Research Focus IT integration of Facilities and Funds Data

1. Research FocusIT integration of Facilities and Funds Data Open Discussion Tom Higerd and Robert Gorlitsky, MUSC Office of Institutional Research, Clemson Clemson University

2. Why Research? • We are viewed by peers based on level of RESEARCH DOLLARS (almost exclusively) • More sponsored research funds are available than ever before, BUT we have no excess lab capacity • research space is expensive to construct • has a single, often specialized focus difficult to convert • requires extensive planning / construction time • HENCE, the rate limiting factor in attracting / developing research faculty is “space”, specifically RESEARCH SPACE • Focus is on effective utilization of research laboratories Clemson University

3. Outline of Presentation • MUSC • Current IT Principles • Space database, Grants database, & Their Integration • Live Demonstration • Past, Current and Future Utility • Faculty Database (ex.: merging of disparate databases) • Clemson • Space Administration & Maintenance System (SAMS) • Anticipated Direction(s) • Development of a Consortium(multiple research institutions) • Information Exchange, Benchmarking, Unified Definitions Clemson University

4. Adopted IT Principles at MUSC • All information systems must be accessible via the Web • Data must be portable (data must not be proprietary) • Data should be independent of software • Prototyping problem solving strategies focused by user • 80/20 rule to go live • Defined IT maturation stages (scale-up, robustness, security, etc.) • Priority is on usability and accessibility • Clients define policy and priority issues • Data ownership (i.e., data integrity) Reference: IBM article • Single system password Clemson University

5. Aspects to Consider of a Research Culture • Infrastructure changes • IT process replacing current paper process • Increased compliance and regulatory issues • Pre- and post-award accounting must meet YOUR needs • Expectation of research faculty • Lab entitlements • Lab technician entitlements • Graduate student entitlement • Value of indirect costs and (state) salary release • Value of PI vs. CoPI awardee • Investigators arise from new hires or existing faculty Clemson University

6. Other Important Aspects to Consider • Central administration must demand accountability (labs) • Principles applied uniformly across campus • Signal evident from every view • Accept assignment as change agents • Design reliable validation methodology • Planned enforcement of policy • (Assuming chair-centric culture, chairs ultimately make decision) • Design open information system to maximize peer pressure • Continue to focus on the most important issue - laboratories • Important to capture type of labs (wet, dry, specialty, other) • Align award / expenditure dollars with lab type Clemson University

7. Aspects to Consider of a Research Culture • Infrastructure changes • IT process replacing current paper process • Increased compliance and regulatory issues • Pre- and post-award accounting must meet YOUR needs • Expectation of research faculty • Lab entitlements • Lab technician entitlements • Graduate student entitlement • Value of indirect costs and (state) salary release • Value of PI vs. CoPI awardee Clemson University

8. Outline of Presentation • MUSC • Current IT Principles • Space database Clemson University

9. Space Inventory Issues Facilities information contained in two databases • University (Physical Plant) facilities Database • Maintained for generating external reports (physical attributes) • Updated annually following walk-through • Contains limited information for management decisions • Not user friendly for data entry or report writing • Academic Facilities database (born in College of Medicine) • Used for planning and internal management action (functional attributes) • Periodic updating or on an “as needed” basis • Employed off-the-shelf, standards-based database programs Clemson University

10. Space Database Demo Clemson University

11. Outline of Presentation • MUSC • Current IT Principles • Space database, Grants database Clemson University

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13. Clemson University

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16. Grants Database Demo Clemson University

17. Outline of Presentation • MUSC • Current IT Principles • Space database, Grants database, & Their Integration Clemson University

20. Outline of Presentation • MUSC • Current IT Principles • Space database, Grants database, & Their Integration • Live Demonstration • Past, Current and Future Utility Clemson University

21. Facilities Inventory - College of Medicine Focused primarily on assigned research space • 14,259 rooms • 4,945,033 gross ft2 • 117 buildings Space Assigned to College of Medicine University Database • 3315 rooms • 602,506 net ft2 • 39 buildings Clemson University

22. Space Assigned to the College of Medicine (as of 11/15/99) Rooms are classified based on their functional use from a list of 53 descriptors (e.g. Faculty Office, Research Lab Support, Research Dark Room • Of the college-wide assigned space (602,506 ft2): • 50% Faculty offices plus administrative space • 34% Research (or 215,637 ft2) • 6% Under Renovation • 10% Miscellaneous (investigator-assigned animal facilities, dept. teaching rooms, assorted clinical areas, etc.) Clemson University

23. College of MedicineResearch Funding and Lab Space(Continued) Of the 215,637 ft2 dedicated to research: 173,986 ft2(or 81%) are labs assigned to individual researchers 41,651 ft2 (or 19%) are research support space not assigned to individual researchers (e.g. cold rooms, shared equipment rooms, dark rooms) Of the 173,986 ft2 of labs assigned to individual researchers: 6,239 ft2 of labs are listed as vacant (undergoing renovations, holding for recruitment of new faculty, etc.) Leaving 167,747 ft2 lab space currently assigned to individual researchers Clemson University

