Ms. Baker-Weber,
While I am not aware of any grant management-specific software, I have
frequently used a Monte Carlo Simulation software application called
"Crystal Ball" (manufactured by a Colorado firm called Decisioneering) that
might prove useful to you. The software layers on top of MS-Excel and
provides exactly the type of "what if" modeling and forecasting that you
mention. It is a very useful and powerful application. Although
admittedly, it might not be as automated a tool as you seek.
As an aside, our practice group has direct experience in applying Crystal
Ball at major universities and academic medical centers to various grant
prediction scenarios, such as recruitment, hiring, and financial pro-forma
decisions. The software place probabilistic distributions around the
likelihood of key variables, including grant renewals, effective indirect
rates, and grant salary coverages, and it produces a distribution (curve)
of possible outcomes.
I hope this helps! If you would like more information about Crystal Ball,
sample materials of how we've applied it, or how it might be applied to
your needs, please feel free to contact me.
Best Regards,
Bill Dracos
Education Advisory Services
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
1155 Peachtree Street, Suite 1100
Atlanta, GA 30309
678-419-1591 (office)
770-833-2054 (cell)
"Pamela A. Baker-Webber" <xxxxxx@WELLESLEY.EDU>@hrinet.org> on 08/24/2001
10:06:16 AM
Please respond to Research Administration Discussion List
<xxxxxx@hrinet.org>
Sent by: Research Administration List <xxxxxx@hrinet.org>
To: xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
cc:
Subject: [RESADM-L] forecasting software
We're looking for grant management software/program to forecast spending
on multiple externally funded projects--multiple end dates, staff working
on multiple projects, etc. We want to easily play the "what if" game for
decisions such as labor allocation. Right now it's a very manual process
for us. We assume that someone out there must be using something (maybe
departments at research universities?) and we don't have to reinvent the
wheel. What are others using?
Thanks!
Pam.
Pamela Baker-Webber
Director of Pre-Award Services
Wellesley Centers for Women
Wellesley College
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481
phone: 781-283-2508
fax: 781-283-2504
email: xxxxxx@wellesley.edu
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