I have very little experience with IRIS, but I make fairly
extensive use of both SPIN and SPAS, the latter a proposal
tracking system developed by INFOED.  I found SPIN easier
and more flexible to use than IRIS.  Although, again, my use
of IRIS was rather perfunctory.

Performing useful database searches of SPIN requires a little
practice.  I have found that the "applicant type" and "award
type" fields are often essential to use to produce good searches.
This "hint" is not in the accompanying software documentation,
which has been improved greatly over the past several months
but could be improved further.

Nonetheless, the current microversion of SPIN is far superior
to past iterations.  I find it easy to use, both for individual
searches and for generating files that I download to our VAX for
posting on our institutional electronic bulletin board.  The
microversion of SPIN permits me to generate a series of files
containing synopses of federal programs having upcoming deadline
dates.  The files are organized by academic discipline in a manner
correlating to the academic organization of our institution.
Faculty reading the bulletin board can request a complete SPIN
profile for any of the synopses posted.  I prefer that the request
be made by E-mail; I then forward the corresponding complete
profile of the federal program by return E-mail.

Dick Keogh
xxxxxx@RIC.EDU