To streamline the sources of financial data for sponsored projects, ITS and the Office of Sponsored Programs have developed a more robust and detailed reporting tool for sponsored projects. This enhanced tool, called RAM Reports, replaces the PI Dashboard in InfoPorte. The PI Dashboard will be decommissioned on January 10.
RAM Reports, which is short for Research Administration Management Reports, provides both campus and central offices with the same view of financial data to improve transparency and streamline processes with sponsored projects’ financial monitoring and reporting.
One-stop shop
RAM Reports provide access to the same award data found in PI Dashboard, but the RAM Reports tool now has improved functionality such as drilling into transaction details and allowing users easy hyperlink access to related ConnectCarolina and RAMSeS data.
“Concentrating project data into RAM Reports not only provides a one-stop shop for users but also consolidates the technical efforts into a singular platform,” said Elizabeth Mumpower, Reporting & Analytics Applications Manager with ITS’ Data & Reporting Environments & Application Middleware (DREAM) division.
Within ITS, the DREAM and Enterprise Applications divisions worked on the project.
ITS has been helping the University expand functionality of RAM Reports for several years. The tool launched in April 2020.
Any user with an active Onyen who annually accepts the Terms of use for University Administrative Systems Policy can access RAM Reports.
Benefits of using RAM Reports
Having one report to look at will improve transparency. It also streamlines the processes involved in financial monitoring and reporting for contracts and grants. In addition, RAM Reports provides:
- Intuitive and easy navigation to views of overall award information and transactions versus projects
- Access to financial information at the project and award levels
- Detailed financial expenditures and projections across all categories and links to transaction details
- Downloadable reports in Excel
Learn even more about what RAM Reports has to offer on the RAM Reports webpage and guidance document.