LEES attended the National Council of University Research Administrators’ workshop on US Federal Funding grant administration. This key workshop ensured that we were up to date with the recent changes to the US government’s administrative guidance for grants to non-federal organisations. The three day workshop allowed us to network with grant recipients and clarify the new legislation with US experts, allowing us to understand how the new rules should be applied to UK and European organisations.

LEES have joined the prestigious peer network: Vision 2020. The organisation aims to facilitate members in applying for and running projects as part of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme. As an expert member LEES will feed into discussions around the financial administration of awarded projects and keep up to date with the latest news and developments in this exciting area of grant funding.

The UK Research Councils’ office in Brussels aims to maximise the UK’s involvement in EU funded research. Their 2015 conference, entitled “Horizon 2020 – Bridging Research and Innovation” focused on  lessons learned from the first 18 months of Horizon 2020 and on sharing best practices between delegates. LEES attended to keep up to date with the programme, feeding into discussions with delegates around the nuances of Horizon 2020 and how their organisations are adhering to the new financial guidelines. Presentations and further information about the event can be found on UKRO’s website.

The Association of Research Managers and Administrators‘ annual conference is a key event for anyone working within the field of Research Management. The annual conference is built around members sharing best practice and discussing current issues on topics across the field of Research Management, from pre-award to post-award. LEES attended with a promotional stand to network with delegates andco-chaired a session on audit and compliance and launched ARMA’s new Special Interest Group in this field. Find out more, including details of the sessions on ARMA’s website.

LEES welcomes the newest addition to their dedicated grant audit team. Jonathan Gray comes to LEES with seven years of experience in grant finance and administration within Higher Education Institutions. Jonathan will work as part of LEES specialist grant audit team conducting audit fieldwork engagements. His depth of experience in the financial management of grants, coupled with a highly focused background in Higher Education means that Jonathan will add real value to the existing team. Find out more about Jonathan via Our People.

The East of England Local Government Association hosted an event focused on what is in store for Territorial Cooperation (INTERREG) ERDF Funding 2014-20 and the opportunities available for organisations in this area as the programme comes online. LEES attended to gain up to date information on the nature and types of funding available, as well as to network with those companies interested in the types of funding available, but unsure of how they deal with the financial administration of EU grants. Event downloads are available from EELGA’s website.