Research Administration


About ACHRI Research Funding In the News Our Researchers Administrative Staff Donate Online Now Resources for Researchers Site Index Home	Project Tracking Features • low cost to implement and modify • on-line access to overview, submission, award, and budget information Overview Screen Shot Awards Screen Shot • standard reports and the ability to perform ad hoc reports to user needs Reports Screen Shot • ability to extract and manipulate sponsored programs data for analysis, trends, and forecasting • notification of reporting deadlines, close-out procedures, and post-award regulations Actions Screen Shot • user-level security with features restricted based on security group permissions • automated updating of client software for new versions of the system Low cost to implement and modify ACHRI’s PTS system runs on a Pentium-based PC and uses a full or run-time version of Microsoft Access 97. The run-time version does not require a license per user. The system may be installed on just one computer, or can be installed so that the data can be shared by multiple users. In the multi-user environment, the server database can be installed on any file server running Microsoft NT Server Software. The system comes with open source code open for modification and enhancement. Not only do many Information Systems departments have in-house Microsoft Access developers, the hourly rate to hire Access programmers is about half that of other more complex database systems and programming languages. On-line access to overview, submission, award, and budget information The system stores a separate record for each activity on a proposal from inception to close including: • Budget - Budget Screen Shot • Human and animal protocols - Protocol Screen Shot • Reports and actions required - Reports Screen Shot • Expenditure restrictions - Restrictions Screen Shot • Agency contacts - Agency Screen Shot Standard reports and the ability to perform ad hoc reports to user needs Standard Reports: Reports Screen Shot • Awards received between entered dates • Submissions between entered dates • Current awards with annualized direct and indirect costs for any period entered • List of pending grants with annualized direct and indirect costs • All the above reports may be categorized or sorted by award type (federal, state, private, clinical trials) and may have the PI name included as an option, • Success rates for any category of proposal • Submission rates for any category of proposal • Award profile Ability to extract and manipulate sponsored programs data for analysis, trends and forecasting The data repository created by the PTS system can be quickly and easily queried using the Microsoft Access visual query tool so that user-defined reports can be created in minutes, not hours. Also, any of the data may be taken and used in popular application programs such as Excel, 1-2-3, Word, WordPerfect, dbase, etc. Notification of reporting deadlines, close-out procedures and post-award regulations Reports and actions that are required during the life of the proposal may be recorded in the system along with the frequency, next due date and people responsible for their completion. Each day these records are checked by the system, and an e-mail sent to the appropriate people reminding them of the required action. User level security and with features restricted based on security group permissions If the security features are implemented a user name and password are required to gain access to the system. Access can be granted for read only, or edit capabilities and each major database has an audit trail that records who last changed the record and the date which it was changed on. Automated updating of client software for new versions of the system If implemented, a new version of the user software can be automatically downloaded and installed on the user’s machine when he/she logs onto the system. This greatly reduces system management effort, and allows enhancements to be easily implemented. Documentation The System will be distributed with instructions of how to install the back end server database, the end user system, set up NT and Access Security, and enable automatic version updates. We will also include a full data dictionary of the system. These instructions should allow the full installation and operation of the system as is. History A pre-award proposal tracking system was needed at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) that could provide structured, centralized and comprehensive information concerning all submissions and awards made through the institute. Because the administrative units of research operated from different sites, the system had to provide a central repository that could be accessed by all five administrative groups, and provide security to allow different groups various levels of access. In addition, due the ever increasing demands of faculty and senior personnel for ad hoc reporting, the system required the flexibility to produce a standard set of reports and record and extract ad hoc queries with minimal effort. These somewhat unambitious plans were designed to get a system operational in the minimum possible time, realizing that additional features would evolve over the life of the system, once the users and developer had real world experience. From that premise, the ACHRI Proposal Tracking System was implemented in 4 weeks, although it has undergone significant enhancement and refinement since its inception 2 years ago. While still evolving, the system now includes features such as automated "tickle" e-mails to PIs and administrators on actions and reports that are due, award restrictions utilized by the post-award accounting system, and in development, an award compliance module. License Fee $2,500 Interested? Check out our license agreement and contact David Higginson or download the free trail version below. Free Trial Version Available! For a free 15 day trial version of the software, click here for Access 97 version, or here for Access 2000 version, or here for Access XP version. (Note: Microsoft Access must be installed on your computer to run this evaluation version) Access Login: Userid: writer Password: writer For more information on this system, contact: David Higginson Research Information Systems Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute 1120 Marshall Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72202 Voice: (501) 364-3757 Fax: (501) 364-6859
Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute 1120 Marshall Street Little Rock, AR 72202 (501) 364-7373 Fax (501) 364-2705 Comments or Suggestions?

