Academic and Research Operations

Research Sponsored Projects and Business Services

Research Sponsored Projects and Business Services offers administrative and financial support for externally support research and internally funded operations. The department is led by Executive Director Margaret Fonner.

Our Offices

Business Office

  • Overview

    The objective of this office is to provide core business services to research faculty and staff with a focus on post award financial management and analysis of external sponsored research funding while maintaining compliance with federal, state and institutional requirements.

  • Major Functions and Responsibilities

    • Primary point-of-contact for inquiries and information
    • Monitor collection and submission of scientific annual reports
    • Meet with the faculty and staff regularly to provide financial status, projections and guidance
    • Review and approve expenses on the project to ensure that expenses are allowable, allocable and reasonable; such as invoices, travel vouchers, cost transfers, etc.
    • Ensure proper post-award fiscal management
    • Review employee effort allocations and ensure changes are submitted and reflected in the general ledger
    • Assist accounting in the close-out of old grants and avoid over-expenditure
    • Facilitate effort reporting

Sponsored Projects

  • Overview

    The Sponsored Projects team consists of two offices, Pre-Award and Post-Award, that facilitate the administration of extramural and intramural funding for faculty research projects. Together these two offices:

    • Act as Authorized Organizational Representative and Signing Official for grants and contracts (federal, non-federal, state and local government)
    • Implement related policies and procedures
    • Provide educational training and development

  • Major Functions and Responsibilities

    Pre-Award Office

    Managed by Caroline Wellington, the Pre-Award Office assists with proposal development and application submission. Activities include:

    • Comprehensive review of Funding Opportunity Announcements
    • Official review and submission of proposals on behalf of the institution and faculty
    • All federal and non-federal application submissions
    • Just-in-time and requests for additional materials related to applications

    Post-Award Office

    Managed by Conrad Hohenlohe, the Post-Award Office supports non-financial activities that ensure compliance with award terms and conditions as well as federal, state and institutional policies. This includes:

    • Designated liaison with sponsors and/or prime recipient organizations
    • Post award compliance, reporting, deliverables, prior approval requests
    • Award profile creation and activation in internal systems
    • Non-financial award close-out

Agreements Team

  • Overview

    The Agreements Team drafts and negotiates a variety of research agreements, ranging from various monetary and non-monetary ancillary agreements to clinical trials and outgoing subawards/subcontracts. Working closely with legal, compliance, risk management, innovation ventures, IT, and other key stakeholders as necessary, to ensure the most favorable and compliant terms are included in our contractual arrangements.

  • Major Functions and Responsibilities

    • Draft, review, negotiate and execute research-related agreements to include:
      • Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs)
      • Data Use Agreements (DUA)
      • Confidentiality Disclosure and Nondisclosure Agreements (CDAs and NDAs)
      • Independent Consulting and Business Consulting Agreements (ICAs and BCAs)
      • Subaward agreements, modifications and amendments
      • Clinical Trial Agreements
      • Research Services Agreements
    • Liaison with Office of General Counsel, Corporate Compliance, Supply Chain, Risk Management, IT and Technology Transfer

  • Mission

    Our mission, in Research Sponsored Projects and Business Services, is to maintain a research support environment that enables research and other sponsored activities at Children’s National by delivering knowledgeable, responsive and solution-driven services. We provide guidance and assistance to faculty and staff on obtaining and utilizing sponsored projects funding.

  • What We Do

    We serve as the main liaison between sponsor and faculty to ensure that sponsored program funds are utilized in a manner consistent with the policies of Children’s National, the sponsor, and state and federal governments. Through our activities, we protect and enhance the reputation of Children’s National as a major research organization in children’s health.

Our Team

Fonner Margaret

Margaret Fonner

  • Executive Director, Research Sponsored Projects and Business Services
Bair Stephanie

Stephanie Bair

  • Director, Research Business Office
Chen Amy

Amy Chen

  • Business Manager, SZI and Hospital Based
Erickson Ugur

Ugur Erickson

  • Business Manager, Center for Health Outcomes Research & Delivery Science
Falconett Nellie

Nellie Falconett

  • Agreements Manager
Hohenlohe Conrad

Conrad Hohenlohe

  • Post-Award Manager
Park Yu Min

Yu Min Park

  • Program Coordinator
Ravenswood-Cant Amber

Amber Ravenswood-Cant

  • Business Manager, CCIR
Vaught Michael

Michael Vaught

  • Business Manager, Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics Research
Wellington Caroline

Caroline Wellington, MPA

  • Pre-Award Manager
Williams Shadel

Shadel Williams

  • Business Manager, Center for Neuroscience Research