InfoEd SPIN Product Overview
InfoEd SPIN is a comprehensive and robust funding opportunity database designed to support researchers, principal investigators, and administrative staff in identifying and managing grant and contract opportunities. Here’s a detailed look at what SPIN does and its key features:
What SPIN Does
SPIN is the world’s largest database of funding opportunities, providing access to over 40,000 research funding opportunities from more than 12,000 global sponsors, including government agencies, private foundations, and corporations. It is tailored to help users quickly locate funding opportunities that match their research criteria, expertise, and institutional needs.
Key Features and Functionality
Advanced Search Capabilities
- SPIN offers multiple search modes, including Basic, Keyword, and Advanced Search. The Advanced Search feature allows users to query any field multiple times, using operators and selection types, and to group and nest expressions for highly customized searches.
Comprehensive Filters and Subject Headings
- Users can configure filters on eligibility fields and save these settings for future use. SPIN utilizes a proprietary vocabulary to index content, including broader, narrower, and related terms, ensuring thorough and accurate search results.
Automated Notifications
- The SMARTS (SPIN Matching and Researcher Transmittal Systems) feature enables users to set up automated notifications for new or updated funding opportunities that match their saved search criteria. These notifications can be delivered daily or weekly via email or RSS feed.
Collaboration and Sharing
- SPIN allows users to bookmark and share funding opportunities with colleagues, facilitating collaboration. Institution administrators can also publish internal funding opportunities and manage searches and funding alerts for users.
Customization and Integration
- The system is fully customizable to meet the unique needs of each institution. It supports API and web services for custom solutions and website integration, and it can be integrated with institutional single sign-on systems via InCommon Federation.
Administrative Features
- SPIN provides administrators with tools to manage accounts, automate communications, and publish common searches for all users. It also includes features for recording and publishing internal funding opportunities, browsing relevant contract opportunities, and generating one-click reports for limited submissions and impending deadlines.
User Access and Security
- SPIN offers both authenticated and anonymous access. Authenticated users can save settings, preferences, and search data, while anonymous users can access the database from an on-campus network without the ability to save settings.
Additional Tools and Integration
- SPIN is part of the broader InfoEd Global suite, which includes tools for grant proposal development, internal review and approval, and integration with other InfoEd modules such as proposal development and research compliance software.
In summary, InfoEd SPIN is a powerful, intuitive, and highly customizable tool that streamlines the process of finding and managing funding opportunities, making it an essential resource for researchers and administrative staff in academic, medical, and scientific institutions worldwide.