Research Administration & Compliance Intern – Pre-Award

Job Title
Research Administration & Compliance Intern – Pre-Award

Requisition Number
DU15229

Department Name
40132:Collaborative Grant Services

Work Location
Lexington, KY

Salary Range
$15.00 /hour

Type of Position
Student

Position Time Status
Part-Time

Required Education

Current Honors College student (undergraduate)

Required Related Experience

Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Required License/Registration/Certification

None

Physical Requirements

repetitive motion related to computer work

Shift

Flexible with class schedule

Job Summary

The University of Kentucky is seeking a motivated Honors College student for an internship providing hands-on experience in research administration, compliance, and organizational resource development. This opportunity introduces students to the research enterprise while providing experience in developing, organizing, and maintaining practical tools and resources that support the work of Collaborative Grant Services (CGS).

Working alongside CGS staff, the intern will help strengthen resources used by approximately 42 Pre-Award Grant Specialists who support proposal preparation and submission across the university. Projects may include organizing guidance and reference materials, developing checklists and job aids, mapping administrative processes, reviewing existing resources for consistency, and helping create tools that make information easier for staff to locate and use.

The internship provides exposure to research administration policies, sponsor requirements, compliance considerations, and university processes while emphasizing practical experience in resource development, information organization, process improvement, and administrative operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Interns will assist with projects scaled for learning and professional development, such as:

Resource Development & Organization:

• Assist with developing and organizing reference materials, checklists, templates, job aids, and other resources used by CGS Grant Specialists.
• Review existing staff resources and help identify outdated, duplicative, or difficult-to-locate information.
• Help create consistent naming, formatting, and organization of internal guidance and reference materials.
• Assist with maintaining centralized resources so staff can more easily locate current information.
• Help translate complex policies or processes into clear, practical tools for staff use.

Process Documentation & Improvement:

• Assist with documenting and mapping research administration workflows.
• Help develop process guides, decision tools, checklists, and step-by-step instructions for common administrative activities.
• Review existing processes and resources to identify opportunities to improve clarity, consistency, and usability.
• Participate in projects designed to standardize resources and administrative practices across CGS.

Research Administration & Compliance Exposure:

• Learn about the sponsored project lifecycle and the roles of CGS and other University research administration offices.
• Gain exposure to sponsor requirements, University policies, research compliance, and administrative processes.
• Assist with researching and organizing information related to research administration policies, procedures, or sponsor requirements.
• Observe how policy and sponsor requirements are translated into operational guidance for research administrators.

Training & Staff Support:

• Assist with developing or updating materials used for CGS staff training and professional development.
• Help organize training resources, examples, frequently asked questions, and reference materials.
• Support development of materials that promote consistent practices across the Grant Specialist team.
• Participate in CGS team meetings and professional development activities when appropriate.

Capstone Project:

Complete a project that improves a CGS resource, process, or staff support tool. Potential projects could include:

• Developing a centralized resource library or resource index.
• Creating or updating a set of Grant Specialist job aids.
• Mapping and documenting a CGS workflow.
• Reviewing existing guidance and recommending improvements to its organization and usability.
• Developing a resource or toolkit addressing a common research administration process.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the internship, students will be able to:

• Explain the basic sponsored project lifecycle and the role of research administration within a university research enterprise.
• Describe how policies, sponsor requirements, and institutional procedures are translated into operational guidance.
• Develop clear and organized administrative resources for a professional audience.
• Apply principles of information organization, process documentation, and continuous improvement to administrative work.
• Demonstrate experience developing practical tools such as checklists, job aids, process maps, reference guides, or training resources.
• Understand how effective resource management and standardized processes support consistency and efficiency across a large administrative team.

Qualifications:

• Current Honors College student (undergraduate).
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to organize and synthesize information from multiple sources.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Interest in research, policy, administration, operations, or process improvement.
• Ability to work independently on defined projects and collaboratively with a professional team.

Preferred but not required:

• Experience with Microsoft SharePoint, Teams, PowerPoint, Forms, or similar collaboration tools.
• Interest in information management, workflow design, business processes, or organizational development.

Duration & Structure:

• Semester-based internship (Fall/Spring).
• 10-15 hours per week, flexible scheduling.

Benefits:

• Professional experience in research administration.
• Networking with UK research professionals and compliance officers.
• Opportunity to earn Honors College credit (subject to approval)
• Compensation of $15/hour

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
No

Preferred Education/Experience

Deadline to Apply
11/22/2026

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.