CASRAI Dictionary

Tag: Standard Vocabulary

  • The Grant Lifecycle as Structured Data: Funder-to-Institution Reporting

    Introduction to Grant Lifecycle in Scholarly Spaces

    Managing a research grant involves exchanging vast amounts of information between funders, universities, and compliance officers. Treating the grant lifecycle as structured data streamlines administrative reporting and improves scientific tracking.

    From Proposal to Closeout: The Data Pipeline

    A research grant is not a static paper document, but a dynamic database object. The grant data pipeline should flow seamlessly from the initial request, through compliance review, budgeting, and final reporting, utilizing standardized APIs to transmit award metadata across systems without manual data re-entry.

    Standardizing Award Identifiers and Funder Registries

    To track funding impacts globally, every grant must be assigned a unique persistent identifier (a Grant DOI) registered with Crossref or DataCite. These grant identifiers link directly to ROR IDs, ORCIDs, and subsequent publication DOIs, creating a complete traceability map of federal investments.

    Implementing Shared Schemas in Research Administration

    By adopting shared schemas (such as CERIF or the Casrai Funding Dictionary), university research offices and funding agencies synchronize their reporting databases. This enables automated financial auditing, simplifies public-access tracking, and reduces administrative overhead for researchers.

    Key Data and Comparative Metrics

    Grant Phase Data Generated Primary Persistent Identifier System
    Proposal Submission Budget estimates, DMS Plans, researcher resumes. Draft Project ID / Funder Internal Identifier
    Award Activation Final funding amount, compliance certificates, start date. Funder-assigned Grant DOI / Award PID
    Reporting / Closeout Publications list, software code, patented discoveries. Crossref / DataCite Publication and Data DOIs

    Actionable Checklist for Grant Lifecycle

    • Integrate internal Research Information Systems (CRIS) with funder APIs.: Integrate internal Research Information Systems (CRIS) with funder APIs.
    • Ensure all grant metadata deposits include standardized Funder Registry IDs.: Ensure all grant metadata deposits include standardized Funder Registry IDs.
    • Demand persistent Grant DOIs from funding agencies for all new awards.: Demand persistent Grant DOIs from funding agencies for all new awards.
    • Automate the collection of publications linked to specific institutional grants.: Automate the collection of publications linked to specific institutional grants.
    • Provide researchers with standardized dashboards for real-time compliance reporting.: Provide researchers with standardized dashboards for real-time compliance reporting.

  • The Casrai Dictionary: Building a Standard Vocabulary for Research Administration

    Introduction to Casrai Dictionary in Scholarly Spaces

    Efficient research administration relies on seamless data exchange between funders, institutions, and publishers. The Casrai Dictionary provides a standardized, peer-reviewed collection of terms and data definitions, creating a common semantic bridge for scholarly metadata.

    The Semantic Challenge in Administrative Reporting

    Without standardized definitions, research databases struggle with data mapping. For instance, the term ‘co-investigator’ might signify a principal investigator’s partner in one system, but a junior staff member in another. This semantic misalignment impedes international database integration and institutional reporting.

    Structure and Governance of the Casrai Dictionary

    The Casrai Dictionary is organized into thematic sections (e.g., Funding, Outputs, Peer Review, Affiliation). Each term is vetted by an international working group of domain experts, research administrators, and database architects, ensuring definitions are robust, practical, and cross-mappable.

    Implementing the Dictionary in Institutional Systems

    By adopting the Casrai Dictionary, institutions configure their research information systems (CRIS) and grant management databases to map directly to shared definitions. This streamlines federal reporting, improves the accuracy of open access tracking, and enables global research benchmarking.

    Key Data and Comparative Metrics

    Thematic Section Core Term Definition Standardized Data Schema Mapping
    CRediT Taxonomy 14 roles detailing individual author contributions. Mapped to JATS XML and Crossref metadata schemas.
    Funding Status Standardized definitions of active, completed, or suspended awards. Mapped to CERIF and institutional CRIS schemas.
    Organizational Unit Standard definition of a department, faculty, or external center. Mapped to ROR IDs and internal payroll registries.

    Actionable Checklist for Casrai Dictionary

    • Audit institutional database schemas to identify custom fields that lack standard definitions.: Audit institutional database schemas to identify custom fields that lack standard definitions.
    • Map internal grant reporting definitions directly to the Casrai Dictionary schema.: Map internal grant reporting definitions directly to the Casrai Dictionary schema.
    • Configure CRM and ERP software to support standardized researcher contribution roles.: Configure CRM and ERP software to support standardized researcher contribution roles.
    • Train research office staff on standard vocabularies to ensure clean data entry.: Train research office staff on standard vocabularies to ensure clean data entry.
    • Collaborate with international working groups to propose new terms for the dictionary.: Collaborate with international working groups to propose new terms for the dictionary.