Financial Services
Facilities Planning and Management
Sponsored Research Services (SRS)
Office of Communications
Information Systems
Human Resources

SDSU Research Foundation provides essential management services in six major areas: Financial Services, which oversees accounting, audits, payroll, and asset management; Facilities Planning and Management, which handles property management for research programs; Sponsored Research Services (SRS), supporting grant proposal development, contract compliance, and post-award administration; Office of Communications, managing internal and external communications; Information Systems, offering IT support and system maintenance; and Human Resources, overseeing recruitment, employee relations, and compliance. These services ensure efficient operations, compliance, and support for researchers and sponsored programs.

Financial Services

The primary function of this division is to ensure the responsible stewardship of sponsored funds and to ensure efficiency and cost effectiveness in SDSU Research Foundation operations. Financial services departments include finance and reporting, financial systems, treasury and accounting, and business services.

Financial Services is a major organizational unit responsible for the general accounting function, internal controls, audits, banking services, cash management, investments, cashiering, billing and collections of receivables, administering gifts, bequests and trusts, negotiating and administering facilities and administrative cost recovery rates, annual corporate budget, tax and financial functions, purchasing and payroll functions of the SDSU Research Foundation and is responsible for the care, custody and control of all SDSU Research Foundation assets.

More information about Financial Services can be found at https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/finance_index.html.

Facilities Planning and Management

This division operates and manages a diverse portfolio of approximately 620,000 square feet of property in support of sponsored programs not housed in university facilities. The SDSU Research Foundation owned properties are located on 1,082 acres, adjacent to the SDSU campus (on Campanile Drive, Hardy Avenue, and at the Alvarado Professional & Research Center) and off-site in communities where researchers conduct their work (Sky Park and Coastal Waters Laboratory), as well as outside of San Diego, at the Santa Margarita and Sky Oaks field stations.

This includes approximately 200,000 square feet of space leased in non- SDSU Research Foundation owned buildings where researchers and sponsored programs require site-specific locations (City Heights, South Bay, North County, Riverside, and El Centro). The Santa Margarita, Sky Oaks and Alaska field stations contain an additional 2,543 acres of land managed by the SDSU Research Foundation under leases (equating to 3,625 acres managed in total).

Facilities Planning and Management also leases property to commercial tenants in SDSU Research Foundation owned buildings with the intent to fill vacant space and serve as a placeholder for future SDSU research. Revenues realized from commercial rents are used to offset operational expenses.

The division provides all services required for housing qualified researchers including tenant improvements, furniture procurement, copier services, moves, and maintenance.

More information about Facilities Planning and Management can be found at https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/facilities_index.html.

Sponsored Research Services (SRS)

Sponsored Research Services (SRS) at SDSU Research Foundation plays a critical role in managing approximately two-thirds of the foundation's annual revenue, which comes from grants and contracts for research, education, and other sponsored projects. SRS administers these awards in accordance with sponsor-specific terms and CSU policies. The division is comprised of three units: Sponsored Research Development (SRD), which supports faculty with pre-award activities, including proposal preparation, budget development, and compliance; Sponsored Research Contracting and Compliance (SRCC), which handles both pre- and post-award functions, such as negotiating award terms, initiating sub-agreements, and ensuring compliance with university and sponsor policies; and Sponsored Research Administration (SRA), which provides post-award services, including fiscal management, budget projections, financial reporting, and compliance, while facilitating project operations with internal departments.

Sponsored Research Development (SRD)

Often known as the "pre-award" unit of SDSU Research Foundation, the sponsored research (SR) development unit assists SDSU faculty in all aspects of proposal preparation and submission. The SR development department assists SDSU faculty and staff interpret sponsor agency guidelines, develop and submit pre-proposals and proposals, develop budgets, facilitate approvals and compliance items, and negotiate and transition awarded proposals to sponsored research contracting and compliance. In addition, employees conduct workshops and many other activities to assist faculty in obtaining sponsored funding.

More information about these services can be found at https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/srd_index.html.

Sponsored Research Contracting and Compliance (SRCC)

Sponsored Research Contracting and Compliance (SRCC) works with, and includes functions of, both pre- and post-award. SRCC is primarily responsible for negotiating favorable terms and conditions on awards issued to SDSU Research Foundation; initiating the sub-agreement process on those awards that involve collaborating organizations; and working closely with SDSU’s division of Research Support Services (RSS) to ensure compliance with university, SDSU Research Foundation, and sponsor policies in areas such as human subjects, animal subjects, conflicts of interest, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), environmental health and safety, cost-sharing, and export controls.

More information about these services can be found at https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/srcc_index.html.

Sponsored Research Administration (SRA)

Sponsored Research Administration (SRA) also known as "post-award,” serves two primary functions: a) providing support and assistance to faculty on the administration, compliance and fiscal management of grants and contracts awarded from federal, state and local government and private funding agencies, while b) ensuring that funds are expended in accordance with the terms and conditions of the funding agency, SDSU Research Foundation policies and procedures and SDSU and CSU regulations. In addition, to externally funded research and scholarly activities, SRA is responsible for the administration of gift funds on behalf of The Campanile Foundation (TCF), SDSU’s campus and community programs, as well as institutional allocations and research support funds.

Post-award SRA grant specialist works with the principal investigator (PI) and staff to provide services related to overall fund management including expenditure review, budget projections, financial reporting, effort certification, and the management of sub-awards. SRA also work with the PI to request prior approvals and clarification of agency terms and conditions. SRA grant specialist acts as liaisons with other SDSU Research Foundation departments for the PI and their staff; work with human resources, facilities, accounts payable, purchasing, and finance to facilitate requests pertaining to the operation of funded projects.

More information about these services can be found at https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/sra_index.html.

Office of Communications

The Office of Communications is responsible for the overall communications of SDSU Research Foundation, including communication with the PI, employees, the media, and other internal and external constituents.

The communications staff are responsible for internal and external communications, media relations, issues and crisis communications, publications, reports, trainings, and website and social content. The communications office works closely with SDSU Research Foundation’s executive office and other departments, and SDSU’s marketing and communications teams, to support and highlight the work of SDSU researchers.

More information about the office of communications can be found at https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/communications_index.html.

Information Systems

The Information Systems (IS) team serves the evolving information services and technology needs of SDSU Research Foundation. The team is responsible for the operation, maintenance, security, and ongoing development of SDSU Research Foundation enterprise systems and providing administrative desktop services for central staff personnel. Information systems is service oriented and collaborates with colleagues across the organization to develop and implement innovative user-focused IT solutions that are vital for informed decision making and exceptional services for researchers and employees.

More information about information systems can be found at https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/cs_index.html.

Human Resources

Human Resources is responsible for the recruitment, selection, and hiring of SDSU Research Foundation employees, as well as the classification of all positions. Additional responsibilities include the development, maintenance, and enforcement of policies affecting employees, management of employee relations, compliance with labor laws, coordination of employee training, oversight of non-immigrant visa matters, and administration of employee benefits.

More information about these services can be found at https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/hr_index.html.

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