2024 NIH Grants Policy Updates from the Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration

Kasima Garst is the Acting Director of the Division of Grant Systems Integration (DGSI) within in the OER’s Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA). Prior to her appointment as Deputy Director, she was a Systems Policy Analyst within DGSI’s Systems Policy Branch. She represents NIH on systems policy initiatives at the HHS and Federal-wide levels and works with key NIH stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of critical systems, policies, and compliance requirements across the NIH. Prior to joining OPERA in 2019, Mrs. Garst was a Grants Management Officer at the NIH Fogarty International Center and a Grants Management Specialist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Middlebury College and a Master of Forensic Sciences degree in Forensic Molecular Biology from the George Washington University.

Brian Sass-Hurst has served as Assistant Grants Compliance Officer in the NIH’s Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration (OPERA), Division of Grants Compliance and Oversight (DGCO) since 2022. Brian leads DGCO’s clinical trials results reporting compliance program, supports NIH external audit resolution activities, and manages compliance and oversight activities. Prior to joining OPERA, Brian served six years as a Grants Management Specialist at the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. Brian received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an Accounting specialty from The Ohio State University.