Awards Improvement and Development Effort (AIDE)
Transforming grant management at the University of Washington
Finance, Planning & Budgeting, the Office of Research, and UW Information Technology are working with campus leaders to make award setup faster, improve reporting, and boost efficiency to better support research.
Stay up to date with the awards improvement process through our weekly status report, goals tracker, monthly newsletter highlights, and timeline tracker.
Weekly Status Report
We want to keep you informed. Review our status report, updated weekly with project highlights and award backlog metrics (UW NetID required).
Goals Tracker
The AIDE team has mapped several high-impact recommendations onto the initiative’s broader goals by drawing on insights from Huron Consulting Group, Workday experts, UW central units, and campus stakeholders. Click the arrows in this section to review those recommendations and view our progress.
Simplify and standardize workflows to reduce manual workarounds and speed up award setup. This includes optimizing SAGE-to-Workday integrations for improved efficiency.
| ID | Work Effort | Short Description | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Streamline Award Setup and Returns to Campus Processes | Update Award Setup (ASR) process to reduce turnaround time and reliance on Campus, and streamline processes for Grants Contract & Accounting and Office of Sponsor Programs (OSP). | Implementing |
| 2 | Review/Revise Campus Returns Process | Improve the follow up for ASRs returned to Campus for timely completion. | Implementing |
| 4 | Refine SAGE Budget & Workday Award Plan |
Refine SAGE Budget and Workday Award Plan to the level of granularity required by sponsors.
|
Business Requirements |
| 6 | Define Communication & Escalation Pathways | Define communication expectations and formalize escalation pathways for award returns. | Planning/Design |
| 14 | SAGE-to-Workday Award Modification Integration | Create a new integration from SAGE to Workday for Award Modification (MOD) requests to eliminate duplicate data entry and expedite the process. | Implementing |
| 16 | eCG1 and ASR form Integration | Link eGC1 form to pre-fill data in the ASR form for improved efficiency. | Business Requirements |
| 17 | SAGE ASR Validations | Implement system alerts in the SAGE ASR form to validate data and expedite gathering necessary compliance documents. | Business Requirements |
| 18 | Improve SAGE Search Capabilities | Improve SAGE search functionality to showcase complete and accurate data. | Business Requirements |
| 19 | SAGE ASR & Budget Form Validations | Implement alerts in the SAGE ASR form and Budget Worksheet to validate data and expedite award setup process. | Complete |
| 22 | SAGE Budget Rounding | Correct budget rounding in SAGE Budget Worksheet to match rounding on NIH Notice of Award or amendments. | Business Requirements |
| 23 | Link SAGE Budget to MOD Requests | Link SAGE Budget to MOD requests to enable SAGE-to-Workday MOD integration | Implementing |
| 25 | GCA Returns to OSP | Build functionality for GCA to return items to OSP via SAGE to expedite award setup efficiency. | Business Requirements |
| 27 | Award Activity View in SAGE | Implement a new view within SAGE to allow Campus, OSP, and GCA to view awards and SAGE item history improving transparency and reduce communications. | Implementing |
| 28 | Add View Roles for Research Administration Leaders in SAGE | Deliver View roles in SAGE to research administration leaders at additional levels, to allow for further transparency and oversight. | Business Requirements |
| 29 | SAGE Campus Dashboard ASR & MOD Purpose | Enhance the Campus dashboard to include ASR & MOD Purpose to improve transparency. | Business Requirements |
Optimize processes within Workday to clearly define ownership, minimize manual interventions, and improve the accuracy and timeliness of subaward management.
| ID | Work Effort | Short Description | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Subaward Request Process | Update the Subaward Request Process so Campus, OSP, and GCA can complete their work concurrently, increasing process efficiency. | Planning/Design |
| 39 | Subaward Request Form | Update the SAGE Subaward Request Form to steamline processesing, ensuring OSP has all required information and limiting unnecessary follow-ups. | Planning/Design |
| 42 | Prioritization Procedure for Subawards | Create standardized subaward prioritization procedure categorized by urgency. | Planning/Design |
| 44 | Streamline Subaward Supplier Contract Setup | Setup only supplier contracts, without a PO, for subawards in Workday to reduce redundancy | Business Requirements |
Provide accurate and comprehensive reporting solutions for principal investigators (PIs), departments, schools, and colleges. Address missing or incorrect data issues and close gaps in institution-level reporting capabilities.
