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Multiple Electronic Systems -- Who's Managing Who?Jennifer Crockett,

Director, Sponsored Projects Finance,

Columbia University

Tamara Hill,Manager, Office of Grants and

Contracts Administration,University of North Carolina

Charlotte

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• In this session participants will gain a better understanding of the numerous funding agency systems, as well as common financial and human resources systems employed at institutions in the US, and will understand why a ‘shadow system’ may be in use to track the status of submissions, project due dates, account balances, etc.

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• How many electronic funding agency sites/systems can you name?–*Not just NIH or NSF

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• Grants.gov• ProposalCentral• National Science Foundation

– FastLane• National Institutes of Health

– eRA Commons, eSNAP, Xtrain• American Heart Association• Department of Defense

– CDMRP• Department of Education

– e-Grants• Department of Energy

– Energy Link• Department of Justice

– GPRS• Howard Hughes Medical Institute

– Grantscentral

• HRSA– e-Handbook

• IPP• JDRF – Juvenile Diabetes Research

Foundation• NASA

– NSPIRES• NOAA

– Grants Online• Office of Navel Research

– WAWF, Payweb• US Homeland Security• WAWF

– DARPA

• Online Representations and Certifications Application– ORCA

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• How many electronic Institutional systems can you name?–Proposal Submission and Tracking–Financial–Effort Certification–Purchasing–Human Resources

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• Three major groups:–Enterprise Wide Systems–Pre-packaged/Off the Shelf–Homegrown/Shadow Systems

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Enterprise-Wide:– Peoplesoft– SAP– FRS/FAS– InfoEd– Banner– Oracle– ECRT

Pre-Packaged:– Databases• Koali/Coeus• Hyperion• Grants Administrator

– Reporting Tools• Crystal Report

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Homegrown Databases:– Access– SQL– Brioquery

Homegrown Systems:– SPINS (pre/post award)– eIRB

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At UNCC we use:• NORM• Banner/Oracle• Web Central• Works• Home/Shop• CITI• ERS• HRMS

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At Columbia we use:• Rascal• InfoEd• ECRT• Peoplesoft • FAS/DARTS• *CUACT

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• And the Million Dollar Question -–How many of you are using Excel as

your ‘shadow system’?

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Obstacles of Multiple Electronic/Shadow Systems:• Administrative Requirements• Required Documents and Guidelines• Registration • Submission • Email Limitations• User Permissions• Platforms• Software Compatibility

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Challenges of Electronic/Shadow Systems:• Reporting across fiscal years• Training• Help Desks• Duplication of Effort• Increased Risk of Error• Lag Time in Reporting• Variances in data output• Faculty Frustration• Staff Frustration• Staff Time• Similarities in electronic systems

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Benefits of Electronic/Shadow Systems:• Major agencies are moving to one online system• Flexibility in tracking • Flexibility in projecting

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Contact Information:Jennifer CrockettColumbia Universityjcrockett@columbia.edu

Tamara HillUniversity of North Carolina Charlottethill55@uncc.edu