Insight Overview

 

Insight Research Portal is a web-based application with over 9000 current users developed for the entire research community (including investigators, departmental research managers, unit chiefs, and administrators) to review, monitor and manage the research portfolio.  It was originally designed by a collection of working groups consisting of departmental administration (Radiology, Surgery, Medicine, etc.), central research management operations (Grants and Contracts, Research Finance, IRB, etc.), lab managers as well as investigators. 

 

It is a customized software-solution developed to respond directly to the needs of the research community.  The goal of Insight is to unite distributed and complex organizational processes into one application.  This helps to facilitate the standardized management of the research enterprise across the network and help alleviate administrative burdens.  It is also a critical foundation for the dissemination of automated business processes.

 

The success of Insight has been an important milestone in the overall strategy of Research Administration.  Proactive financial management, monthly deficit tracking, and proper personnel cost allocation are just some of the mechanisms available currently.

 

Insight eliminates the need for double entry of data into multiple systems.  Information flows seamlessly into Insight each night.  It has allowed departments to discontinue investment in costly 'shadow systems' and has empowered researchers and their staff to understand where they stand in their research program 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  It has also alleviated the need for central administration supporting these departments to answer routine calls and focus on the ever-growing complexities relating to compliance and research oversight activities.