Streamlining research-related processes
A new system to enable faculty members to manage their grant applications and associated processes and materials online more easily is being made available by Concordia’s Office of Research (OOR).
The system, known as ConRAD, will be accessible through the MyConcordia portal. It will allow researchers to electronically select, complete and submit application forms available through the OOR. Also, the system enables them to view all of their previous and ongoing research activity, including awards, agreements, and any compliance certifications they hold.
Justin Powlowski, interim director of the OOR, says that streamlining administrative processes for researchers at Concordia is an important step in supporting their work:
"ConRAD will provide a fast and simple way to complete, submit, and track internal forms electronically. This will be a major step forward from our existing processes and will help to relieve some of the administrative burden on Concordia researchers. Furthermore, it consolidates information about all of our research funding, and that will greatly simplify the process of generating reports for whoever needs them, as well as allowing us to better understand our research funding profile for planning purposes. ”
Nichole Austin, data analyst and project coordinator in the OOR, says the new system will also make the office a lot more efficient. “The forms that researchers fill out online are going to feed right into the OOR database,” she says. “Instead of administrators entering everything in manually from paper forms , information will come straight in, we’ll verify it, and that’s that.”
In addition to replacing paper-based processes, the new system consolidates information previously held in a variety of electronic formats.
Another key benefit of the new system is that it will greatly reduce the OOR’s reliance on paper. “Other universities who have implemented this system say that their research offices have gone from consuming the most paper at their universities to consuming the least,” Austin says. “There’s definitely an environmental aspect to going with this system, and we’re hoping to go largely paperless within a couple of years.”
The ConRAD system relies on a software platform called Romeo, designed specifically for Canadian universities by Process Pathways. Romeo is used by a number of institutions across Canada, and the company has worked extensively with OOR and Instructional and Information Techonology Services to customize it for use at Concordia.
The OOR team started using the new software internally at the beginning of September, and has so far experienced a smooth transition from earlier processes. It is expected that the system will be available for Concordia faculty members by early 2013, and further information about its implementation will be announced on NOW in the coming months.
Related links:
• Office of Research
• MyConcordia portal
• Instructional and Information Technology Services