Beth McKay started at Harvard and her research administration career in 2010. Prior to joining HSCRB, she was a Senior Financial Analyst/Team Lead in the Office for Sponsored Programs (OSP). There she worked closely with departments, including HSCRB, on financial reporting and closeout of projects, liaised with federal and non-fed sponsors to troubleshoot issues, assisted with the development of reporting policies and procedures for the university, and taught financial management and reporting sessions for Harvard grant managers, through the former REACH program hosted by OSP and the University Research Admin Training Team.
Looking to get a little “closer to the research”, Beth joined HSCRB in late 2015 as a Sr. Sponsored Research Administrator and took on a complex portfolio of both established and new labs. She enjoys being able to guide faculty through the sometimes conflicting and ever changing sponsor and institutional policies, and often taps into her former central office experience to navigate complex pre and post-award issues, to the best outcome for all. Working at HSCRB has allowed to her to see the important research going on up close, and share in the excitement when innovative proposals are funded and scientific discoveries are made.
When not burrowing through the latest NIH Grant Policy Statements and knee deep in proposals, she’s either getting her hands dirty in the garden, or reading, crop planning and learning how to incorporate regenerative and pollinator friendly practices into her vegetable gardens.