Biological Sciences for three and a half years where she first encountered the ever-expanding world of research administration. Felicia brings 15 plus years’ experience in administrative support and customer relations. She is excited for the opportunity to support faculty with the detailed processes of the University’s sponsored projects.
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Kendra joined the University of Utah in 2015 as an Administrative Assistant for the Department of Internal Medicine where she enjoyed assisting the team of research doctors and lab personnel. It’s here that she initially became invested in research administration. After leaving the U, she chose to expand her organizational and project skill set as an Office Manager. In her role as a GCO, she is excited to continue expanding her expertise in research administration. When she’s not working, Kendra enjoys spending time outside, hiking with her dog and playing volleyball.
Health Science Team
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Kami began working at the University of Utah as a clinical coordinator in January 2001. Since that time she has worked in clinics, departments, the SOM Dean’s Office, and the Office of Sponsored Projects. She has nearly a decade of experience working on grant & contract preparation and management. In February 2015, Kami was hired to start the SVPHS Pre-Award Office. The office provides proposal preparation services to investigators in Basic Science departments within the School of Medicine. Recently, Kami's efforts expanded to include the start-up of a new Pre-Award Office for main campus investigators, in partnership with the Vice President for Research Office.
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Katherine joined the University of Utah in 2019 as a Program Manager in Youth Education after having run K-12 programs at New York University (NYU). She is passionate about education, equity, and collaboration and excited to bring her management skills to the SVPHS Research Unit’s Pre-Award Office. When not working on her research administration skills, Katherine enjoys getting outside and sharing a good meal with her family.
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Brandee started working at the University of Utah in 2019. First at the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI), and in 2023 joining the SVPHS Research Unit Pre-Award Office. While at CVRTI, she was serving and supporting the many research labs in a variety and ever-changing professional positions as part of the Core Team. Quickly advancing into the Grants and Contracts Officer position at CVRTI, she is enthusiastic in bringing and strengthening her knowledge as GCO at SVPHS. Additionally, aligning her exceptional organizational skills with the core goals to administer excellent research administration. When not refining her research management skills, Brandee enjoys spending time with family and friends, bowling on a league, and volunteering at Red Butte Gardens.
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Rusty brings well over a decade of experience in Research Administration at the University, he has worked closely with both the Office of Comparative Medicine for animal studies and most recently worked on clinical protocols in Internal Medicine. His background is in Zoo Science and Environmental Studies. Originally hailing from Buffalo, NY, when he’s not working on submissions with our investigators, he can be found cheering on our Utes or flying down the ski slopes.