Overcoming the Top Challenges in Grant Management

In today’s turbulent research landscape, grant management has never been more critical—or more challenging. Higher education institutions are not just navigating traditional administrative burdens; many are now confronting the abrupt cancellation of grants, mid-cycle budget shifts, and increased federal scrutiny. The stakes are higher than ever.

As institutions manage multiple awards, ensure compliance, and coordinate across departments, the cracks in manual systems have become painfully visible. It's time to modernize not only for efficiency—but for resilience.

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Common Challenges in Grant Management

1. Bottlenecks from Manual Processes
   Disconnected spreadsheets, inboxes, and paper trails lead to duplicate data, outdated versions, and audit complications. Institutions lose time and clarity under these legacy systems.
2. Fragmented Communication Across Departments
   Departments like Research, Finance, and Compliance often operate in silos. Without shared tools, collaboration is slow and error-prone—especially during high-pressure changes.
3. Under-Resourced Administration
   The research enterprise is growing faster than the administrative support behind it. Staff burnout and turnover are common, increasing the likelihood of errors and missed deadlines
4. Inconsistent and Risky Reporting
   Funders expect clear, timely, and accurate reporting. With manual systems, inconsistencies and misreporting can lead to audits, loss of credibility, or withdrawal of funds.
5. A New Era of Compliance Risk and Grant Disruption
   This is not business as usual. Institutions are facing massive grant disruptions, including abrupt terminations and funding retractions. The risk of noncompliance isn’t just administrative—it’s existential. Institutions must actively monitor grant risk, anticipate disruptions, and communicate with agility.

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Predicting and Managing Grant Disruptions: The Role of GrantRisk

With research funding under unprecedented scrutiny, grant administrators are under pressure not just to manage grants—but to anticipate risk and act early. This is where GrantRisk enters the picture.

GrantRisk is a proactive monitoring tool designed to help institutions stay ahead of emerging threats to their research funding. Built specifically for higher education, it delivers:

• Real-Time Risk Signals
  Monitor patterns in grant cancellations, federal agency behavior, and funder guidance changes to detect potential issues early.
  
  
• Grant Portfolio Watchlists
  Flag at-risk awards before problems escalate. Understand which grants may be vulnerable due to policy shifts or noncompliance indicators.
  
  
• Compliance Trend Monitoring
  Stay on top of new or shifting regulatory landscapes, helping you avoid unintentional missteps that could trigger funder scrutiny.
  
  
• Funder Behavior Analytics
  Track changes in funder behavior across the sector to assess volatility and adjust your approach accordingly.
  
  
• Executive-Ready Dashboards
  Summarize risks, trends, and response recommendations for leadership teams and research strategy groups.
  
  

In short, GrantRisk helps you move from reactive firefighting to proactive planning. Whether you're looking to protect active awards or secure new ones, GrantRisk strengthens your ability to navigate uncertainty.

Discover how GrantRisk can safeguard your funding.

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Solutions to Grant Management Challenges

Electronic Research Administration (eRA) Systems

In tandem with GrantRisk, eRA platforms like Kuali Research help eliminate inefficiencies, reduce administrative friction, and ensure compliance at scale.

With Kuali Research, institutions can:

• Centralize Proposal, Award, and Compliance Data
  
  
• Automate Workflow and Routing Based on Roles and Rules
  
  
• Track Budgets and Reporting Deadlines with Confidence
  
  
• Integrate Seamlessly with Financial and HR Systems
  
  

Learn more about Kuali research. 

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Additional Resources

• SRA International's Basics of Research Administration
  
  
• EDUCAUSE Review on Administrative Simplification
  
  
• Federal Grant Compliance Guide (Grants.gov)
  
  
  

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Institutions can't afford to manage grants reactively anymore. Between heightened compliance scrutiny and the wave of grant cancellations, the path forward demands better visibility, smarter tools, and greater agility.

With Kuali Research managing your operations and GrantRisk scanning the horizon, your institution can not only survive disruptions, but strategically thrive through them.

Kuali is more than a product—we’re a partner in your institution’s success. Ready to future-proof your research portfolio? Let’s talk: www.kuali.co/about-us/contact-us

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