 |
LEO: Dr. Robert Colvin |
|
| This is the third in a series of discussions with faculty and staff that use LEO, OHIO’s Electronic Research Information Web application. LEO was designed to be a customer centric tool. Quick access to data and streamlined reporting functions were some key elements of the design – and recently these features were put to the test. While already employed as an instantaneous means to monitor and access external funding data – the system also generated a draft annual awards report in seconds as compared to the weeks once needed to pull the data together. LEO offers a window into prior year awards history where current data can be compared to prior years – on any given day of that year – such that funding projections and other assessments are possible. The purpose for this series is to share information about the application through the eyes of various end users; and to highlight aspects of the system. Dr. Robert Colvin, Professor, Biological Sciences, offered that he thinks LEO “saves a lot of time for the PI”. He said the electronic transmittal form makes the process “much more efficient” because it alleviates the need to “walk the form around” (for signatures). He continued by saying LEO is “pretty straight forward”, “easy to use”, and “easy to revise if changes need to be made” – with only a “bit of a learning curve”. Colvin also noted that “by spending less time on administrative processes, there is more time to spend on the science, which results in better proposals”. The PI’s ability to follow the progress of the electronic transmittal form and to see the updated status is another element of the LEO web application that Dr. Colvin mentioned as a positive. When asked for ideas for improvement of LEO, he stated, “I have found it to meet my needs”. Colvin concluded by stating, “It (LEO) does make each submission easier”. |
