We count four  transactions: grant applications processed,
IRB reviews, IACUC reviews, and Biosafety Committee reviews.
Since this office also processes subcontracts, whether we
are the prime or the sub, I've started counting those, too.
A proposal sent to three different sponosors is counted as
three different proposals; such applications are seldom truly
"identical" and call four this office to be familar with
three different sponsors' guidelines.   I usually throw in
the amount of sponsored funding at the college, but I don't
feel a sponsored programs office can really claim responsibility
for that, nor should it: when an application is funded, it's
because the PI wrote a strong proposal.

 I use these indices when reporting on office activity to
the outside world--my boss and other administrators.  The things
that we inside the office count as "success" are often anecdotal,
hard to count, and difficult to get outsiders excited about--
for example, when we inform a PI about a funding opportunity
she didn't know about and she gets a grant from that source,
or when we nurse a junior faculty member through a first grant
application.

Peter J. Dolce
Director, Office of Sponsored Programs
Meharry Medical College
Nashville, TN 37208

P 615 327 6703
F 615 327 6738