The Sponsored Research Administration (SRA) Transformation Program, which launched in fall 2021, has now moved into the design and build phase and is progressing steadily towards its scheduled go-live in spring 2023. The SRA Transformation Program includes the implementation of a new electronic research administration system — Huron Grants and Agreements — along with the design and development of the corresponding analytics environment.
Program Accomplishments
Notable accomplishments so far include completing the onboarding phase of the system implementation project and convening project advisory committees as well as the program steering committee. As the two projects move from requirements gathering to execution tasks, key program governance activities to ensure that the program remains on track to meet established goals will continue, including status reporting at both the program and project levels and coordinating inter-project dependencies.
System Development and a New Name
The implementation of Huron Grants and Agreements is well underway and has reached an exciting milestone: the start of development. The first design and build iteration kicked off in March, and a series of overlapping iterations will continue through January 2023. With the start of this phase, the project team will very soon have the chance to test system functionality. The Northwestern community also has a chance to get in on the action by participating in a University-wide system naming contest open to all staff, faculty, and students. “Name Our System” participants will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win a smartwatch.
For more details about ongoing program activities and to read the most recent accomplishments, visit the SRA Transformation Program Updates page.