Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance

The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance (SPARC) provides Drake University's faculty, staff and students with comprehensive guidance and support in their pursuit and conduct of research and scholarly activities.

SPARC works collaboratively with the research community to assist them in advancing Drake's mission of teaching, research and scholarship and provides them with the highest quality customer service and technical expertise.
Please note: All grant related final documents need to be submitted to the SPARC office five work days prior to the submission deadline.

SPARC provides assistance in five primary areas: Pre-Award, Post-Award, Research Compliance, Technology Transfer, and Training.

• Developing a Grant
• When You Receive An Award
• Research Compliance
• Technology Transfer
• Education, Training, and Outreach
• Policies and Forms

News & Updates

Date: 9/9/2024

Hello! Welcome to our new Sponsor Programs and Research Compliance (SPARC) news section. This section will cover various SPARC related topics and keep you up to date with all SPARC related news. This includes but is not limited to: process changes, form updates, funding opportunities updates, workshops & training dates, and funded proposal announcements.

Meet the SPARC Team

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.

Brandi Herman, Senior Grants Accountant

Brandi 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. Brandi provides oversight to the following groups on campus: Zimpleman College of Business, John Dee Bright College, School of Education, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, Law School, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, and SPARC. You can reach Brandi at brandi.herman@drake.edu or by telephone at (515) 271-3828.

Suzanne Stewart, 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, and the Student Alumni Association. You can reach Suzanne at suzanne.stewart@drake.edu or by telephone at (515) 271-3907.

Process Updates

Proposal Routing Form: This form has been updated to a Qualtrics form to provide you with an easy and palatable format to complete your routing form; from your desktop to your cell phone this can be done from anywhere now! And, instead of sending it to our e-mail independently, it will be automatically sent to us once you have completed it.

(Proposal Routing Form QR Code)

Financial Conflict of Interest Form: This form can be found within the proposal routing form and the SPARC website under SPARC Policies & Forms. This form will need to be submitted to lori.byrd@drake.edu five (5) business days prior to the submission date.

PLEASE NOTE: All principal investigators, co-principal investigators, and key staff members from the University must complete a financial conflict of interest form each fiscal year.

F&A/Indirect Cost Waiver Request Form: We have developed a new form to process requests to waiver F&A/indirect costs during your grant application. Although Drake’s stance is to request all allowed indirect costs from the funding agency, if there is a reason to reduce and/or waiver the F&A/indirect cost during a grant submission, you will need to complete this form and have your Dean and/or Chair sign off, along with the Provost office and the SPARC office. This form will need to be submitted to lori.byrd@drake.edu five (5) business days prior to the submission date. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to lori.byrd@drake.edu.

SPARC’ing a Conversation: We will be introducing a mini-interview series which will host various faculty members and staff members who have received funding for their areas of concentration and/or research. Please keep your eyes out for our first episode that will be coming soon!