MPH Wins NASCIO Award For Enhanced Research Environment

(INDIANAPOLIS) – In October, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) awarded the Indiana Management Performance Hub (MPH) the State IT award for Innovative and Emerging Technology for its Enhanced Research Environment (ERE).

The ERE is a secure collaboration environment that expedites research and analysis by bringing research teams, code and data together for the greater good. Debuting in early March, it has been key in empowering Indiana’s data-driven response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the spring, the State of Indiana was finding ways to act quickly and collaborate to provide the best response and outcomes for Hoosiers,” said Indiana Chief Data Officer Josh Martin. “The ERE allowed key experts and decision-makers to come together and work with the same data, from the safety of their own homes and offices.”

Currently, more than 60 leaders from multiple state agencies and research organizations interact on a daily basis to derive insights through common data and tools. ERE provides a secure environment to analyze sensitive data without removing data from the environment. This provides greater insight and increased privacy and security.

While the ERE is currently used exclusively for the pandemic, it is structured to provide value to a multitude of data initiatives. Initial ERE development began in early 2019. With support from KSM Consulting, the environment was completed in 2020 and deployed March 19, just two weeks after Indiana’s first confirmed COVID-19 case.

“While the ERE wasn’t initially developed for pandemic response, the last few months have shown the impact from collaborating in the same environment with the same data,” said Martin. “We are thankful to NASCIO for recognizing the ERE and excited to see what the future holds.”

Each year, NASCIO award nominations showcase the use of information technology to address critical business problems, more easily connect citizens to their government, improve business processes and create new opportunities that improve the lives of citizens. This year, 30 finalists in 10 categories were selected from more than 90 nominations. MPH’s fellow state agency, the Indiana Department of Child Services was also selected as a finalist in the Information Communications Technology category.

To learn more about NASCIO, visit www.nascio.org.