Learn how to use the "Finder" mechanism to fill in various form fields throughout PEER.
What is the Finder?
We use the name "Finder" to describe a certain type of data field in PEER which can only be filled in with a selection from a list of existing choices. PEER implements Finders for three main areas: 1) A Person Finder to select names from the PEER database, such as a PI or contact name, 2) the Unit Finder to select a department, or 3) the Sponsor Finder, which permits searching through the PEER database for a organization that might be used as a sponsor, "other contracting party", or a grant sub recipient.
Opening the Finder Window
To fill in a Finder field, first click on the "Find" button. In some older screens, instead of a button, you may only see the magnifying glass icon. Clicking on the button opens up a dialog box that should look something like the above image. This example is a person finder. We're going to fill in a Principal Investigator name.
Searching in the Finder
Once the Finder window opens, your cursor should automatically be in the search field. If not, just click inside it. To search, just start typing the last name of the person you are looking for. PEER will match names as you type. The more letters you type in the last name, the fewer results you will get as PEER is able to narrow down the choices.
Selecting a name from the list
Once you have found the name you want, just click on the green "+" to fill that name into the Finder field on the original form. The Finder window will automatically close.
Showing the completed Finder Field
Now our field is filled in with the chosen name. But what happens if we couldn't find the person we were looking for?
Adding a Person to PEER
There are two possible reasons why a person you are searching for does not appear in the search results: 1) He or she may have never logged into PEER before to set up a profile, or 2) He or she has not been added by another user. When you can't find the name you're looking for, click on "Can't find a Person?" This will bring up a person entry form.
Completing the Add a Person Form
Adding a new person is easy. Begin by entering the person's VUnet ID and then click "Import." If the VUnetID is valid, you'll get the green check mark and the user's information will pre-populate the form for you. Complete the form by filling in the title, phone and answering the questions at the bottom of the form. Then click submit. In the even that user is already in PEER but you simply missed a name or didn't search properly in the Finder, you'll be stopped with a notice that the user already exists. Otherwise, the user will be added and you will receive a link to go back to the Finder form and finish what you were doing.
What about adding a Unit or Sponsor?
In the event you are using the Unit or Sponsor Finder and you cannot find the entry you want, a similar process exists. Just click on either "Can't find a Unit" or "Can't find a Sponsor" and you will be sent to a new Action Request Form for either "Request Add a Unit to PEER" or "Request Add a Sponsor to Coeus." In the case of sponsors, once OSP adds a sponsor to Coeus, it is automatically imported into PEER, preventing us from having to add it to both systems.