Background
As part of RAS’s on-going effort to streamline processes and improve service, we have been studying the proposal development and approval process for opportunities to save time on proposal review and submission. Our goal is to find ways to give PIs and their staff more time to write and develop proposals, while allowing our Grants & Contracts team the time they need to ensure that proposals adhere to MIT’s policies and standards. Using RAS’s proposal review tool, we have seen trends in the administrative quality of proposals, as well as the frequency of waivers to the 5-day rule for the past several years, and have been sharing our data with Deans and other administrators in an effort to find solutions to common proposal issues and promote adherence to the 5-day rule.
The Data
Below are some working samples of charts that we have developed to illustrate trends and variations in proposal errors and 5-day waivers. We are using these sample charts to develop interactive Administrative Quality and 5-Day dashboards in Cognos for schools and DLCs to self-monitor their proposal quality and 5-day adherence. It is our hope that providing this data will encourage collaboration with RAS to help us improve service and develop the training and tools that our research administrators need to excel.
Administrative Quality of Proposals Sample Chart
5-Day Waiver Sample Chart