24. College of MedicineResearch Funding and Lab Space(Continued) The 167,747 ft2 of lab space is assigned to 187 researchers The average lab assigned to a researcher is 897 ft2 In addition, there is an additional 223 ft2(on average) of common support space available to each researcher Clemson University

25. Linking Space Data to Awards Awards Database Space Database Name $$$ Sq. Feet 144 85 122 50 130 130 John Jane Jim Jerry Jenny Jes 350 255 214 210 2,095 177 Clemson University

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27. $ 42,391,070 in Total Awards $ 32,294,546 of Direct Costs $ 10,096,525 of Indirect Costs or $ 253/ft2 or $ 193/ft2 or $ 60/ft2 Total Awards: Direct Costs: Indirect Costs: $ 316/ft2 $ 241/ft2 $ 75/ft2 College of MedicineResearch Funding and Lab Space(Continued) The awards that require the 167,747 ft2laboratory space total Under the best and realistic scenario, only ~80% of researchers are funded at any moment (due to unfunded periods between grants, recruitment of junior faculty without funding, etc.). Recomputed, the funding per ft2 becomes: Clemson University

28. Utility of this Information System • Originally, used as a hammer to “free-up” labs • Became a tool to assess department’s request for additional lab space • Information source for: • establishing certain university standards • supporting requests to Boards for capital research expenditures • supporting requests for renovation in select grants • informal comparative information of other institutions Clemson University

29. Outline of Presentation • MUSC • Current IT Principles • Space database, Grants database, & Their Integration • Live Demonstration • Past, Current and Future Utility • Faculty Database (ex.: emerging of disparate databases) Clemson University

30. Example of a system demonstrating: Single authoritative source Multiple data sources Single view The Provost Faculty System Clemson University

31. Outline of Presentation • MUSC • Current IT Principles • Space database, Grants database, & Their Integration • Live Demonstration • Past, Current and Future Utility • Faculty Database (ex.: merging of disparate databases) • Clemson • Space Administration & Maintenance System (SAMS) • Anticipated Direction(s) Clemson University

32. SAMS: Space Administration & Management System To improve knowledge related to and therefore your management of University utilized space Why SAMS? Because of… • Increased pressure for research space as University exceeds $100 million mark • Anecdotal reports of “hidden” and under-utilized research space • Recognition that only through research will Clemson’s national reputation grow • Pressure with budget cuts to assess indirect costs & their flow-through to productive facilities Clemson University

33. What we’ve accomplished… • Introduced the system to Deans, finance officers, college reps, systems leaders • Ensured accurate space assessment for 19 research buildings (indirect cost audit) • The CUBS unit created a report to pull research expenditures for any period of a fiscal year • Shared SAMS with other system leaders on campus – PSA, Environmental Safety, Facilities Clemson University

34. Innovation & Challenges: This is the first time that the available pieces of information are being brought together and it presents some challenges: • Working with Sponsored Programs to assess creation of accurate link between investigator’s proportion on award and proportion on expenditures • Tracking PSA funds down to the individual • Changing the culture so that space is not “deeded in perpetuity” • Changing the culture so that changes to occupant are made by someone outside of OIR Clemson University

35. Report Prototype: • Single department example – horticulture • Roll up to department award summary • We can then summarize to the college and University level • We need to ensure that we are answering the questions you have, given how you want to use this Clemson University

36. Assistance with Planning: • Example: Computer Science • One of the areas targeted for growth • Anticipate move into McAdams, and subsequent / concurrent expansion of McAdams. • Planned growth of both tenure-track faculty and graduate students • Therefore…. What are the facilities required to successfully expand a department? • What kind of space? Small classrooms, grad students • Specialty rooms? Servers, computer labs, electric • Maintenance costs? Assessment of current meters • How will growth in awards help pay for the department’s growth? Clemson University

37. Decisions to be Made: • What priority will be placed on effective assignment of lab space? • Will decision-making rest with the Department Chair? If so, how are Chairs going to be held accountable? • What level of detail do you need on departments? • Do you want expenditures down to the person, proportional to the amount on the award? • Should only research requiring a lab be considered in “per square foot” calculation? • How should this information be integrated with FAS and other evaluation tools? Clemson University

38. Outline of Presentation • MUSC • Current IT Principles • Space database, Grants database, & Their Integration • Live Demonstration • Past, Current and Future Utility • Faculty Database (ex.: merging of disparate databases) • Clemson • Space Administration & Maintenance System (SAMS) • Anticipated Direction(s) • Development of a Consortium(multiple research institutions) • Information Exchange, Benchmarking, Unified Definitions Clemson University