Grants Management at NIH
Improved methods for awarding research

NIH came to a realization in 2001 that with over 45,000 grant applications coming through their doors, research funding is steadily on the rise and the easiest place to receive this money is the federal government. Social indicators such as 9/11, the aging baby boom generation and the research community becoming more aware of the process to receive grant money are contributing to over 70,000 grant applications slated to come into NIH in 2004 and these numbers are only going to increase significantly over the coming years. There are three grant application review cycles each year, which cause a surge of inbound applications during these cycles.

As volume increased, so did the costs for shipping and handling and the resources to distribute these paper-based applications to reviewers nationwide. Employees and reviewers were unable to access the grant information via a central, enterprise portal and the retrieval and management of the data was paper-based and manual.

The grants management solution NIH implemented, enabled a scalable approach to manage multiple document sources as well as unique content distribution. They now have electronic, searchable access of grant applications from an enterprise portal, allowing for customized distribution to the grant reviewers. Prior to this electronic process, the time to distribute applications was six to eight weeks. This process can now be done in two to three days.


ASRC's Exploration of NASA
Re-engineering process inefficiencies

According to management consultant and writer Michael Hammer, "Companies must be reengineered, which necessitates starting anew, going back to the beginning to invent a better way of accomplishing tasks. The process requires a leader with vision using information technologies, consulting closely with suppliers to reduce inventories, and empowering employees so that decision-making becomes part of the work."¹

According to ASRC Aerospace Corporation, re-engineering of processes at the Center for AeroSpace Information meant a better business process requirement for information management and database building. Their current system was based on outdated technology and equipment and did not support the need for real-time scanning of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) information.

Undocumented, antiquated systems forced the establishment of a completely re-engineered document conversion process. The information management solution ASRC implemented enabled an improved throughput and the ability for authorized NASA staff to access reports in searchable, PDF format online via a secure login portal. This re-engineering has presented ASRC with the ability to provide a 'Scan-on-Demand' service, where NASA employees can access the report's metadata online and if the report has not been scanned, they can request an electronic version which is completed and accessible within three days.

¹ Hammer, Michael & Champy, James (2001). Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution.