Implementation of the Huron Study Recommendations

The purpose of this memo is to advise you on the recent University-wide focus to improve the grant administrative processes, both centrally and at the department level.

In response to the tremendous growth of Duke University's sponsored program expenditures since 2002 (50% growth), and the impact of this growth on our research administrative support systems, Duke engaged Huron Consulting Services to assist us with a comprehensive evaluation of our research administration and processes. Huron met with more than 120 representatives throughout the University, including approximately 20 faculty members from across the University. Huron's efforts were supported by a project management group and a project advisory group, both comprised of central unit directors and department personnel.

Huron made recommendations dealing with the central administrative processes and staffing, departmental functions, overarching human resource issues, and information technology. The Grant Administrative Redesign Steering Committee was formed by Provost Lange, Executive Vice President Trask, and Senior Vice Chancellor Williams to prioritize and oversee the implementation of the recommendations. Implementation will depend upon several operational groups which will include departmental/school personnel as well as staff from central administration units. In addition to myself, the following individuals were selected for the steering committee:

Scott Gibson, Vice Dean Administration & Finance, School of Medicine
Eugene Oddone, M.D., Vice Dean for Research, School of Medicine
James Roberts, Ph.D., Executive Vice Provost
James Siedow, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Research

We have begun the process of prioritizing and implementing recommendations. Many have already been implemented in central support areas:

• The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) has implemented a new NIH-focused billing team consisting of 3 members and created a "triage" function to handle phone inquiries and to improve response time to faculty and staff.
• The Office of Research Administration (ORA, serving the School of Medicine) has been implementing the Huron recommendations around Other Support. A technical solution to capture necessary awarded effort information is estimated to be approximately two months away.
• This summer and fall, the following central grant administrative areas will move to the former Wachovia Building: OSP, ORA, the Office of Research Support (ORS, which serves the University other than the School of Medicine), the Office of Corporate Research Collaboration (OCRC) and the Clinical Research Support Office (CRSO). Locating these operations in the same building should improve communication and cooperation among these key support areas.
• A School of Medicine (SOM) Effort Reporting subcommittee has been formed, chaired by Dr. Gene Oddone, Vice Dean for Research, to oversee the SOM's direction on effort reporting compliance and management. Committee membership will include faculty.
• Enhanced functionality has been developed within the Sponsored Projects System (SPS) to manage the electronic submission of proposals required by Grants.gov through Duke's system-to-system (S2S) transmission: Grants.Duke.
• Enhancements have been made to iForms payroll distribution data to allow for better management of effort commitments.
• Enhancements are underway to SAP that will improve and support the following processes: cost transfers, subcontract administration, and parent-sub grant reporting.

In addition, one of our initial tasks is to create key benchmarks in several areas, so we can monitor, and report upon, progress toward improving grants administration. The Steering Committee will share the benchmark list with you as it comes together.

Some key indices which we are now monitoring have already seen dramatic improvement since January:

• The number of open, but inactive, sponsored fund codes has been reduced by 80%, and
• The number of late reports/bills, including Financial Status Reports, has declined by 80%.

I look forward to updating you regularly on our progress.

cc: Richard Brodhead
Victor Dzau, M.D.
Peter Lange
Tallman Trask
R. Sanders Williams, M.D.