Getting to Know: Post-Award Grants Office

The School of Engineering post-award team manages the financial and administrative lifecycle of sponsored awards. The team partners closely with principal investigators to manage budgets and expenditures, develop projections, address complex award and compliance issues, coordinate subawards and other project requirements, and help ensure sponsor funding is used fully, responsibly, and in accordance with award terms. The team also provides portfolio and workload coordination, develops processes and best practices, and works closely with SoE leadership and central Rutgers offices to resolve issues throughout the life of an award. 

Dace Ozolina
Senior Business Manager

What is your role as senior business manager?

As senior business manager, my responsibilities span both sponsored and non-sponsored financial management across the School of Engineering. A significant part of my role is oversight of the post-award team.

How would you describe what your team does?

At its core, post-award is a mix of accounting, forecasting, problem-solving, and ongoing partnership with our faculty. Ideally, we solve problems before the principal investigators (PIs) ever realize there was one. 

We manage approximately $60 million in annual expenditures, with about $90 million in currently available sponsored funding—thanks to the PIs and pre-award team who help bring the awards in. 

How closely do you work with the pre-awards team and with faculty?

Very closely. Pre-award and post-award activities are part of the same funding lifecycle. The pre-award team helps faculty pursue and secure funding; the post-award team helps them manage that funding responsibly. 

Collaboration with PIs is vital, beginning when the Notice of Award (NOA) is received and continuing throughout the entire lifecycle of the award. This can be a few months, five or seven years, or in some special cases even longer. 

What is most gratifying about the work the post-award team does?

For me, it's solving complicated cases and seeing the team do the same independently. I love watching them in action. They are knowledgeable, capable, independent, and increasingly confident. I am very rpoud of them and feel lucky to work with such a great group of people.

There is also real satisfaction in knowing that good post-award management helps faculty fully and responsibly use the resources they worked to hard to secure. 

Does your team face any particular challenges?

Time is one of the biggest challenges. In post-awrd, everything is connected. Any delays or changes can affect several other pieces of a project. Our job is often to figure out what happened, what needs to happen next, and how to fix it before it becomes a bigger issue. 

Another challenge is that no two awards are exactly alike—so there is a lot of judgment and problem-solving involved. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I knit and crochet, which is basically my version of meditation. It helps me slow down, clear my head, and create something at the same time. 

Is there a surprising thing about you?

Give me something that does not quite make sense, and I'll probably keep digging until it does. 

Lidiya Kuzmyk
Senior Accountant

How long have you had your job?

I've been with Rutgers since 2022, but it feels like I've been with this family much longer.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

I really enjoy solving problems and working on financial projections for sponsored projects. I know it might sound boring to most people, but I genuinely find it exciting and rewarding. Most of all, I enjoy the people I work with. Collaborating with great colleagues, helping each other solve challenges, and being part of a supportive team is what I value most about my job. 

Do you have any hobbies?

I used to love creating flower centerpieces, but these days I don't have much time for hobbies. Instead, I'd rather spend every free minute I have with my granddaughter and "little princess" Victoria. She definitely keeps me busy, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love hiking and traveling whenever I get those rare moments of spare time. I enjoy being outdoors, exploring new places, and making the most of every opportunity to get away and recharge. 

What is a surprising thing about you?

Oh well—a surprising thing about me is that I'm struggling to answer this question!

Kristina Medina
Accounting Specialist

When did you start your job?

December will mark one year with the School of Engineering. 

What are your responsibilities as an accounting specialist?

I'm responsible for post-award grant management. I oversee the financial, administrative, and compliance aspects of grants to ensure projects stay on track and follow sponsor requirements. 

What do you most enjoy about your work?

I like that every day is different. Working with grants from a variety of sponsors keeps me continuously learning. 

Do you have any hobbies?

I enjoy baking, gardening, wanding local markets, and spending time outdoors.

What else do you like to do in your spare time?

I spend a lot of time with my family and friends. 

Shefali Patel
Accounting Specialist 

How long have you had this job?

I started as an accounting specialist in October 2023. Before that I was a business specialist in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, beginning in 2005.

I'm proud to say that I completed 21 years in September at Rutgers School of Engineering. 

What do you most enjoy about being an accounting specialist?

I love working with principal investigators and graduate students. Managing research grants is a wonderful experience.

Do you have any hobbies?

I love to travel and explore the world.

What are your favorite things to do in your spare time?

I like to read books and spend time with my grandson.

Tannie Wan 
Senior Accounting Specialist

What is your role on the team?

I manage post-award financial administration, track budgets, and maintain compliance for sponsored program research funding. 

What do you most enjoy about your job?

I enjoy account reconciliation, calculating projections, and providing principal investigators with their spending plans. 

Do you have any hobbies?

My hobbies are cooking and sewing. 

How do you like to spend your spare time?

I like to exercise and learn about healthcare from YouTube to maintain good health.

What is a surprising thing about you?

I have been at Rutgers for 25 years now. I am never tired of my job—I love analyzing numbers every day.