A leap forward for KU's research data capabilities

From: Simon Atkinson, Vice Chancellor for Research
Sent: Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, 11:08 a.m.
To: KU Lawrence faculty and staff

Colleagues,

Promoting and growing research and discovery at KU in a strategic way requires robust, accurate, real-time data about sponsored activity. Our campus has long discussed this need, and now we’re set to launch a new tool to help meet it.
 
Research Insights is a comprehensive, enterprise dashboard that provides clear, high-level information about externally sponsored research activity to all campus users — from individual investigators and the staff who support them; to deans, directors and chairs; to the provost and other university leadership. The dashboard will go live on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
 
We invite you to register for the campus-wide webinar below to learn more about the benefits of this new tool, including:
 

  • Data consistency: All campus users will have access to the same data, eliminating guesswork about data sources and parameters and facilitating more productive conversations about research strategy.
     
  • Time savings: The dashboard will readily answer many questions that currently require individuals and units to file ad hoc data requests. In instances where more specialized data are required, the dashboard will provide a solid starting point for queries.
     
  • Opportunity analysis: By surfacing and visualizing sponsored research data, Research Insights will enable users to identify both areas of strength and opportunities for growth in targeted areas and more broadly across KU’s research enterprise.

 
Preview the tool and learn how to use it to meet your needs:
 
Research Insights Dashboard: Training for Research Stakeholders
Friday, Nov. 19 | 1 – 2 p.m. | Register on Zoom
 
Live captioning will be provided. If you require other reasonable accommodations, please contact Julie Popiel by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12 at jpopiel@ku.edu or 785-864-7298.
 
Research Insights is an initiative tied to Jayhawks Rising that has been developed in-house by Analytics, Institutional Research & Effectiveness, in collaboration with the Office of Research, using data from KU systems. I want to thank the AIRE staff and the entire project team for the many hours of effort they’ve devoted — and will continue to contribute — to bringing this dashboard to life. I also want to acknowledge the individual researchers, stakeholder focus group members and KU Research Advisory Board members who provided feedback throughout an iterative design process that will continue as we roll out the dashboard in phases.
 
Now it’s your turn. Following the Nov. 16 launch, please let us know about your experiences with Research Insights as you leverage the tool in your work. We want it to be as useful as possible in helping you understand KU’s sponsored research activity and informing decisions about where to focus future energy.
 
Respectfully,
 
Simon
 
Simon Atkinson
Vice Chancellor for Research