| ID | Work Effort | Short Description | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | Sponsored Programs Award Workflow Dashboard |
Develop dashboard for the Sponsored Programs Lifecycle showing workload volume and turn around times for award processing to improve visibility.
|
Implementing |
| 47 | Earned Period End Date Report Enhancement |
Create the R1269.1 report with Earned Period End Date outside of Workday to allow transparency into retro pay end dates.
|
Complete |
| 46 | Workday Dashboards for Campus |
Develop Campus-level and Executive Workday dashboards to improve information accessibility, transparency, and data-based decision-making.
|
Planning/Design |
| 57 | Expenditure Summary Dashboard | Create an Award Metrics dashboard so Campus leaders can drill into backlogs in the award setup process. | Planning/Design |
| 49 | Matrix of Research Reports | Develop a comprehensive matrix of available research reports and their functions to improve consistency of report usage and reduce frustration. | Implementing |
| 51 | Workday Report to View Grant Budget & Expenditures | Develop a Workday report to view Grant Budget and Expenditures with a date selection filter. | Planning/Design |
| 52 | GCA Workday Dashboard | Optimize Workday automation and develop a dashboard for GCA to inform daily operations. | Implementing |
| 53 | Post Award Fiscal Compliance (PAFC) Dashboard Access | Provide access to PAFC, GCA, and Campus to expedite compliance reviews and promote timely cost transfers. | Complete |
| 55 | Escalation Procedure for Grant Accounting | Escalate issues with Fiscal Compliance and Reporting that are impeding grant close outs. | Implementing |
| 56 | R1234 vs. Cost Reimbursable Spend Lines | Create a report that compares R1234 to cost reimbursable spend lines to identify and escalate issues. | Planning/Design |
| 131 | Facilities & Administration (F&A) Rate Encumbrance | Resolve F&A Encumbrance overstatement reporting issues. | Planning/Design |
Implement advanced Workday features to increase visibility of interdependent issues, speed up reporting, leverage Workday to increase efficiency across units, and support greater transparency and accountability.
| ID | Work Effort | Short Description | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | Optimize Use of Workday Custom Validations | Evaluate and update Workday custom validations for optimization of system controls to improve Campus’ ability to post expenses. | Implementing |
| 71 | Workday Invoicing Capabilities | Retire PRISM (3rd party system) and transition to Workday invoicing capabilities to expedite processing. | Planning/Design |
| 59 | Grant Hierarchy Strategy | Utilize Grant Hierarchies to include common report groupings allowing for consolidated award reporting. | Planning/Design |
| 60 | Fund 209 Separation | Separate Fund 209 to create isolated funds managed by GCA to support ease of reporting. | Complete |
| 66 | Eligible Investigator Feature | Utilize new Workday Eligible Investigator feature to allow PI to stay assigned to the grant throughout entire award period, regardless of position changes. | Implementing |
| 68 | Spend Restrictions for Unallowable Costs | Create spend restrictions for known unallowable costs per award, sponsor or institutional policy. | Implementing |
| 69 | Object Class Mapping Exception Report | Create Object Class Mapping Exception report to increase compliance and transparency. | Implementing |
| 72 | Invoice Type Consolidation | Consolidate quantity of Invoice Types to expedite invoicing process and reduce ongoing maintenance. | Planning/Design |
| 77 | Bill Outside Award Line Dates | Enable “Bill Outside Award Line Dates” to allow for sponsor invoice processing for valid spend activity occurring after grant has ended. | Planning/Design |
| 80 | Cost Share | Evaluate scenarios for granular classification of funding sources for cost share Grant. Assess if the use of Projects is sufficient for complex cost share scenarios. Revise addendum and job aid to improve transparency in the cost share setup. | Implementing |
| 84 | Payor Worktags Report | Create and implement a report for Payor Worktags for Campus to eliminate reliance on GCA and improve efficiency. | Complete |
| 89 | Resolve Incorrect Converted Invoices | Continue working with Workday to resolve incorrectly converted invoices so invoices and adjustments no longer show to be unpaid. | Planning/Design |
| 94 | Surplus & Deficit Report |
Develop a Surplus & Deficit report to monitor service and charge centers and reinstate quarterly compliance reviews.
