Institutions often have to walk a fine line between implementing security measures to protect data and ensuring that business flow is not disrupted.
So it was this April at NIH when a directive called for a renewed emphasis on security of information including that on portable electronic devices. At NIH’s electronic Research Administration (eRA), the organization that provides and supports grants systems for NIH and its partner agencies, this meant protecting the grant information on the compact disks containing grant application information given to peer reviewers. Working closely with NIH leaders in the review community, management moved quickly to implement an interim solution. The short-term fix — implemented May 15, 2008 — required a reviewer to enter a password each time a grant application, a summary statement or supplemental material was accessed on the CD.
eRA was not deluged by complaints because reviewers understood the need for the security measure. However, both eRA and the NIH staff who work with the review community realized that the solution was cumbersome. If a CD contained 20 grant applications, it meant that a reviewer had to enter a password at least 60 times to access the applications and related materials. How could one make it less painful for reviewers?
An option to merge all documents into one giant PDF was deemed unsatisfactory because it was too slow to open the PDF on typical laptops used by reviewers. eRA brainstormed the issue with its user community and together, hit upon a more workable solution. Each grant application, along with its summary statement and supplemental material, was bundled into one PDF document that was password-protected. For each bundled grant application, a reviewer will enter the password once and then can then navigate freely within the PDF document. eRA appreciates the time and effort spent by the review community for the sake of ‘appropriate peer review’ and hopes that this change will make their work just a bit simpler.
The new safeguard became effective for CD orders placed on or after Oct. 15, 2008.
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