Lesson+3+The+Solutions+Identified

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Solutions to the communication disconnect between business department staff, PI's and other researchers is self evident. Increasing the communication between them will result in a better mitigated solution. Potential solutions are as follows:

1. Methods to increase communication, manage structure, depict proper flow and use of best practices for documents
 * Universal web portal to serve as portal for this information
 * An easy guide to communicate typical deadlines, expected coaching time then protected business processing time
 * Resources on where to find grants
 * After the grant has been selected, what to do next
 * Organizational chart to depict who the key support players are and where to go for help
 * Flow chart, diagram information flow
 * Grant repository so other PI's and faculty can see previous grant applications and learn from the mistakes, improve process

2. Working with EPEX, suggesting modification to the new standardized electronic business authorization process
 * EPEX is Emory's version of electronic document system which pushes documents between various departments for approval. When there are deficiencies found, approves simply deny the passage of the document to go further up the chain. Killing its progress and requiring the document to be changed, resubmitted to start the process all over again.
 * This is not a collaborative system, and what the grant system needs is something which can support active collaborative of multiple parties and then use EPEX to push the grant through.
 * System is new and the bugs are currently being worked on, grant proposal process is likely very low on the list of priorities, better to work on improving process than improving EPEX

In the link above, Harvard has taken necessary steps to create a department which will aide researchers navigate the grant approval process, not just internally but also externally.

Works Cited: "New HSPH Office To Help Research Proposal Process." //Harvard Crimson// (2010): Web. 6 Apr 2010. <[]>.