Susan:
 We keep our accounting records separate from our pre- and post-award records.  Our pre- and post-award records are actually combined with our committee (IRB, IACUC) records (separate files but same filing cabinet).  We assign a unique SP (sponsored programs) code to each project at our institution.  We do this for both funded as well as unfunded research.  Our SP code starts with the first three letter of the investigators last name followed by five numbers.  The first number is used to identify whether that investigator is the first, second, third, etc. investigator whose last name contains those first three letters, the second and third numbers represent the number of projects that investigator has had in the current year, and the last two numbers represent the current year.  We then file by this SP code.  We have an Access database that links all the various numbers, committee activity, grant/contract restrictions, reporting requirements, personnel involved, etc.

Diane Austin, CRA
Mgr., Research Review/Reg. Affairs
Marshfield Clinic
Division of Research
1000 N. Oak Avenue
Marshfield, WI 54449
Phone:  715-387-9134
Fax:  715-389-3131
Email:  xxxxxx@mfldclin.edu