Scientists, medical faculty and research staff at City of Hope will soon say goodbye to tracking their grant-related research effort on paper. A new, Web-based system will help investigators report their effort more efficiently. The system is slated to launch in October, and training begins Aug. 22.
 Karen Feintuch grapples with two weeks’ worth of paperwork generated for effort reporting. (Photo by Alicia Di Rado) |
The new system is called ecrt, short for Effort Certification and Reporting Technology. The user-friendly system will streamline the reporting required of scientific and medical faculty and staff who must regularly certify the percentage of their work time spent on various research projects.
“It’s easy to use and compliant with the current sponsor regulations,” said Frances Solano, director of the Office of Sponsored Research. “It will free researchers from having to complete and route pieces of paper, and it improves City of Hope’s ability to track certification completeness and identify situations that require follow-up.”
Enhancements will include the following:
- Electronic notification, routing and certification of an individual’s effort statement
- Secure, easy-to-use Web access 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- On-demand electronic access to current and historical data
- Simplified standard reports and custom queries
- Standardized processes and procedures
- Electronic storage and archiving
- Increased administrative efficiency and compliance
- Elimination of paper
Faculty and staff will be able to sign into ecrt with their City of Hope network username and password.
Department administrators will undergo classroom training, and investigators will receive training through a video on HopeBoard, City of Hope’s online training website.
