Grants Management System Update: Implementing Insight

Author: Kim Maune, Emory Chief Implementation Officer, Insight GMS

Emory University is investing in a fully integrated research administration grants management package. The product, Insight, is a could-based system unifying distributed and complex organizational processes into one highly integrated system to enable compliance, efficiency, and transparency.

Our research systems are currently numerous and not integrated, creating duplicate entry and inefficient workflow, increasing administrative burden. Implementation and optimization of a GMS will standardize research processes across Emory to support faculty, research staff, study teams, and administrative offices to manage their research portfolios efficiently and effectively. Features and benefits include:

  • Reducing redundancy across the enterprise
  • Enhancing patient safety and billing compliance
  • Transparent, real-time data and reporting
  • Integration with other enterprise-wide systems

Insight will replace most Emory systems used for research administration with various, specific modules. Implementation of these modules will occur in two phases, with final implementation completed in August 2026:

  1. Phase 1 modules include Agreements, Humans, and Disclosures, with a go-live date of June 3, 2025
  2. Phase 2 modules include Animals, Biosafety, Innovation, Agreements – Financials, Effort Reporting, Space Management, Personnel, Export Controls, and Reporting, with a go-live date of August 2026

Project-related information can be found at the Insight SharePoint site. This is a one-stop shot to share a metrics dashboard showing the project status, demonstrations and videos, and newsletters.

The implementation of Insight is a crucial step towards modernizing and streamlining research administration at Emory. By consolidating multiple systems into a unified platform, we aim to reduce administrative burdens, enhance compliance, and provide transparent, real-time data to all stakeholders. This transformation will not only improve efficiency but also support our mission to advance research and innovation. We appreciate your continued support and engagement as we move forward with this significant initiative.

We will be sending monthly updates to keep the Emory research community informed, but please feel free to contact us with any questions.