Staff member’s quick turnaround keeps internal awards running smoothly

Gabe Nehrbass | Administrative Associate Sr. | Research Development

Gabe Nehrbass makes sure internal research awards are administered efficiently.

Among his responsibilities as administrative associate senior for the research development team in the Office of Research is managing limited submission competitions — funding opportunities where the university can only submit a limited number of proposals. Nehrbass sends out notices for each competition, collects applications, and coordinates with reviewers so KU’s award applicant can be chosen in a timely manner. 

“Gabe has a particular genius for tracking multiple activities simultaneously. He’s been our organizational secret weapon for managing various competitions,” said Doug Bornemann, assistant director of research development. 

Nehrbass also manages the KU Research Grant Opportunity (KU Research GO) program, which supports investigators who are collecting preliminary data prior to an external award application, and the New Faculty Research Development award, which helps newly hired faculty build a sustainable research program at KU. 
Both of these opportunities provide critical stepping stones toward generating preliminary data for landing more substantial external funding.

Nehrbass recently assessed a new software package the Office of Research is considering to aid in managing internal funding competitions. He not only reviewed the training tutorials but also completed a thorough assessment of the demo tool in under two weeks due to the vendor’s tight time frame. This was essential in helping the research development department assess its options. 

“Gabe’s work was outstanding in this process,” said Carol Burdsal, director of research development. “And this work was above and beyond his normal duties.”