Meet Amanda Hamaker
Amanda Hamaker | Director, Pre-Award Sponsored Program Services
Amanda Hamaker serves as Director of Pre-Award in Sponsored Program Services at Purdue University, where she leads the team that supports faculty and research teams through the proposal submission process. With nearly two decades of experience in research administration at Purdue, Amanda brings extensive expertise in proposal development, research administration, strategic planning and the complex requirements associated with sponsored funding. She is both a Certified Research Administrator (CRA) and Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA).
In her role, Amanda works to ensure Purdue researchers have the guidance and administrative support they need to develop and submit strong, compliant proposals. Her experience spans both hands-on research administration and leadership, giving her a broad understanding of the challenges faculty and research teams encounter as they move from a funding opportunity to a submitted proposal. She is deeply committed to providing the highest level of service to investigators, working to make the proposal preparation and submission process as seamless, efficient, and straightforward as possible.
Amanda also contributes to the broader research administration community through her service as a co-chair of the Federal Demonstration Partnership’s Expanded Clearinghouse. In this leadership role, she collaborates with research administrators and federal agency representatives from institutions across the country to identify opportunities to reduce administrative burden and improve the efficiency of subrecipient monitoring processes. She helps guide efforts to expand the use of institutional information already maintained in the Clearinghouse, reducing the need for researchers and administrators to repeatedly provide the same information across proposal and award activities. Through this work, Amanda supports national initiatives aimed at streamlining research administration, improving compliance processes, and allowing investigators to spend more time focused on research and less time navigating administrative requirements.
“Seeing the impact that strong pre-award support can have on investigators and research teams continues to be one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career.” – Amanda Hamaker
Building Better Pre-Award Support
Of all my accomplishments, I am most proud of the role I have played in helping to develop Purdue’s Pre-Award operation into the comprehensive resource it is today. Over the past 18 years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside talented colleagues, faculty, research administrators, and university leaders to expand the office from a central review and proposal submission function to a full-service pre-award organization that supports researchers throughout the proposal development lifecycle.
Contributing to the growth of the office and helping build the processes, services, and staffing needed to support Purdue’s research enterprise has been especially rewarding. At the same time, the research funding environment continues to evolve, with new sponsor requirements, compliance obligations, and administrative complexities emerging each year. As a result, this work is never truly finished, and I remain committed to continually improving our services, processes, and support model to meet the changing needs of Purdue’s researchers. Seeing the impact that strong pre-award support can have on investigators and research teams continues to be one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career.
Beyond Pre-Award, A Few Questions with Amanda
What is something you’ve always wanted to learn how to do?
I have always wanted to become fluent in another language. What started as a personal goal led me to begin studying Spanish on Duolingo, where I currently have a streak of nearly 1,100 days. A trip to Barcelona further motivated me to continue learning, and I hope to one day have the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the language and culture.
If you had an unexpected free day with nothing on your calendar, how would you spend it?
I would probably spend it exploring antique shops and thrift stores in search of unique or vintage editions of classic novels. I fully intend to read every book I collect, though my growing collection may have other plans.
What is your favorite season in Indiana — or would you prefer to skip Indiana weather entirely?
I absolutely love the few days of true fall we get each year. A crisp, cool day with colorful foliage, a pot of chili simmering on the stove, and football on the TV is about as perfect as it gets. It’s even better when Purdue is playing at home and the energy and excitement of game day can be felt throughout campus and the community.
What is something you’re looking forward to right now?
As my kids have grown older, I have come to appreciate our time together even more. Any opportunity to spend time with them and the people they care about is something I value deeply. We have a couple of trips planned over the next year, and I am looking forward to making the most of that time together.
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to?
I love reading and tend to gravitate toward fiction, although I’m not particularly loyal to any one genre and enjoy reading a wide variety of books. I’m currently reading Paradise by Toni Morrison, which is my 42nd book of the year. I’m a bit behind pace to reach my goal of 65 books, but I blame that on trying to stay on the same page as my family when it comes to our favorite shows. Right now, we’re all enjoying Ted Lasso together, and it’s been worth putting a few extra books on the back shelf.
Need help preparing or submitting a sponsored research proposal? Purdue’s Sponsored Program Services Pre-Award team supports investigators throughout the proposal process, from proposal development and sponsor requirements to budget preparation, review and submission. Learn more about Pre-Award Services.
