Research Business Operations & Technology Milestones
Throughout the 2024–2025 academic year, the ORI Research Business Operations & Technology (RBOT) team advanced efforts to replace the University’s aging research administration systems, including COEUS, which has supported the research community for more than a decade. A new vendor was selected, and implementation officially began in October 2024. Below are key highlights.
Novelution Implementation Project
Over the past year, the team laid the foundation for a more agile, integrated research infrastructure through the implementation of Novelution, Drexel’s new, modern research administration platform. This system will replace COEUS and DragonSPOT, streamlining the entire research lifecycle with intuitive workflows, enhanced reporting, and powerful data tools—all designed to help Drexel researchers achieve greater impact.
Since the project launch in October 2024, significant progress has been made. Both the Sponsored Programs and IRB modules have moved from discovery into configuration, where the platform is being tailored to Drexel’s unique business processes. The IRB module is on track to launch in spring 2026, followed by Sponsored Programs shortly thereafter. Planning is also underway for the Conflict of Interest module, which will begin implementation soon after IRB goes live.
The Novelution Implementation Project will modernize and simplify research administration, providing transparency and reducing administrative burden while meeting the evolving needs of principal investigators, administrators, and research support teams.
About Novelution
Novelution is a web-based SaaS platform offering centralized research administration through integrated modules for sponsored programs, compliance, and animal facilities management. Designed to meet the needs of faculty, staff, and research administrators, Novelution reduces complexity and improves efficiency across the research enterprise.
Modules Slated for Implementation:
- Sponsored Programs
- Grants & Contracts
- Subawards
- Current & Pending Management
- Compliance
- IRB (Human Subjects)
- IACUC (Animal Subjects)
- IBC (Biosafety/Radiation Safety)
- Conflict of Interest / Commitment
- Animal Facilities Management
- Reporting & Integrations
- Dashboards
- Banner HRM and Financials
- CITI (Research, Ethics, Compliance, and Safety Training)
Full implementation is targeted for summer 2027.
Stay updated via the Novelution Hub
Financial Restructuring
Efforts to improve ORI operations continued throughout the year, reducing administrative burden and enhancing efficiency. The Finance & Operations team successfully leveraged ORI’s updated financial structure to drive improved budgeting, reporting, and transparency. Drexel also delivered timely quarterly and ad hoc research metric reports to support performance tracking, strategic planning, and informed decision-making.Communications & Training
ORI’s website maintained its modernized design, improving usability and accessibility for the Drexel research community. The site now offers streamlined navigation and links to an ORI intranet with
ORI also continued its LinkedIn presence, sharing research news and announcements and increasing followers by nearly 30%. In 2024, over 100 new posts with more than 50,000 impressions highlighted exciting developments across Drexel’s research enterprise. Additionally, ORI published quarterly newsletters featuring timely updates, events, training opportunities, and other important information for the research community.