With over 35 years of combined experience in proposal development, grants management, and accounting, the SPARC staff is dedicated to assisting faculty and staff through all stages of program sponsorship, from searching out funding sources to tracking program expenses for secured grant projects.
Lori Byrd, MS,Director 515-271-3717 Overall Admin & Oversight:
Drake's Authorized Representative
Contract negotiations
Prep, review & approval of proposals
Grant contracts & agreements
Project extensions
Programmatic changes
Budget modifications
Policy development
Research Compliance
Research Integrity
Tech Transfer Support
Provost's designee to IRB and IACUC
Grants Accountant 515-271-3169 Grant Management for:
Grants Accounting
Benefit Allocation
Expense Approvals
Invoicing
Balance Updates
Preston Miller, Senior Grants Specialist 515-271-2850 Grant Preparation and Submission:
Proposals Development
Tracking and Research
Preparation and Review of Materials
Institutional Review Board-staff
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee-staff
Suzanne Stewart, Senior Grants Accountant 515-271-3907 Grant Management for:
Grants Accounting
Budget Preparation
Project Extensions
Budget Modifications
Additional Information
Lori Byrd, M.S., Director of SPARC
As the Sponsored Programs Administrator, Lori oversees pre- and post-award activities, is responsible for SPARC policies and procedures, develops and provides grant-related training, and ensures all grants comply with all federal and state regulations and funder guidelines. As the Research Compliance Officer, she assures that all research projects, whether funded or not, comply with all federal guidelines and research ethics. In that role, she provides oversight and support for the IRB and IACUC. She also serves as the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), which means she is Drake University’s representative to sign off on all grants and contracts. You can reach Lori at lori.byrd@drake.edu or by telephone at (515) 271-3717.
Preston Miller, Senior Grants Specialist
Preston works with faculty members and staff in preparing, planning, and submitting grant materials to funding agencies. He also assists individuals with finding grant opportunities that fit their needs or research goals. Lastly, Preston works closely with Drake’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) as an administrator for both committees. You can reach Preston at preston.miller@drake.edu or by telephone at (515) 271-2850.
Suzanne Stewart, Senior Grants Accountant
Suzanne provides post-award support for grant recipients, including fund set up, budget monitoring, balance updates, expense approval, invoicing, and provision of financial information for reporting needs. Suzanne provides oversight to the following groups on campus: College of Arts & Sciences, Athletics, Community Engagement, International Center, the Harkin Institute, Zimpleman College of Business, John Dee Bright College, School of Education, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, Law School, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Student Alumni Association, and SPARC. You can reach Suzanne at suzanne.stewart@drake.edu or by telephone at (515) 271-3907.
Jessica Ginder, Grants Accountant
Jessica provides post-award support for grant recipients, including fund set up, budget monitoring, balance updates, expense approval, invoicing, and provision of financial information for reporting needs. You can reach Jessica at jessica.ginder@drake.edu or by telephone at (515) 271-3747