The recent FastLane announcement about changing to a Password system and the
ensuing discussion (mostly NOT on this list so far) has caused me to wonder
about how the current PIN feature of FastLane is being used.    For security
reasons, I chose NOT to keep a list of PINs (following the lead of our ITS
department).      I think it could be useful for NSF (and for me, as I
rethink how I manage FastLane on our campus) to know how many SRO's maintain
a list of PINs that they have assigned.    If you'd like to reply directly
to me, I'll post the totals to RESADM.

Franci Farnsworth

Frances Vinal Farnsworth
Coordinator of Sponsored Research
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
Munford House
Middlebury, VT 05753
Tel:  802-443-5889
Fax: 802-443-2081
Email:  xxxxxx@middlebury.edu

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nancy Peterson [SMTP:xxxxxx@WINONA.MSUS.EDU]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 9:28 AM
> To:   xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
> Subject:      FastLane concerns
>
> The recent announcement from FastLane has obviously raised concerns in the
> SRO community.  Much of the concern may be due to the fact that the
> announcement left so many questions unanswered.
>
> 1.  How will the user registration process work?  Will that still be done
> through the SRO Office?
>
> 2.  If passwords change every 180 days, and a faculty member only writes
> one grant a year (I'm at a primarily teaching institution, not a research
> institution.), the odds are the faculty member will neglect to change the
> password and/or forget it.   If they don't change it, will they be kicked
> out of the database?  Does that mean they will have to re-register as
> users?
>
> 3.  If the PI forgets to give the SRO access to the proposal (a common
> mistake), will there be any way the SRO can gain "emergency" access for
> submission purposes?
>
> 4.  I currently maintain a list of all PINs, because faculty often ask me
> for their PIN number (and some co-PIs, who seldom work on the proposals
> on-line, but must still be registered in the database, have no idea they
> even have a PIN).  Could the SRO Office receive notification of password
> changes and passwords?
>
> 5.  How are you going to secure electronic signatures for institutional
> approvals?  I have 6 individuals on campus who are legally authorized to
> sign-off on grant applications.  Will each one have to be registered some
> how?  Will they have to keep track of changing passwords?  (Having
> Presidents and Vice Presidents changing and keeping track of passwords
> is...well...I can't imagine it.)
>
> I have really appreciated the "user-friendly" character of the FastLane
> system.    But, the changes proposed as described do appear to be unduly
> cumbersome and problematic.  Perhaps responses to the questions above may
> help us better understand how the new system will work.
>
> **************************************************************************
>
> Nancy Kay Peterson
> Director of Grants & Sponsored Projects
> Somsen Hall Room 202-C
> Winona State University
> Winona, MN  55987
>
> Phone:  507.457.5519
> Fax:       507.457.2415
> xxxxxx@winona.msus.edu
> http://www.winona.msus.edu/grants/
>
>
> ======================================================================
>  Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
>  subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
>  via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
> ======================================================================

======================================================================
 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
======================================================================