Grants and Contracts staff present at national event

A pair of University of North Georgia (UNG) Grants and Contracts Administration staff members presented Aug. 14 at the National Council of University Research Administrators' (NCURA) 62nd annual meeting, which was held virtually.

Lourdes Bastas, associate director of post-award, and Christopher Jackson, grant specialist, created the presentation "Using Grants to Broaden the Conversation on Diversity."

Bastas said grant writing can feel like an extra task for faculty or staff who are busy, so the Grants and Contracts staff aim to alleviate those concerns. She said she is consistently impressed with UNG's commitment to helping faculty and staff secure grants.

"These grants change lives," Bastas said. "These grants help students develop self-efficacy that allows them to stay in school and get an undergraduate degree."

Jackson previously attended the national conference for College Assistance Migrant Program and High School Equivalency Program, both of which are supported by federal grants.

"This helped me better understand the students who would benefit," Jackson said.

Some of the larger grants, such as the one funding the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, also bring diverse groups of UNG faculty together as mentors for students.