The Office of the Vice President for Research has selected Diane Barrett as new director of the Office of Sponsored Programs. Her appointment begins Feb. 1.
As director of sponsored programs, Barrett will oversee the operations of the division, which involves assisting faculty in locating funding opportunities; reviewing, approving, and submitting research funding proposals; negotiating awards, material transfers and non-disclosure agreements; and administrative management of awards.
30 years of research admin experience
With over 30 years of experience in research administration, Barrett served for over 18 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, including seven years as director of pre-award services and assistant director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Barrett has also been heavily involved in developing training programs in research administration and is a long-time presenter for the National Council of University Research Administrators, where she was appointed to the Fundamentals of Sponsored Programs traveling faculty.
“Diane’s extensive experience in administrative management and training illustrates a commitment to leading institutional research toward more streamlined and efficient systems and responsible management of contracted activity,” said Christa Johnson, associate vice president for research administration.
Kuali Coeus implementation
Moreover, Barrett’s extensive experience with the Kuali Coeus (KC) Research Administration system will provide great value to the implementation of remaining modules, Johnson said. The electronic research administration system, initiated by the Office of the Vice President for Research in 2014, aims to streamline research services and sponsored programs.
In Barrett’s former position as a senior consultant for Navigator Management Partners, she worked with universities to provide functional implementation of the Kuali Research grants management system.
Additionally, Barrett has taught over 85 workshops and sessions for NCURA on a variety of topics, ranging from effort reporting to adult learning. She has also co-lead two teams that used Six Sigma techniques to enhance research administration processes for Principal Investigators and other campus users.
“Given her wide-ranging background, Barrett’s addition to the OSP team ensures that the Office of Sponsored Programs continues its excellence in serving and assisting faculty toward outstanding research and scholarly activities,” said Alan Rudolph, vice president for research.
