The Research Discovery Tool (RDT) is an innovative search tool designed for Pitt users to find research projects led by our own researchers. The RDT seeks to support our research community in identifying internal collaborators to engage in complex projects and foster multidisciplinary collaborations. At the leadership level, the RDT provides up-to-date and reliable information about our research enterprise, which makes it a powerful asset to guide strategic efforts and decisions.
Launch the Research Discovery Tool >>
To get you started, here are some possible queries you can make:
- Show me projects from the past three years on artificial intelligence
- Which investigators are working on breast cancer research?
- What projects has [researcher name] worked on in the past five years?
- What are some projects on [research topic] by [researcher name]?
- Give me examples of CAREER awards from the past four years
- Projects on assistive technologies between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024
- What patents has [Pitt Researcher X] obtained in the past year
Frequently Asked Questions
- What type of projects can I find?
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At this time, the search results you will obtain correspond to research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation and patents issued by the United Stated Patents and Trademark Office. We have developed a timeline to add data from new sources, including ClinicalTrials.gov, USASpending.gov and internal research data not publicly available.
- What is the period covered by the RDT results?
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Your results will show projects that have been active in the last 10 years. Right now, you will find projects active between 2015 and 2025.
- What information can I find about the projects?
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The following information is included for each project:
- Project Title
- Project ID
- Project Start
- Project End Date
- Project Description
- Project Preferred Terms
- Data Source
- Contact PI
- Additional Investigators
Please note that not all projects may have information on all these fields.
- Can the data be downloaded?
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Yes, you can download the data you see on the results page. You have the option to download results as a text (CSV) or as an Excel file. You can change the number of results downloaded by adjusting the number using the Page Size option at the bottom left corner of the results page.
- How often is the data updated?
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Our data workflow is updated once a week.
- Why is there some data missing?
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The RDT is continuously improving and expanding its capabilities. While we continue to work on these enhancements, some data sources may be unavailable.
- I cannot access the RDT using my Pitt credentials; what should I do?
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Please reach out to us at svcrdata@pitt.edu with any access issues.