Janice--

I frequently run two COS data bases simultaneously.  I also receive daily
alert services for the Fed Register and the CBD.  One to locate funding
opps and another to Identify faculty expertise and training.  UNCG has
been using COS for right at a year, and as the heaviest campus user, I
LOVE IT.

I no longer have to maintain a local faculty research data base.  COS
prods the faculty for updates, and I get much more information about
each person than I ever tracked  in our institutional profiles.  Everyone
benefits!  Most faculty do their own record management although we
help those who can't for some reason.  I'm better able to target funding
announcements to them, and they get the international exposure.

Then, there are the additional data bases.  Both I and the faculty can
search the Fed Register, CBD or any number of other COS data bases.
These are great tools, especially the data bases of federally funded
projects.  Campus-wide access means that I don't have to do the leg
work for everyone!

All-in-all, the system has been warmly embraced on our campus, by
faculty as well as the research office.  We offer approximately two training
sessions each semester to help faculty learn how to use these valuable
tools.

Hope this helps,

Charna K. Howson
Assistant Director
Office of Research Services
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
xxxxxx@fagan.uncg.edu
910/334-5878
fax: 910/334-3140