Amy Abrahamson, IHSI Business & Finance Coordinator, and Maggie Berg, IHSI Senior Research Development Manager, are being recognized for their contributions to the Illinois research community at an annual retreat hosted by Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance (SPaRC). Abrahamson is receiving the SPaRC Outstanding Service Award. Berg is receiving the SPaRC Innovation Award.
SPaRC is a campuswide working group devoted to the management and administration of sponsored programs. The working group serves as a platform for staff to exchange and disseminate information related to the support of the sponsored portfolio. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation supports SPaRC. Abrahamson and Berg are both Certified Research Administrators with SPaRC.
Abrahamson is receiving the SPaRC Outstanding Service Award for her outstanding service in support of research administration at Illinois. She was nominated for her remarkable management and support of Margin Diagnostics (MarginDx), a project receiving an up to $33 million award by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Led by IHSI Director Stephen Boppart, MarginDx is an ambitious end-to-end solution that will drastically improve surgical outcomes for cancer tumor removal. Abrahamson has managed procurement for a team of nearly 75 researchers for the past two years in addition to her typical responsibilities as IHSI Business & Finance Coordinator.
In addition to the scale of the award, Abrahamson also understands the ambitious research timeline ARPA-H works with. She started researching equipment quotes for all necessary equipment for the project (150+ components) during the proposal development stage to ensure they would be ready to place orders when they received the contract. Daniele Frerichs, IHSI Director of Administration and Finance, underscored the importance of this contribution in her nomination letter for Abrahamson.
“These quotes were vital to lead right into fast-tracked purchasing and delivery upon start of and throughout the project. In some cases, the quotes were critical to capture sole-source procurement needs and fast-tracking those large equipment purchases as well,” Frerichs said.
Abrahamson’s dedication and amiability are apparent even among MarginDx partner units across campus. Sarah Chronister, Senior Business Analyst for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), was glad to see Abrahamson in the role.
“I knew we had someone on the team who I could trust to get things done. This project is quite demanding, and we need someone that will follow through. That level of confidence doesn't come easily, as it is something Amy has earned through years of dependable service and a consistently positive attitude,” Chronister wrote in her nomination letter.
Both Frerichs and Chronister agreed they enjoy working with Amy and enthusiastically nominated their colleague.
“Beyond her outstanding work ethic, Amy is simply a pleasure to work with. She exemplifies the qualities recognized by the SPaRC Award, and I wholeheartedly support her nomination,” Chronister said.
Abrahamson, who admits she is not one to bring attention to herself, is grateful to see her hard work recognized by people.
"I am honored to receive the Outstanding Service Award. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside dedicated colleagues and researchers, and I appreciate their support and collaboration. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey,” Abrahamson said.
Maggie Berg is receiving the SPaRC Innovation Award. Given to Illinois staff whose contributions lead to the innovation and improvement of research administration at Illinois, the SPaRC Innovation Award has only been presented four times since the office started recognizing staff in 2015.
Berg was nominated by Cathlene Hardy Hansen, IHSI Director of Research & Innovation. Hansen, who joined the IHSI team in May 2026, has worked closely with Berg during her onboarding process.
“I have experienced firsthand the impact of Dr. Berg's innovation and expertise,” Hansen said, “She serves as an invaluable mentor as I transition into the Illinois research ecosystem.”
Hansen pointed to a number of Berg’s accomplishments in her nomination letter, taking care to highlight Berg’s faculty development expertise in her development and management of the IHSI NIH Grant Writing Series, a comprehensive program that provides investigators with strategic guidance on best practices in successful NIH proposal development, and the Emerging Research Leaders Academy (ERLA), which has made quite a splash on campus in the three years since its introduction.
Recognizing a gap in leadership development for mid-career faculty, Berg designed a structured program that prepares faculty to lead large, interdisciplinary research initiatives.
“Through ERLA, Dr. Berg established a repeatable and sustainable framework that strengthens institutional research capacity while reducing barriers for faculty seeking leadership roles in complex research enterprises and providing ongoing post-program support,” Hansen said.
Hansen also highlighted Berg’s contributions to Illinois’ research enterprise.
Berg has served in several campuswide leadership roles. She was a founding member and leader of Illinois’ Research Development Community (RDC), a network of professionals dedicated to strengthening Illinois’ research portfolio. She also played a key role in the development of the Microbial Systems Initiative and an associated cluster hire of early-career scientists advancing the microbial sciences.
Through her involvement with the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP), Berg has shared information and resources with research development professionals nationwide. Now a member of NORDP’s Board of Directors, she is a national leader in the field.
Berg brings that expertise to her leadership of the IHSI Research Development Team, where she works closely with colleagues, investigators, administrators, and external partners to identify, expand, and support new research initiatives in the health sciences.
“Dr. Berg has consistently developed practices that improve coordination, communication, and proposal development outcomes across colleges and disciplines, working with individuals and teams,” Hansen said. “Her efforts have created more efficient pathways for faculty to access expertise, identify collaborators, and compete for large-scale funding opportunities.”
Berg appreciates receiving recognition for work she truly enjoys doing.
“Creating new programs to support Illinois’ research community is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. I am grateful to be recognized with the SPaRC Innovation Award,” Berg said.
Daniele Frerichs, an Illinois Certified Research Administrator, is especially pleased with this recognition from SPaRC.
“It’s an incredible honor that IHSI has two SPaRC awardees this year, especially since we are a smaller unit. This exhibits our campuswide reach!” Frerichs said. “It also demonstrates the growing impact the IHSI team has had on Illinois health research and speaks to the excellence of our team.”