Thanks to all who responded to my request for info on "canned" grants
tracking systems.  What follows is a slightly edited summary of those
responses, including 1 or 2 from other mailing lists.  I have not included
messages which were sent to me with an implied request for confidentiality.

Len

***************************************************************************

SUMMARY OF INTERNET RESPONSES RECEIVED

I work at [snip] and have just finished
converting  our data to RAMS.  Research Services handles proposal and wards
tracking (not any finance).  Two years ago I searched extensively for
.  software as you are in the process of doing now.  I only found two
options.
RAMS and SPAS.

I selected RAMS over SPAS because at the time SPAS seemed to lean toward
proposal tracking, faculty profileinfo, and searching for programs availble
to apply to.  It was somehow linked up to SPIN.  At the time it didn't seem
to suppply all the information we needed with respect to IDC and budget line
items.  However since then I have heard they have updated their software
considerably.  Although I am very happy with RAMS, if I were in you position
I would at least look at SPAS. SPAS may supply more of what you are
specifically looking for.  RAMS however does have a user defined screened
where field can be added to track specific information Upper Management may
be requesting.  We have found it very easy to get reports from, easy to data
enter, and the assistance we have received from the RAMS staff has been
timely.

************************

This in response to Len Paplauskas' request about proposal and grant tracking
software.  The Sponsored Projects Administrative Systems is excellent.  It's
produced by InfoEd in Albany, New York - same company that sells the SPIN
database.  InfoEd can be reached at (800) 727-6427 or xxxxxx@infoed.org.  They
have a demo package on the program.  I do some marketing for the company and
will forward the request to them and make sure Len gets a demo.  Be happy to
answer any questions - I've used the system in conjunction with SPIN for at
least ten years - wouldn't promote it if I didn't use it in my own work.

******************************************

I know of two systems. The first is the proposal tracking system in
SPAS, the INFOED Corp. product (Tel 518-464-0691). Infoed is also the
vender for the SPIN funding opportunity database. I am surprised that
you haven't heard about SPAS since Infoed advertises as heavily as the
venders of  RAMS. (P.S. Ed Johnson, President of INFOED is quite
knowledgeable AND a good salesman.) At our institution we heavily use
INFOED's SPIN product (micro version) and found it to be excellent. We
also use the SPAS faculty interest database and again are very pleased.
We evaluated the SPAS proposal tracking system and were impressed with
many of its features. It works well with with the other components of
the SPAS system. It tracks a lot of useful data and has a good report
generator. However, due to some very restrictive reporting requirements
we have here in North Carolina, we were not able to use it. It is well
worth looking at. Feel free to give mention my name to Ed Johnson.

The other system is currently under development by IBM and North
Carolina State University. It is called GAMS. It will be partially
implemented at NCSU this month. GAMS is a truly visionary system which
combines proposal preparation, institutional approvals, proposal
submission, tracking, and post-award administration in an entirely
PAPERLESS system! NCSU and their IBM partners are trying to sell this
system to other UNC system schools. (My institution is part of the
University of North Carolina system.) In my opinion GAMS will be the
wave of the future but it requires a fairly sophisticated university
computer system and a faculty/administration with wide spread literacy
in E-mail and word processing. If you are interested in more
information, I can put you in contact with NCSU people involved in the
project.

*************************************

At the recent NCURA meeting in Washington, IBM had an exhibition of a
grants-tracking system called GAMS, apparently developed in cooperation with
a
university grants office or two, but I don't recall the details and have no
idea how well it works.

********************************

Our institution is going through a similar study and is almost
ready to make a decision.  I primarily deal with "pre-award" and this fall
completed a pretty thorough analysis of all the "on-line, etc." databases
out there used to locate "grant opportunities".  So because of
my experience in researching those systems (i.e. I.R.I.S., Spin Micro, Spin
Gopher, fedix, STIS, Dialog, etc.), I was asked to assist with the other
issue
of software primarily for "post award" administration.  My opinion (and it
ist strictly my opinion, and not necessarily that of my institution is the
following:

 RAMS is basically "all there is", (which was surprising to me), but
it does have its problems.  It is fairly limited in the user's ability to
make modifications, hence you are pretty much "obligated" to go to Rodman &
Assoc. when you need to customize things for your own site (which you most
likely will want to do).  This can get pretty expensive.  Although they do
a good job, it might have been nicer if the company would sell a "shell"
and allow customers to "plug in" much of what suits their needs.  This is
not usually the case when you have primarily only 1 or 2 companies
Peat Markwick also has a total accounting package which includes
much more than grants administration, so consequently is more suitable if
an institution buys it for all of their accounting needs, but the price tag
is *much* higher:  well over $20,000.

 There is now a relatively new company based in Birmingham, Alabama
called Priority Inc. and they (apparently) built their system around the
grants
admin function at University of Alabama; now they are marketing the
product more extensively.  We are giving this one a serious look, because
among other things, it's Windows-based which seems like a good idea
considering how the software market is going.  We still haven't been able
to arrange a product demonstration here and we are not sure we'll do so.

 We also found, that many largert insitutions that have been into
grants
admin. for a long time have designed their own software (using combinations
of
database and spreadsheet software).  The reason this is most desirable (if
you
can afford it & if you know enough about grants admin to include the proper
system design) is that, while accounting principles might be generic, the
procedures and departments that must produce the data within the
institution will very likely differ from one place to the next.  Since it's
not desirable to change accepted procedures to suit software packages
(these will always be evolving), it makes good business sense to implement
software plans that incorporate rather than change everything around to
suit how the software is designed.

