Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Rockefeller conducting this project?
Rockefeller’s Office of Sponsored Programs Administration (OSPA) is committed to excellence in research administration and improving service to faculty. In an environment where external grant funding is becoming increasingly competitive and resources to support research are constrained, Rockefeller must ensure it has the best processes, tools, and resources to support investigators.
Research administration is working fine for our lab or department. What issues are being addressed with this project?
Our research administration infrastructure is one of the most critical functions we provide to our faculty and staff. We want to ensure operations run efficiently, while also maintaining compliance with our federal, state, and private funders.
The goals of this initiative are to optimize research administration services for externally sponsored research across the university, both at the central and lab/department levels, by
- improving service to faculty through streamlined processes and enhanced communication;
- increasing compliance and efficiency by evaluating and improving policies, procedures, systems, and processes;
- implementing performance metrics and benchmarks to measure service to faculty, efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
Does this project include internally funded research conducted at Rockefeller?
The focus of this project is on externally sponsored research projects, although some of the process changes may benefit internally funded research.
Why were external consultants brought in for this project, and how were they selected?
The Office of General Counsel and Office of Sponsored Programs Administration evaluated four different vendor products, including the current InfoEd system, based on the criteria of cost, ease of integration, expansion capabilities, and comprehensiveness. After careful consideration, Rockefeller selected Huron Consulting Group as an external partner in this undertaking. Huron has extensive experience in implementing electronic systems for research administration in higher education. They have performed work for more than 90 of the top 100 research universities and biomedical research institutions in the United States, including the University of Michigan, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Tufts Medical Center, Rutgers, and University of Wisconsin–Madison. Additional information about Huron can be found at http://www.huronconsultinggroup.com.
How will faculty and staff be informed of progress?
The project team will provide updates through the following mechanisms:
OSPA Website: We will regularly post to this website changes in policies and procedures, status updates on the working groups, and metrics and results achieved for each initiative.
Email Communication: We will broadly distribute email updates on a regular basis. These communications will summarize the changes made and the impact they will have on the research community.
Faculty and Administrator Forums: We will present updates on the project in various faculty and administrator forums. If you would like the project team to present at a particular event, please email Collette Ryder, Director, OSPA at cryder@rockefeller.edu.
Can the Project Team come to my lab or department's meetings to share more information?
Yes, we would be happy to present at your department's meetings. If you are interested in this, please email Collette Ryder, Director, OSPA at cryder@rockefeller.edu.
How do I participate in a working group?
If you would like to be involved in the champions group, email Collette Ryder, Director, OSPA at cryder@rockefeller.edu.
