Grants are the funds that are being disbursed by a party or agency to a private or public business house, NGO, community based organizations, educational institutions or an individual. A grant is usually received after a grant proposal or application is proposed for approval. Grant making organizations have certain employees who make the final decision about which companies should receive the monetary aid. In these grant making organizations, the grants administrator responsibilities are crucial in carrying out the administration and management of the grant process.
A grant administrator is the person who allocates and appropriates grants within a company to financially support deserving projects. The role of the administrator is to keep a track on the incoming requests for funding and handling them carefully. They help to process the paperwork and applications, give out grants and ensure that the money is being used according to the terms and conditions.
It is quite a responsible job and a grant administrator needs to be meticulous in analyzing and distributing funds in the right amount to the right party in accordance with the objectives for which they are granted. A grant administrator has to always ensure that the grants comply in accordance with legal rules and regulations. The grants should never exceed the annual grants budget.
A grant administrator plays a responsible and administrative role in the field of grant work. The candidate who wishes to apply for this post should alteast have a Bachelor's degree. A Master's degree provides additional benefits to the profile of an individual aiming to be a grants administrator. A grant administrator position does not necessarily specify a required field of study. But specializing in the field of science, research, administration, public affairs, etc., are mostly preferred.
After receiving a bachelor's degree, a certificate program in grant management from recognized institutes like the National Grants Management Association (NGMA), the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), amongst many others is desirable. Once the certification program is completed, a grant administrator job may be obtained easily.
It is always advisable for a grant administrator to attend training classes every year. Since the processes and procedures for administering grants keep on changing from time to time, a training program may provide an updated knowledge about the new changes and rules.
With the diversifying work scenario, the salary structure of a grant administrator differs according to the years of experience, tenure of work and respective skills or qualifications of an employee. The average range of salary of a grant administrator ranges between $33,561 - $69,417 according to the report of payscale.com's 2012 data. This range differs according to the field of operation as well viz. NGO, educational institutes, business houses, scientific projects, etc. The geographic location (place or position) of the place of work is a major determinant of salary, having a high or low payscale with respect to the average range as mentioned.
The grants administrator responsibilities are often considered to be highly responsible with extensive knowledge of grant process, an understanding of effective grants development practices, funding sources vis-a-vis the available resources, etc. The grant administrators are in high demand compared to a decade back. Organizations are in continuous look-out for prospective candidates as grants administrators. Thus, this is a viable career option for those who aim to work in this field.
Related Job Description