Office of Sponsored Projects & Industry Partnerships

eSRA

Electronic Sponsored Research Administration

Jeff Weiner

Office of Sponsored Projects

& Industry Partnerships

Office of Sponsored Projects & Industry Partnerships

What is eSRA

electronic Sponsored Research Administration (eSRA) is:• A digital process implemented to improve the ability of a principal

investigator and the associated team members of any sponsored research activity to manage a sponsored project more efficiently, with less risk of administrative or technical failure. It replaces manual, redundant processes and empowers the customer

• LBNL considered 4 vendors to supply the software after 3 others were eliminated in prior vendor demos ( held in 2007,2008)

• RFP was issued in Jan 2009. Responses were received, evaluated. Follow up questions issued and then vendor demos held in July. One vendor dropped out of competition

• Over 7 vendor references checked and consulted on implementation process used.

• Consensus meeting held Mon July 29 to recommend vendor to CIO, CFO and ALD for Operations

Office of Sponsored Projects & Industry Partnerships

eSRA Project Summary

• Scope– Develop an integrated and automated Sponsored Research

environment for non DOE work – Both pre- and post-award processes - administrative and

regulatory (Integration of proposals with IRB, IACUC and COI regulatory functions)

• Desired outcomes– Identify funding opportunities– Reduce time spent by PIs and staff on proposal development,

submission, and tracking– Electronic routing of proposals for approvals– Electronic system to system submission to grants.gov– Reduce risk of non compliance and errors– Eliminate paper processes– Provide necessary proposal and award data for PI, Division, and

Institutional management, serving as the single source for proposal and award data.

– Provide PI and staff with statuses, notification of pending actions and post award actions

Office of Sponsored Projects & Industry Partnerships

Next Steps

• Contract signed By LBNL and Click Commerce to buy 5 modules in FY 09

• Implementation will be in phases during FY10-11 with LBNL staff and professional services from Vendor

• Team met in Sept to begin the process of defining the implementation strategy, dependent on functional readiness, risk ( success and institutional needs), value to the institution, prior experience of other customers and input from the vendor

• General agreement of a tentative hierarchy (IRB., Grants, IACUC COI)

• More discussion in late October w/ LBNL and Vendor reps in a kick off meeting

• Will require participation with PIs and Division staff