Frequently Asked Questions
ABOUT THE DATA SYSTEM
USING THE DATA SYSTEM
PRINTING & DOWNLOADING REPORTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
What is the purpose of the SPARC data system?
The Sponsored Programs and Research Council (SPARC) data system is the central repository of sponsored programs proposal and award data (fiscal year 1976 to the current fiscal year) for the 16 constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina (UNC) and the UNC General Administration. It contains the data that the 16 institutions have deemed most important for conveying the purpose, nature, scope, and level of UNC sponsored programs activity. The system is designed to facilitate exchange of this data within UNC and to make the data easily accessible to the public via summary and customized reports.
Individual UNC institutions may maintain other sponsored programs data beyond the data contained in the SPARC data system. To obtain those data, please contact the appropriate institution's sponsored programs office. A listing of UNC sponsored programs offices is available on the following website: http://www.northcarolina.edu/aa/departments/research/uncoffices.cfm.
Who may access the SPARC data system?
This web-based public interface of the SPARC data system is available to anyone interested in learning more about research and sponsored programs at any of the 16 constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina and the UNC General Administration. Award information on current and past projects from more than 25 years is available for search and download.
What software do I need to access the SPARC data system?
You access the data system using a Web browser. For best results, you should use a computer with a fast Internet connection and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or above.
Who enters information into the SPARC data system?
The sponsored programs offices at each of the UNC institutions is responsible for entering data into the SPARC system. Each institution may provide varying levels of specificity in the projects' descriptor data. If you have questions regarding specific projects, please contact the institution's Office of Sponsored Programs. A listing of UNC sponsored programs offices is available on the following website: http://www.northcarolina.edu/aa/departments/research/uncoffices.cfm.
Is the information verified for accuracy?
All award figures in the SPARC system are verified with each institution at the end of the fiscal year (June 30). Each institution is responsible for maintaining and submitting the accurate information for their sponsored programs activity. If you have specific questions regarding an institution's data, please contact the institution's sponsored programs office. A listing of UNC sponsored programs offices is available on the following website: http://www.northcarolina.edu/aa/departments/research/uncoffices.cfm.
If you have general questions or comments regarding the SPARC data system, please e-mail them to Jennifer Klimas, Research Director, UNC-OP, Research and Sponsored Programs Division.
What data is collected about each award?
The UNC SPARC system can potentially collect more than 30 data elements related to each award. However, institutions are only required to enter information for the following fields:
Amount Requested
Principal Investigator
Title
Sponsor
Purpose Code
Discipline Code
At least one of the administrative units (i.e., Department, School, Center, or Other Administrative Unit)
To the extent possible, UNC institutions complete all fields to provide the dates of application, award, and budget period; activity locales and collaborators; and project summaries.
USING THE DATA SYSTEM
What kind of reports can I generate with the system?
On the main menu you can choose to create summary or custom reports of UNC sponsored programs data. For summary reports you choose which UNC institution(s) to include in the report and specify the time period(s). The resulting report will display the total number and dollar amount of all corresponding awards. The custom reporting tool allows you to select which UNC institution(s) to include in the report and any other data elements that you would like to display. You may then construct a custom search based on any of the 30+ data elements. For more detailed instructions, please see the User Instruction link on the Main Menu.
How do I select terms in the picklists?
To activate a picklist, click on the adjacent down arrow or the word itself.
To select a term in a picklist, click on it. Clicking on a second term will deselect the previously selected term.
To select multiple terms (note: some fields allow only one term), hold down the Ctrl key (the Apple key for Mac users) and click on each desired term. All selected terms will be highlighted.
To select a group of contiguous terms, select the first term, hold down the Shift key, and select the last term. All terms between the first and last will be highlighted.
To deselect a highlighted term, hold down the Ctrl key and click on the highlighted term; or click on the "Select One" term located at the beginning of each picklist (this is the default if a term is not chosen).
Typing a letter in a pick list will take you immediately to all terms beginning with that letter.
PRINTING & DOWNLOADING REPORTS
Can I print the information I see on the screen?
Using your Web browser's print command, you should be able to print any information you can view on the screen. The exact look of the printed page will depend on your printer and the resolution settings on your monitor.
Can I view/download all of the records from a custom search?
Yes. On the results page you will see a link to download the records to a .txt file. This file will contain all of the results from your search and can be imported into an Excel file for sorting, viewing, or printing. Please select User Instructions on the Main Menu for more details.
|
