Research Development Team
Brandon Gaut, PhD
Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
Address: 5205-B McGaugh Hall
Phone number: 949-824-2963
Email: bgaut@uci.edu
Brandon has been a faculty member at UC Irvine since 1998. His research focuses on the evolutionary genetics of plants and particularly studies the processes that shape genetic diversity in crops. He has published over 150 papers and book chapters, and he has given more than 130 invited lectures throughout the world. He has been an Alfred P. Sloan Young Investigator, the President of the international Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, and the Chair of his department. He is also an AAAS Fellow, but he is most proud of his undergraduate teaching awards. Whenever possible, he heads outside to hike, surf and bike throughout his native Southern California.
Melinda Gormley, PhD
Research Development Officer
Address: 5103 Natural Sciences II
Phone number: 949-824-6771
Email: mgormley@uci.edu
Melinda assists faculty, postdocs, and graduate students with various aspects of grant development, from identifying appropriate funding opportunities to editing drafts. She has been working in research development since 2010 and writing about science and scientists for much longer, having received her Ph.D. in history of science. Melinda is Secretary of AAAS Section L for the History and Philosophy of Science. Melinda enjoys working on DIY projects and exploring locally.
Justin Sarkis, MS
Research Development Coordinator
Address: 5103 Natural Sciences II
Phone number: 949-824-9698
Email: sarkisj@uci.edu
Justin Sarkis helps faculty, postdocs, and graduate students in the School of Biological Sciences acquire funding for their research through grant proposal development. He has worked in proposal development since 2017 in academia at U.C. Riverside and in industry at Clean Energy in Newport Beach. Justin holds an M.S. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Michigan. His research interests are in human language production, second language learning, and language variation. Justin is an active member of the California Chapter of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals through which he earned Foundation Certification in proposal writing in 2019. Outside of work, Justin is an avid listener of classical music and likes to read books about human behavior.
Pre-Awards Team
Jason Park
Pre-awards Manager
Address: 5201 Natural Sciences II
Phone number: 949-824-5593
Email: jpark@uci.edu
Jason has been at UCI for 15 years and has previous experience in the Schools of Medicine and Engineering. His primary role in the School of Biological Sciences is to help faculty prepare grant applications by interpreting the guidelines, developing budgets, and coordinating the required elements with collaborators and other institutions. He also helps with post award management of extramural awards. In his free time, he enjoys golf, tennis and biking.
Megan Vu
Principal Pre-awards Analyst
Address: 5201 Natural Sciences II
Phone number: 949-824-3489
Email: vum@uci.edu
Megan has worked at UCI for 13 years. Her primary role in the School of Biological Sciences is to help faculty in the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology with preparing grant proposals for submission. She has broad experience, but her speciality is preparing proposals for NIH. When she is not working on grants, Megan enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends, and supporting her beloved UCLA Bruins.
Carmen Bastos
Senior Pre-awards Analyst
Address: 5201 Natural Sciences II
Phone number: 949-824-4772
Email: cbastos@uci.edu
Carmen has worked in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology as a Finance Analyst since 2006, where she gained her expertise with NSF proposals. She recently joined the pre-award team to assist EEB faculty with grant proposals for submission. Outside of work, Carmen enjoys hiking and camping with family and friends in the desert, mountains, and coastal regions of California.
Erica Turley-Devilla
Senior Pre-Awards Analyst
Address: 5201 Natural Sciences II
Phone number: 949-824-7413
Email: eturleyd@uci.edu
Erica has worked at UCI for over six years and has previous experience in the Schools of Medicine and Engineering. Her primary role in the in the School of Biological Sciences is to help faculty with grant preparation for proposal submissions by interpreting guidelines and developing budgets. In her free time, Erica serves on the board of the Academic & Professional Women of UCI, attends literary conferences and facilitates a career & life skills workshop for teenage foster youth.
If you are unsure who to contact, please send an email to bio-research@uci.edu.
