Brandi Smith-Irving

As Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Ms. Smith-Irving is responsible for attracting and managing external grant and contract funding while providing oversight of pre- and post-award components of Sponsored Programs. She is also responsible for fostering an environment that facilitates and encourages research and scholarly activity and leads efforts to support faculty, staff, and administrators in the acquisition and administration of externally funded projects. Reporting to the AVP for Faculty Affairs, she provides overall direction and supervision of the staff to ensure the mission of the Office Research and Sponsored Programs is pursued effectively. Ms. Smith-Irving develops strategies for growing the external funding and recommend policies for an efficient operation. She also serves as the Authorized Organizational Representative—a central expert on all aspects of proposal development, agency regulations interpretation and implementations of funding programs. Additionally, Ms. Smith-Irving reviews terms for grants and contracts that are designed to protect the rights of the institution, facilitates collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and resolve pre- and post-award issues.