I think that Nancy is right about this.  We just don't have enough
information yet to be able to tell how this will impact our current
processes.

I would like to add, however, that although I may be in the minority
here,
I think that the negative reaction to the FastLane announcement may be a
bit premature.  As electronic research administration tools and
processes are developed and unfolded, we will continue to be faced with
changes in current systems.  Although it is important to register our
concerns about changes, I think we must also be sensitive to the
developers' processes and needs.  What a boon electronic signatures will
be when they are worked out!  And let's consider how much time this
innovation alone will save us all!

Also, our office used to keep a record of all PIN numbers for
researchers, but we found that keeping track of this was very
cumbersome.  We now assign PIN numbers without keeping track, and if
researchers lose their PINs, we just assign a new one to get them back
into the system.  We haven't had a problem yet.  When we do need to get
into a proposal, we are in communication with the P.I. anyway (I
wouldn't want to be making changes to their proposals without their
knowledge), so he/she just gives us his/her PIN when we need it to help
them out.  So far, no problems.  We are operating on a need-to-know
basis only.  So, I don't see the PIN/password issue as a major issue for
us, at least as it has been described thus far.  We will still have to
approve the proposal before it goes to NSF...I am sure NSF would never
take that approval out of the system!

If I am missing something here, (and I very well could be), let me know!

Patty Hagen

Nancy Peterson wrote:
>
> Did Carolyn say anything about the institutional signatures required by
> authorizing organizational reps?
>
> That's a major question mark in terms of how electronic signatures 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/
>
>                     Diane M Meyer
>                     <xxxxxx@IASTA        To:     xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
>                     TE.EDU>              cc:
>                     Sent by:             Subject:     Re: FastLane concerns
>                     Research
>                     Administratio
>                     n List
>                     <xxxxxx@hri
>                     net.org>
>
>                     02/09/00
>                     10:59 AM
>                     Please
>                     respond to
>                     Research
>                     Administratio
>                     n Discussion
>                     List
>
> I keep track of the PIN's as they are assigned.  I don't know how many
> times I've needed to look them up for PI's who forgot what it was.  It's
> really much quicker than having to login to FastLane and assign a new one.
>
> I am including a message I received from Carolyn Miller in response to my
> question about this subject.
>
> -----begin message-----
> Diane,
> Your second alternative is what will happen - you will assign a temporary
> password which they will have to change the next time they attempt to log
> on
> to FastLane.  It is really critical to the electronic signature project
> that
> passwords be known by only the person signing the document (although human
> nature being what it is, there is nothing we can do to prevent the person
> from sharing his/her password with others).
>
> --Carolyn
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Diane M Meyer [SMTP:xxxxxx@iastate.edu]
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2000 3:40 PM
> > To:   Miller, Carolyn
> > Subject:      Re: FastLane Conversion from use of PINs to Passwords
> >
> > Carolyn,
> >
> > Thanks for the update!  I can follow and support all of your points.  As
> a
> > FastLane administrator, I do have one question.  I receive numerous calls
> > from PI's asking for their PIN because they have forgotten it.  Will
> there
> > be a way for me to look it up for them or do I just have to assign
> > temporary one (as mentioned below) and have them login and change it to
> > something they will, hopefully, remember next year?
> >
> > At 10:01 AM 2/8/2000 -0500, you wrote:
> >
> >       6)  if a research administrator changes an individual's password,
> > the individual is required to change the password to something else as a
> > part of the next log-on sequence.
> -----end message-----
>
> Diane M. Meyer |-| Budget/COS/FastLane Specialist
> Contracts & Grants, Iowa State University
> 221 Beardshear Hall
> Ames, Iowa  50011
> 515-294-4567 (voice)  515-294-8000 (fax)
> http://grants-svr.admin.iastate.edu/candg.html
> W-W-W < =====<<
>
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