MISSION STATEMENT - Function of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services

PURPOSE - Purpose of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services

SERVICES - Assistance available from the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services

ORGANIZATION - Institutional reporting structure

STAFF - Meet our Staff

Purpose

The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services (OSPRS), a unit that reports to the Dean of the Graduate School and Continuing Studies, provides services and support to Gallaudet faculty and staff seeking outside funding for projects of benefit to the Gallaudet community. The OSPRS disseminates information concerning appropriate funding opportunities and offers guidance to the campus community in the development and submission of proposals and in the negotiation and finalization of grants and contracts. In addition, it assists with various administrative issues arising from extramurally funded projects and acts as the liaison with the University's Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects for projects funded through grants and contracts. The OSPRS's authority as the central office to oversee sponsored programs is found in the Administration and Operations (A&O) Manual policy 2.09.

The OSPRS is committed to augmenting institutional resources in order to enhance the University's research and educational programming. Through a coordinated effort to match Gallaudet's faculty and staff with extramural sponsors, the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services functions as a catalyst transforming the creativity of the Gallaudet community into the reality of funded research, training, and technical assistance projects.

SERVICES

The federal government, state and local governments, and certain profit and nonprofit entities provide funds which enable colleges and universities to create new programs, expand research opportunities, and undertake developmental activities which benefit both the general public and the educational institution itself. The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services encourages faculty and staff efforts to obtain such outside sponsorship through its provision of services and support to the Gallaudet community in these endeavors. Within its purview, the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services:

  • Assists in locating potential funding sources and provides individual training in the use of grants.gov and other funding search databases;
  • Disseminates individualized information pertinent to the availability of (and deadlines for) external funding opportunities for research, training, and services through various funding search databases.
  • Guides faculty in the preparation of proposal applications, including budgets, to ensure conformity with university policy, sponsor criteria, and federal, state and local regulations;
  • Reviews proposals from an editorial perspective, when sufficient lead time prior to the OSPRS's deadline is available, and provides feedback as needed to ensure a quality proposal is submitted in the University's name.
  • Negotiates terms and conditions of grants and contracts, in coordination with the principal investigator, and prepares such grants and contracts for acceptance by the Authorized Institutional Official (the Gallaudet staff member who is authorized to commit the University to the performance of the proposed projects) per A&O Policy 2.09;
  • Coordinates compliance with federal and District of Columbia regulations for federal grant proposals as well as university policies including required internal "Intent to Submit" and "Routing and Approval" processes;
  • Prepares award congratulations letters for all awards for distribution to appropriate faculty and staff; Maintains files of proposals to the federal government, some annual reports, prior approval of budget revisions under expanded authorities, and final reports requiring the signature of an authorized institutional official.
  • Facilitates projects for adherence to sponsor terms and conditions, including rebudgeting actions, and requests for extensions, continuations, supplements or renewals of existing awards;
  • Assists in matters relating to patents, copyrights, and publication agreements;
  • Directs faculty in compliance with sponsor requirements regarding the administrative close-out of awards, and serves as official liaison between the university and the sponsor.
  • Is a central point of reference for non-financial compliance including: protection of human subjects, financial conflict of interest, export control, radiation and biosafety, subrecipient commitment, and training related to compliance.

Organization

The Assistant Dean of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services reports to the Dean of the Graduate School and Continuing Studies. The OSPRS is a faculty and professional staff service for the entire campus community.

Staff

Audrey L. Wineglass Foster
 Assistant Dean for the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services

Email: audrey.foster@gallaudet.edu
202-651-5497 (V) || 202-250-2503 (VP)


Ms. Audrey Wineglass Foster began her career at Gallaudet as the secretary for Gallaudet's Office for Students with Disabilities 25 years ago and has worked in the recently expanded Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services (OSPRS) since 2001. Part of her responsibilities in OSPRS over the years has been to work with faculty and staff to develop proposals and prepare grant budgets for submission to federal agencies and other entities. In the time she has worked in OSPRS, she has helped secure an estimated $60 million dollars in government funding for Gallaudet programs. With her recent promotion to Assistant Dean for the OSPRS, Ms. Foster endeavors to improve, expand and centralize "all things grant related" here at Gallaudet. A native Washingtonian, Ms. Foster graduated with a BA in Communications focusing on Public Relations from the American University and an MS in Corporate and Community Affairs with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management and Organizational Development from Trinity Washington University. She has been a member of the National Council for University Research Administrators since 2001.

Susan Larrison
 Coordinator, Research Services and Special Projects

Email: susan.larrison@gallaudet.edu
202-470-1193 (VP)


Susan Larrison graduated with honors from Gallaudet University with her Masters of Social Work in 2019. As the Coordinator of Research Services and Special Projects, Ms. Larrison works to ensure the Priority Research Fund and the Small Research Grant programs run effectively and efficiently for the Gallaudet University research community. As a former Deaf scholar and student researcher, she is aware there is a significant lack of research on Deaf, Deaf Blind, Deaf Disabled,and Hard of Hearing issues BY Deaf, Deaf Blind, Deaf Disabled, and Hard of Hearing researchers; her goal is to ensure more equitable access in the field of research for the Gallaudet community. In addition to coordinating both funding programs, Ms. Larrison is also responsible for gathering information on all research activities conducted at Gallaudet each fiscal year for reporting in Gallaudet’s Annual Report of Achievements. administration of Gallaudet’s REDCap services, and coordinating Gallaudet’s Research Expos.

Morgan Eastman
 Operations Support Specialist, Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services

Email: morgan.eastman@gallaudet.edu
202-470-1193 (VP)


Morgan Eastman, Operations Support Specialist with the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Services, is a Gallaudet alumnus with a BA degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Sociology. With a specialty in project management, they have gone to experience working in different positions consisting of various duties. After a while, they realized that sustainability is their passion. They went on to the University of South Florida to obtain a MA degree in Global Sustainability. They studied incorporating environmental, social, and financial sustainability into their skillset in order to prepare for the future of innovative research and technology. Education and research are one of their core values in creating thriving societies. In acknowledgment of their position as an Operations Support Specialist, their goal in this position is to maintain and improve the grant proposal process for students, faculty, and staff. In their free time, they enjoy scuba diving/freediving, writing, biking, watching movies, and going on hiking trails.