About the Office of Grants Administration
As the principal Federal agency that conducts and supports cancer research, NCI uses several types of funding mechanisms to provide financial assistance in support of cancer research. The Office of Grants Administration (OGA) supports grants and cooperative agreements awarded to scientific institutions, small businesses and individuals.
OGA responsibilities are complex and critical to the NCI's mission and success. We plan and direct all NCI business-related activities associated with the negotiation, award, and ongoing management of NCI grants and cooperative agreements to help financially support cancer research activities throughout the United States and around the world. OGA staff ensures that all legal, regulatory, and policy requirements are met by NCI and the grantees.
We process over 10,000 grant-related actions annually. In FY 2017, this resulted in approximately $3.300 billion in grant awards.
OGA Program Structure
Our team is integrated into an organizational structure that consists of the OGA Director's Office, three Grants Administration Branches, and the Business Operations Branch. Although the Director's Office and each branch have their own responsibilities, we all work together to help build, maintain, and enhance a cohesive and comprehensive cancer research agenda.
Office of the Director
The Office of the Director provides leadership, direction, and operational oversight of the OGA. Within the Office of the Director is also the NCI-designated Chief Grants Management Officer (CGMO). The CGMO is the principal Grants Management Officer (GMO) who is responsible for all business and fiscal management of the NCI grant portfolio. The CGMO has the authority to appoint and exercise line authority over additional GMOs.
Responsibilities
- Monitors the financial assistance process to ensure that all required business management actions are performed by the awardee and the government in a timely manner both before and after award
- Evaluates and monitors the business management capability and performance of applicant organizations and awardees, as well as the internal operating procedures associated with the business management aspects of the financial assistance process
- Interprets and develops financial assistance policy
Business Operations Branch (BOB)
The BOB provides staff assistance and coordination in management, planning, policy development, and implementation of Department of Health and Human Service and National Institutes of Health (NIH) policies and regulations.
Responsibilities
- Conduct studies and analyses of OGA management functions, operating policies, personnel requirements, and functions
- Develop and provide data for grant review, award, and workload status for administrative and management use
- Develop management reports
- Design and conduct audits of financial assistance awards for compliance with regulations and for internal control monitoring
- Manage overall administrative activities, including budget, personnel, procurement, space management, communications, and property accountability
- Develop and monitor internal control and support systems for financial assistance awards
- Provide responses to Freedom of Information and Privacy Act inquiries
- Prepare and distribute financial assistance awards
- Control and maintain financial assistance files for the Institute
Grants Management Branches
With an annual portfolio of nearly 10,000 active grants, each OGA grants management specialist typically manages more than one hundred grants. To ensure quality control and the highest level of service for NCI grantees, rigorous internal controls and auditing are performed. Multiple levels of review and oversight are standard protocol. OGA has three grants management branches consisting of a branch chief, multiple team leads, and grants management specialists.
The branch chiefs serve as liaisons within NCI for specific cancer research activities, while most grants management specialist assignments are organized by extramural institution. This facilitates an in-depth understanding of the grantee's business administration practices and develops strong collaboration. It also minimizes the requests for duplicative institutional information and oversight across OGA for each institution.
Responsibilities
- Participate in developing funding plans for special programs
- Review all financial assistance applications, financial status reports, and other pertinent documents to insure awardee compliance with established administrative and financial policies and procedures and sound business practices
- Negotiate and make grant and cooperative agreement awards
- Manage the business aspects of grants and cooperative agreements and assist program directors with interpreting policies
- Review grantee organizations to ensure that they have the necessary fiscal and administrative capabilities to handle Federal funds properly
- Interpret and develop financial assistance policy
- Review programmatic guidelines, Requests for Applications (RFAs), Program Announcements (PAs), and funding plans developed by program staff