Research Administration Changes Coming July 1

Today, we are writing to share a planned organizational change effective Thursday, July 1, which will allow us to create a single Research Administration office spanning both pre- and post-award.

To make this realignment possible, the Post Award Financial Operations (PAFO) units of Research Administration, Compliance, Service Center Administration, and Trainingwill move from Financial Affairs to the Office of Research. Gretchen Hartigan, Assistant Vice President, PAFO, will continue to lead these units and become an integral member of the Office of Research team, reporting to Diane Baldwin, Associate Vice President, Sponsored Programs. Renna Lilly will move into the role of Assistant Vice President, Sponsored Programs, in recognition of her strong leadership and in support of this expanding research administration team.

Research Finance & Property Management and the Facilities & Administration Cost Analysis teams will begin reporting to Nicole Tirella, Vice President for Financial Operations, on July 1. By maintaining the reporting lines to Financial Affairs for these functions, we aim to strengthen our overall segregation of duties and internal control environment. 

This new structure is expected to enhance and streamline the support provided to the University’s research community. Research administration leadership is focused on ensuring a smooth transition in the coming months. If you have questions about these changes or how they affect your work, please reach out to Diane Baldwin at dbaldwin@bu.edu.