Behind the Scenes with Audrey Natwick

Audrey working outside at a picnic table
Audrey Natwick

In her role as a policy and planning analyst for UF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Audrey Natwick is in charge of cultivating proposals for T32 training grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health to support up-and-coming research scientists.

Over her eight-plus years on the job, the number of T32 grants developed by her team has more than doubled from nine to over 20. The team tracks funds, records historical data, stays up-to-date with NIH changes and manages grant-related websites. Her team is always ready to tackle new proposals for any principal investigators pursuing training grants.

“Thanks to Audrey’s incredible work, the difficult task of collecting and curating massive amounts of information for T32 grants has been centralized and our faculty can now focus on implementing state-of-the-art training programs,” said Wayne T. McCormack, Ph.D., director of the UF Health Office of Biomedical Career Development.

Years at UF: 11 total and eight in her current role as a T32 policy and planning analyst.

Why I love working at UF: I was born and raised in Gainesville after my parents moved from Michigan so that my dad could pursue a PhD in biology at UF. My mom had a long career at UF, first in civil & coastal engineering and later in neurosurgery. I got my undergraduate degree at UF too and played on the club ultimate frisbee team. I feel like I’ve lived my whole life in UF’s orbit. To have found my own professional niche here feels right, and I’m glad to be contributing in some small way to the support and experiences of graduates and postdocs at the academic health center.

I’m inspired by: These days, I’m inspired by anyone whose socks match when they’re out in public. Bonus points if they’re wearing a mask properly.

Fun fact: I didn’t know what I wanted to do after college, so I somehow wound up living in a Scottish hostel and working at a coffee shop. I was convinced that I was in good shape financially so long as I had enough cash to buy my next plane ticket.

For information and resources to support NIH training grant applications, individual fellowships, diversity supplements and more, visit: ctsi.ufl.edu/education/grant-workshops.

Audrey Natwick smiles in front of her computer
Audrey writing on a large dry erase board
Audrey working outside at a picnic table
Audrey writing on a large dry erase board