Last modified: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
IU's new research management tool, Kuali Coeus, ready for faculty, administration release
Kuali Coeus will be implemented at IU in two phases between July 2011 and December 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- On the heels of a year in which Indiana University attracted a record $603.9 million in research grants and awards, IU President Michael McRobbie today announced implementation of a new, comprehensive grant administration system to better assist faculty researchers at every stage of the grant-making process.
"If we are to continue to reach new milestones in both the quality and quantity of our research, our faculty and administrators need cutting-edge tools that facilitate excellence," McRobbie said. "When this improved system for research administration is fully in place, our faculty and staff will have an unrivaled suite of tools to empower their efforts in every phase of the highly competitive grant process, from developing proposals to awarding of grants and ensuring compliance."
The open-source Kuali Coeus research administration system will replace and build upon the university's current Electronic Research Administration system and components of the Financial Information System, as well as numerous internal research administration systems and databases.
IU Vice President for Research Jorge José said he expected a smooth transition at IU to a new system that will eventually be implemented at universities across the country.
"We see this new system as a game-changer not only for Indiana University, but also for the network of elite research institutions already committed to using a system modeled from MIT's highly-regarded Coeus application," he said. "In replacing Coeus, Kuali Coeus will offer a free, open-source research administration tool that will be accessible from any common web browser."
Various educational opportunities to gain exposure to the Kuali Coeus systems, such as face-to-face computer lab sessions, web-based resources and eLearning videos, are available for faculty and principal investigators, deans, chairs, directors, department administrators, fiscal officers and grant service administrators. IU staff and faculty on all campuses may register for these education opportunities by visiting the IU Kuali Coeus training sessions here.
Kuali Coeus will enable research administrators and investigators to manage all aspects of grant proposal development, submission, award and compliance from the desktop. The system also allows multiple users to work concurrently, supports electronic submission to federal agencies (Grants.gov), facilitates consistent business processes, and aids in ensuring adherence to university policy and federal regulations.
Designed to improve service for faculty by replacing manual processes, Kuali Coeus should also enable users to see reduced errors through use of an auto-populating integrated system, modules for easier and faster reporting, and a consistent program of upgrades and support associated with a software-based system.
Indiana University has been instrumental in the development of the Kuali Foundation and Kuali Coeus through its support of a collaborative, open-source environment to deliver enterprise systems for higher education. IU faculty and staff have made significant contributions to Kuali Coeus, and IU Vice President for Information Technology Brad Wheeler is currently the board president of the Kuali Foundation.
"I am pleased that IU staff and faculty have played such a pivotal role in designing Kuali Coeus with marquee partners," Wheeler said. "It is truly of, by, and for the needs of research universities and backed by the strength of the Kuali Foundation and its commercial affiliates."
Kuali Coeus will be implemented at IU in two phases between July 2011 and December 2012. Phase 1 (July 2011) will allow users to build simple or complex proposals for individual or aggregate submissions, create budgets, and submit proposals for both Grants.gov and non-Grants.gov entities. Phase 2 (December 2012) will provide the ability to create awards, award terms and conditions, and to manage complex multi-account awards. Phase 2 will integrate Kuali Coeus with financial components debuting in the Kuali Financial Systems at Indiana University.
Kuali Coeus and the Kuali Financial Systems will share component and award attributes, while data sharing and information flow will be streamlined between the two systems.
For more information, please contact Steve Chaplin, University Communications, at 812-856-1896 or stjchap@indiana.edu.
