SUBJECT:

Process Redesign of Sponsored Projects Administration

In our continuing efforts to reduce administrative workload and streamline
many of the redundant steps in our business practices, Vice Chancellor
Relyea has formed a team of campus representatives who, over the next four
months, will study the administrative work processes involved in sponsored
projects, including the activities and interactions between academic units,
the offices of Extramural Funds Accounting, Contracts & Grants
Administration, and sponsoring agencies. The team will contact members of
the UCSD community, private industry and our sponsoring agencies to
understand existing processes and to determine how we can redesign our work
to meet the challenge of increasing administrative workloads with fewer
resources.

The success of the project is contingent upon the involvement of customers
and users of these processes. As such, members of the team may be
approaching you for your insights and opinions. They will be gathering
information on: 1) How we currently perform our business - Kerry Nare,
Office of Contracts and Grants Administration; Maria Cruz, Extramural
Funds Accounting; 2) How other universities and private industries are
handling similar work processes with better results - Emma Reyes,
Extramural Funds Accounting; Bill Brophy, Resource Management; RB Smith,
Center for Astrophysics & Space Science; 3) How information technology can
enable us to work more efficiently - Stephanie Siegler, School of Medicine
Dean's Office; Sandra Duckett, Business & Financial Services, and 4) What
our principal investigators, our sponsoring agencies, and our
administrative support staff need - Carole Ring, Department of Medicine;
Helen Cao, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

This team has the support and guidance of its Steering Team composed of
Richard Attiyeh, Vice Chancellor - Research, OGSR; Roland Blantz,
Professor-Medicine; Tom Collins, Associate Vice Chancellor - Marine
Sciences; Linda Dale, Director, Contracts & Grants; Don Larson, Assistant
Vice Chancellor - Business & Financial Services; Roger Meyer, Associate
Dean - School of Medicine; Stephanie Peterson, Director, Internal Audit;
Steven Relyea, Vice Chancellor - Business Affairs; and John Woods, Vice
Chancellor - Resource Management.

I am asking for your help and support for this reengineering effort which
will ensure the continuing excellence of UCSD.

Richard C. Atkinson Chancellor

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