Melissa Maher is an Associate Director of Grants and Contracts, in the Office of Research Administration (ORA) at Harvard Medical School, where she performs a range of complex and confidential award- and agreement-related tasks. She is responsible for creating, implementing, and maintaining a variety of ORA business processes, including agreement templates. She also supervises several of the Grants & Contracts Officers and uses her negotiation expertise to advise and mentor members of the team. Melissa represents the Medical School on University-wide committees and works with senior leaders on strategic planning for the Grants & Contracts Team, as well as development of new department procedures/guides. Prior to joining Harvard Medical School, Melissa practiced corporate law at a large Boston firm. She holds a JD from Boston University, where she was a member of the Public Interest Law Journal, and a BA from the College of the Holy Cross, where she majored in Italian.