Project Tracking

Features

• low cost to implement and modify
• on-line access to overview, submission, award, and budget information

Overview Screen Shot
Awards Screen Shot

• standard reports and the ability to perform ad hoc reports to user needs

Reports Screen Shot

• ability to extract and manipulate sponsored programs data for analysis, trends, and forecasting
• notification of reporting deadlines, close-out procedures, and post-award regulations

Actions Screen Shot

• user-level security with features restricted based on security group permissions
• automated updating of client software for new versions of the system

Low cost to implement and modify

ACHRI’s PTS system runs on a Pentium-based PC and uses a full or run-time version of Microsoft Access 97. The run-time version does not require a license per user. The system may be installed on just one computer, or can be installed so that the data can be shared by multiple users. In the multi-user environment, the server database can be installed on any file server running Microsoft NT Server Software.

The system comes with open source code open for modification and enhancement. Not only do many Information Systems departments have in-house Microsoft Access developers, the hourly rate to hire Access programmers is about half that of other more complex database systems and programming languages.

On-line access to overview, submission, award, and budget information

The system stores a separate record for each activity on a proposal from inception to close including:

• Budget - Budget Screen Shot
• Human and animal protocols - Protocol Screen Shot
• Reports and actions required - Reports Screen Shot
• Expenditure restrictions - Restrictions Screen Shot
• Agency contacts - Agency Screen Shot

Standard reports and the ability to perform ad hoc reports to user needs

Standard Reports: Reports Screen Shot

• Awards received between entered dates
• Submissions between entered dates
• Current awards with annualized direct and indirect costs for any period entered
• List of pending grants with annualized direct and indirect costs
• All the above reports may be categorized or sorted by award type (federal, state, private, clinical trials) and may have the PI name included as an option,
• Success rates for any category of proposal
• Submission rates for any category of proposal
• Award profile

Ability to extract and manipulate sponsored programs data for analysis, trends and forecasting

The data repository created by the PTS system can be quickly and easily queried using the Microsoft Access visual query tool so that user-defined reports can be created in minutes, not hours. Also, any of the data may be taken and used in popular application programs such as Excel, 1-2-3, Word, WordPerfect, dbase, etc.

Notification of reporting deadlines, close-out procedures and post-award regulations

Reports and actions that are required during the life of the proposal may be recorded in the system along with the frequency, next due date and people responsible for their completion. Each day these records are checked by the system, and an e-mail sent to the appropriate people reminding them of the required action.

User level security and with features restricted based on security group permissions

If the security features are implemented a user name and password are required to gain access to the system. Access can be granted for read only, or edit capabilities and each major database has an audit trail that records who last changed the record and the date which it was changed on.

Automated updating of client software for new versions of the system

If implemented, a new version of the user software can be automatically downloaded and installed on the user’s machine when he/she logs onto the system. This greatly reduces system management effort, and allows enhancements to be easily implemented.

Documentation

The System will be distributed with instructions of how to install the back end server database, the end user system, set up NT and Access Security, and enable automatic version updates. We will also include a full data dictionary of the system. These instructions should allow the full installation and operation of the system as is.

History

A pre-award proposal tracking system was needed at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) that could provide structured, centralized and comprehensive information concerning all submissions and awards made through the institute. Because the administrative units of research operated from different sites, the system had to provide a central repository that could be accessed by all five administrative groups, and provide security to allow different groups various levels of access. In addition, due the ever increasing demands of faculty and senior personnel for ad hoc reporting, the system required the flexibility to produce a standard set of reports and record and extract ad hoc queries with minimal effort.

These somewhat unambitious plans were designed to get a system operational in the minimum possible time, realizing that additional features would evolve over the life of the system, once the users and developer had real world experience. From that premise, the ACHRI Proposal Tracking System was implemented in 4 weeks, although it has undergone significant enhancement and refinement since its inception 2 years ago.
While still evolving, the system now includes features such as automated "tickle" e-mails to PIs and administrators on actions and reports that are due, award restrictions utilized by the post-award accounting system, and in development, an award compliance module.

License Fee

$2,500
Interested? Check out our license agreement and contact David Higginson or download the free trail version below.

Free Trial Version Available!

For a free 15 day trial version of the software, click here for Access 97 version, or here for Access 2000 version, or here for Access XP version.

(Note: Microsoft Access must be installed on your computer to run this evaluation version)

Access Login:
Userid: writer
Password: writer

For more information on this system, contact:

David Higginson
Research Information Systems
Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute
1120 Marshall Street
Little Rock, Arkansas 72202
Voice: (501) 364-3757
Fax: (501) 364-6859