With a click of the new Grant Folder button, users can now access electronic copies of many of the documents currently filed in the traditional paper Grant Folder. Demonstrated at the recent Enterprise and Extension Systems Workshop and implemented in the May 18 IMPAC II releases for Grants Management, QuickView, Review, Receipt and Referral and ICO, the Grant Folder concept is generating a great deal of enthusiasm in the user community.

In its initial implementation, the Grant Folder includes the following documents: PI grant history (brief live report); PI grant history (detailed live report); current summary statement; prior summary statements; abstract and notice(s) of grant award. NIH is currently conducting several scanning pilots. The majority of NIAID AIDS applications from the last Council round may be viewed through the Grant Folder; your feedback is welcome. There are still internal technical issues related to security and performance that are being researched for a long-term solution to displaying grant images. It is expected that by next summer, the majority of applications received by CSR will be scanned and that response time for retrieving the images will be five seconds or less.

The requirement for the Grant Folder originated in Peer Review, but because of its universal appeal, the folder will be launched in all business areas and made customizable to serve the needs of each business area. Grant Folder access from the QuickView module is illustrated in these two screenshots: the Grant Folder button and the resulting screen. (Please note that the Grant Folder button appears after a QuickView search has been executed.) For its contribution to eliminating paper and increasing staff productivity, the Grant Folder represents an important step in conquering the information management frontier.