Cayuse Improves Automation and Efficiency at the University of Guam

Challenge

With a student population of just over 3,000 the University of Guam may not be top-tier in size, but in recent years its Office of Research and Sponsored Programs has seen a substantial increase in both the volume and size of proposal submissions. As the office’s Director of Contracts and Grants Dr. Pamela Peralta puts it, “We’re not an R1 university, but we definitely have the revenue for it. For our small little area here in the western Pacific, we’re doing some groundbreaking research.”

While past proposals landed grants in the $1-2 million range, the office now handles applications representing a tenfold increase. This has been a boon for the university, where grants account for around 50% of the school’s funding source based on the most recent Audit Report.  

When Dr. Peralta joined the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs in 2020, administrators tasked her with finding a better management system besides “calling us at midnight to say there is a grant due the next day.” The team decided to consider a more robust solution. 

Solution

The Office of Information Technology suggested three initial vendors to investigate for electronic research management software, but the team was particularly interested in Cayuse’s management solutions. 

After settling on Cayuse as the vendor of choice, the University of Guam implemented Cayuse Sponsored Projects 4.0, Proposals, Human Ethics, and Outside Interests. Once implemented, these new solutions were well-received by researchers and administrators alike. 

“It went from nothing to this,” Dr. Peralta recalled, “So it has helped us in the last couple of years become more efficient and saving. [Cayuse] has helped us with our processes; PIs now use Sponsored Projects and Proposals a lot, and Human Ethics and Outside Interests quite a bit for IRB.”  

Satisfied with the first batch of Cayuse solutions, the University of Guam is currently in the process of adding Project Effort and Fund Manager to its suite of Cayuse solutions. “Fund Manager is the one that we’re hoping to roll out soon that I think is going to make a world of difference for the PIs because then they will be able to monitor and review their expenditures, forecast their budgets, and make decisions wisely.”

Results

The University’s new Cayuse electronic research administration system has increased transparency, accountability, and time savings, helping processes move faster without sacrificing accuracy and freeing time for researchers and administrators to focus on the work that matters most. 

“On the IRB side, Cayuse has helped PIs see where their application is and the status of their submission,” Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Project Coordinator Gigi Snively noted, “and that has alleviated some of the questions we would get before, which has helped big time.”

“It’s something that I think was sorely needed a while back, but now it’s like I can’t live without it.” Dr. Peralta added. “It’s helped us become more efficient, become more productive. And the PIs appreciate it.”

In addition to improving processes for PIs and research teams, Cayuse’s easily accessible metrics and centralized data have helped the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs build more detailed reports for better views into outcomes and resource usage. 

“It really shows a real realistic view of how busy we are – we’re tracking a lot now,” Dr. Peralta said, pointing out a section of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs FY 2022 Annual Report built using data gathered and stored on the Cayuse platform. “It’s making us more aware of our activities [and where] we need more resources.” 

Faculty are also extremely satisfied with the timely and effective support provided by Cayuse’s Customer Success teams. “All in all, it’s been a great experience,” Jed Henson, Extension Associate for the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs indicated. “The support is immense from the beginning – it’s been a great experience.”

“Cayuse has been very active and proactive in engaging the University of Guam and from our side of the world [even though] we’re in the Pacific,” Dr. Peralta added, highlighting Cayuse’s global support staff and outreach efforts. “It’s great that you guys are providing all this support and always engaging our university, asking how we can become better.”

“It’s really making our life easier because everything is now at our fingertips, everything has become seamless.”