UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 5
October 3, 1996
Research office offers 'user-friendly' service

     One-stop shopping, from cradle to grave, is one way to
describe the new project manager structure of the research
office," explains Costel Denson, vice provost for research.
     In the past, faculty had to contact different staff members
about separate steps in the grant process. Now, under the project
manager structure, a team of two professionals assist faculty and
staff through the entire grant process from proposals to funding.
     "This is an innovative approach, and Delaware is one of the
first to try it," Denson said.
     When Denson was appointed to his current position in 1992,
grant processing was divided between the Office of Research and
Patents, where funding opportunities were identified, and the
Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, with
responsibilities for preaward and postaward administration of
sponsored contracts and grants. Under his leadership, the two
units were merged to form the current Office of the Vice Provost
of Research.
     The next goal, he said, was to streamline grant processing
and make the office more "user friendly" and efficient. The
project manager approach was put into place, with faculty and
staff working with a research manager team of professionals,
familiar with their needs and goals, to advise them throughout
the grant process.
     "We are here to facilitate, not regulate," Denson said. "Our
goal to find out what faculty want to do and figure out how to do
it. The system allows for greater flexibility and autonomy, so
that those needing more assistance receive it, while others can
operate more independently."
     There are four teams now in place under the direction of
Michele Campbell, director of project management. The managers
include Susan M. Tkachick and Geraldine Hobbs, both veteran UD
employees, and two newly hired managers, Maureen Edozie and
Eugene Sterud.
     Tkachick served as an accountant in sponsored programs, and
Hobbs as manager of operations for mechanical engineering.
     Edozie served as grant and contract administrator for the
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged, a Harvard Medical
School affiliate, and Sterud was director of sponsored programs
at DePaul University.
     The managers have been assigned units according to their
expertise, Denson said. Tkachick's responsibilities include
marine studies and the Office of the President; Hobbs'
responsibilities include engineering; Edozie focuses on nursing,
nutrition and biology; and Sterud's areas include the humanities,
arts and urban affairs.
     Rachel Strickland, Delaware '92, has been appointed manager
of research billing and collection, coming from Health South,
where she worked in billing and collections and in developing a
company-wide computer system.
     Another major change is a new grants management computer
system, implemented with the help of Information Technologies.
"White-out used to be a major budget item in the department, and
now it's down to zero. Instead of reams of paper, most documents
can be processed electronically," Denson said.
     Processing grants used to take a minimum of five days, but
now the norm usually is two days or less. Users can complete
"Blue Sheets," the University's internal proposal routing sheet
online, or use a budget spreadsheet. Training sessions are
planned for units across campus.
     When an award is made, all proposal data can be easily
entered into the University's financial systems. Project managers
now have access to all proposal and award data for their units at
their fingertips. Faculty also now have access to locating
funding sources via the World Wide Web at
http://www.udel.edu/hpc/homepage/html
     The new system allows more flexibility, the ability to
respond to new opportunities and to share information, which is
important as funding patterns change, Denson said.
     His office also is at the ready to hook up electronically
with research agencies as they have the capability, such as the
National Science Foundation, which is preparing to go online.
     "With the project staff in place, we are ready to serve the
University's research community, and the response and feedback
from faculty and staff has been positive," Denson said.
                                              -Sue Swyers Moncure