|
Complete |
| 130 | Equipment Capitalization/Fabrication |
Address accounting issues in Workday related to equipment capitalization and fabrication budgets. Document process and best practices for utilizing Workday Report.
|
Implementing |
Resolve critical backlogs in award and subaward set up, closing, and reporting through expedited processing.
| ID | Work Effort | Short Description | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96 | Award Processing Backlog Reduction | Implement backlog reduction strategies to address critical backlogs and mitigate the risk of future backlogs. | Implementing |
| 102 | Award Closeout Team Structure & Staffing | Evaluate and staff the Award Closeout Team, setting the team’s priorities to eliminate additional backlogs. | Implementing |
Create a detailed document management structure of training materials to simplify access to documentation, expand staff knowledge, and promote accurate, consistent execution of research administration processes.
| ID | Work Effort | Short Description | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Award Setup & Modification Job Aids | Review and consolidate ASR and MOD job aids with embedded definitions to enable onboarding. | Planning/Design |
| 58 | Report Tools & Reporting Training Materials | Streamline and promote training materials, reporting tools, and communication forums to improve clarity and decision-making by helping stakeholders interpret and use reports effectively. | Planning/Design |
| 76 | Invoicing and Billing Job Aids | Document detailed job aids for billing processes to assist staff in invoice development. | Implementing |
| 86 | GCA Job Aids for Setup & Journals Teams | Consolidate job aides for setup and journals to reduce redundant training materials and improve standardization. | Implementing |
| 104 | Job Aids from Legacy Financial Systems to WD Terminology | Update job aids to remove references to legacy financial system and include Workday terminology to ensure accuracy and relevance. | Implementing |
| 106 | Grant Lifecycle Roles and Responsibilities | Develop and publish a roles and responsibilities matrix across all grant areas. | Implementing |
| 107 | Points of Contact for Non-Research Related Offices | Create formalized points of contact for GCA, OSP, and Campus within non-research related offices. (e.g. Payroll, Procurement, etc.) | Implementing |
| 108 | Training Material Document Management | Inventory and organize research training, documentation, and job aids, and review to determine where additional context and research administration can be provided. | Planning/Design |
Newsletter Highlights
May 2025
Last month, the Initiative entered its Main Track Design and Planning phase, advancing efforts to improve the grants and awards experience at UW. The team is sharing weekly updates and a new goals tracker on this site to keep the community informed and engaged.
We’re working closely with faculty, staff, and administrators across research, finance, and IT to refine our roadmaps and recommendations. Sponsor feedback and a detailed workplan will follow in the coming weeks to guide next steps.
Timeline Details
The AIDE Initiative runs two parallel tracks for immediate impact:
- Main Track (20 weeks, launched Feb 2025): Focuses on optimizing Workday processes, aligning stakeholders, and enhancing technology and integrations.
- Fast Track: Targets resolution of major backlogs in award/subaward setup, invoicing, closeouts, and reporting.
Andreas Bohman | Vice President, UW Information Technology, Chief Information Officer
Provides leadership and strategic oversight for the initiative, fostering collaboration between FPB, OR, and UW-IT. Ensures alignment with institutional priorities and resolves high-level challenges.
Co-Sponsors
Mari Ostendorf | Vice Provost, Office of Research
Focuses on streamlining award and subaward workflows, meeting sponsor compliance standards, and addressing reporting needs for PIs and institutional stakeholders.
Jason Campbell | Vice President, Finance & Budget Strategy, Finance, Planning & Budgeting, Deputy Chief Financial Officer
Leads efforts to improve post-award processes, aligning them with financial policies and leveraging efficient tools to optimize resource utilization and ensure compliance.