 Incidently, although this isn't directly related, it appears that
Rodmann & Assoc. also is the subcontractor that set up and maintains the
*fedix* system if you're familiar with that.  If you want to call me later
I'd be happy to pass along phone numbers, etc. for Priority Inc. (the
person who actually has that file is not in today).  You  may also want to
talk to her directly about RAMS etc.  Good luck & let everyone know what
you finally decide.  It seems to me this topic is seriously neglected at
NCURA but quite important.

************************************

Len, you should be aware of SPAS by InfoEd Inc. Although I am not using
SPAS because I inherited a home brew system that meets our needs, I have
worked with it a fair bit and think it excellent. Not only does it track
all the things you asked about, but it has modules for human and animal
subjects. You can add faculty interests to the faculty database and do a
merge with InfoEd's SPIN funding opportunity database to create bi-monthly
funding opportunity updates customized for each faculty: this is powerful.

SPAS has good, flexible reporting capabilities. Infoed will help you with
any special customization you need: their support is excellent.

Be aware that SPAS is NOT an accounting system: it is a proposal tracking
system.

Now for the disclaimer. When I was in Alaska I was an early user of SPAS,
and have grown with the product, and made a number of suggestions that were
incorporated into it. As a result I have been asked to serve on InfoEd's
advisory board, to advise on product development; I hasten to add that I do
not get paid for this. I do it because I want to see an excellent line of
products continue to improve, and because I learn from the experience.

I do use SPIN and some of the other on-line services that Infoed is
developing, eg. Commerce Business Daily.

I have copied this message to Ed Johnson, the CEO who will send you more
information. His e-mail is xxxxxx@infoed.org.

**************************

I saw your request for information on "canned" grant tracking systems.  I
can't tell if your looking for a package or if your just reposting Ken
Landorf's request.  In either case, here is some information.

My company, Priority Software, Inc., based her in Birmingham, Alabama, is
the developer of BA2.   Sales and Administration is done here in Birmingham
with all development done in Athens, Georgia.   We are currently a 9 person
company and we're growing rather quickly.  We don't give away our software
but we do offer the highest level of customer support and software
functionality.

Our clients consist of:

 - The Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
 - The Univ. of Georgia (UGA)
 - The Univ. of Illinois - Urbana (UIUC)
 - The Univ. of Miami
 - Vanderbilt University
 - St. Joseph's Hospital (Phoenix, AZ)
 - Good Samaritan Hospital (Phoenix, AZ)

We are a Microsoft Solution Provider experienced in both networking and
software development.  The company has been in business since 1981 (14
years) and our BA family of products has been shipping since 1987 (8 years).
BA2 is the 2nd generation product and is our primary marketing focus.

BA2 is a multi-user, Windows based departmental management system.  The BA2
system is a series of modules that are completely integrated.  The
modularity allows us to customize specific modules to the clients needs
without having to rewrite from scratch.  BA2 provides the following
functions:

Accounting
 * Transaction Processing
 * Grant Fund Monitoring
 * Mainframe Reconciliation via the BA2 Shadow System

Payroll
 * Fund Distribution
 * Automatic Payroll Encumbrance

Space Management

Inventory Control

Equipment Tracking

Publication Database

Decision Support

Under Development:
 * Other Support Database (Sponsored Research)
 * PHS Grant Forms and Budget Preparation
 * Document Imaging

Other Available Modules or Add-On Products:
 * NCI Cancer Center Grant Preparation
 * Gopher Data Publishing Service

All products are Windows based with a 32-bit version under developmet to be
released later this year when Windows 95 is released.  Our product is OLE 2
compliant with full support for Microsoft Mail, Schedule and integration
with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and Project via OLE Automation.  The
product is pretty remarkable but our support and software distribution via
the Internet are, IMO, our best feature.  We ship new releases every week or
so (as our testing releases them).  Our setup program is totally painless
and according to a Novell administrator at UIUC, "this is the best setup
program I've ever seen" since it required nothing of the LAN administrator
to provide all the users with new versions of the product on a frequent
basis.

********************************

Many of us have had the opportunity to hear about the many "new" and
"older" systems for electronic research administration management...

Andrew Grant, a marketing consulant with InfoEd, writes about the system
that he sells... and also lends very good advice:

Call and find out about the company!  He gave the phone number for InfoEd,
since that is the company that he works for, but his advice holds true for
all!

Make sure that the company is reliable, financially secure, and has a strong
development team.  Any system will have its quirks, but how proactive is
the company in continual improvement, service, and technological
advancement?

So many institutions ask these questions, send away for a demo disk, then
purchase the product based on comments such as "I wouldn't sell it if I
didn't
believe in it...."

The most reliable person to discuss possible purchases with is definately
your research administration team (everyone from data enty to the director
of the department).  Fortunately, most of these companies will literally
"come to you" and demonstrate the system to your entire res. adm. team!

Take advantage of this service!  It also gives you the chance to ask
questions
about the company!

*****************************

Dana-Farber is developing its own technology transfer/research
administration
database system written in Paradox for Windows.  Julia Hart will be
presenting it in one of the sessions at the AUTM Annual Meeting in
Nashville.