About Ella
An operator's eye, an advocate's heart
Ella Trubman, MBA, CRA: research administration executive, Certified Research Administrator, and President of the SRAI Southern California Chapter.
Ella Trubman, MBA, CRA
Ella Trubman, MBA, CRA, has spent more than eighteen years building and leading research administration operations at top-tier institutions, including The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California, San Diego. As Senior Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs at Scripps Research, she directs enterprise proposal and contract operations with delegated authority to legally bind the Institute. Her award portfolio includes the Scripps Translational Science Institute award ($28M), the Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program ($172M), and multi-institutional consortia such as CHAVD and AViDD.
Ella built the Institute's Research Development function from the ground up, doubled the capacity of its Sponsored Programs & Compliance office within a single year, and has been promoted twice for leading Scripps through complex, enterprise-wide eRA system implementations. Earlier, as a Senior Grant Analyst & Supervisor at UC San Diego, she held Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) authority to submit NIH and AHRQ proposals valued up to $20M annually, while hiring and coaching a five-analyst team.
A Certified Research Administrator and President of the Southern California Chapter of SRAI, Ella brings a people-first leadership style to every engagement. She pairs deep technical fluency in federal compliance with a gift for turning complex policy into clear, practical guidance for faculty, staff, and boards alike. She holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a BA in Linguistics and French from the University of Arizona, and is fluent in English and Russian.
“Great research doesn't stop at a good idea. It depends on the strategy, compliance, and partnership behind it. That's the work I love.”Ella Trubman, MBA, CRA
Career Timeline
The Scripps Research Institute
La Jolla, CA · 2016 – Present
Senior Director, Office of Sponsored Programs (2021–Present) · Director, PreAward Administration (2018–2021) · Manager, PreAward Administration (2016–2018)
- Directs enterprise proposal and contract operations under delegation of authority to legally bind the Institute, including proposals exceeding $200M
- Led submission of the Scripps Translational Science Institute award ($28M), Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program ($172M), AViDD Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern ($115M), and CHAVD ($130M)
- Restructured the Sponsored Programs & Compliance office, doubling staff capacity within a single year
- Built and launched the Institute's Research Development function campus-wide, from infrastructure through staffing
- Partnered with Institutional Compliance to architect and launch a comprehensive research security framework
- Promoted twice for high-impact leadership implementing a new enterprise eRA system
University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA · 2008 – 2016
Senior Grant Analyst & Supervisor (2012–2016) · Grant Analyst Supervisor (2010–2012) · ARRA Specialist / Project Specialist (2009–2014) · Administrative Assistant III & Lab Manager, The Scripps Research Institute (2008–2009)
- Held Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) authority to independently submit NIH and AHRQ proposals valued up to $20M annually
- Hired, supervised, and coached a team of five analysts
- Directed pre-award proposal office strategy, cutting administrative cycle times by 15%
- Oversaw a $10M departmental budget as Express Card Administrator
- Served on the Steering, Operations, and Implementation Committees for the university's eRAP program
- Completed the UCSD Health Sciences Supervisor Academy and served as an invited faculty trainer for the National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine (NCLAM)
Next Step
Work with Ella
Bring eighteen years of research administration leadership to your team's next challenge.