EPA Research Programme 2014-2020 EPA s Online Grant Application & Project Management Portal USER GUIDE FOR GRANTEES May 2017 Version 3 Powered by SmartSimple The EPA Research Programme is a Government of Ireland initiative funded by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Introduction This document is a guide for grantees using the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. It describes the functionality and interfaces of the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal to Principal Investigators (Grantees) undertaking research projects funded by the EPA. This document is written on the basis that you are already registered as a user on the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. Full details on how to register can be found in the User Guide for Applicants. Please read this document carefully prior to using the EPA s Grant Application and Management Portal. This document does not replace, but is complimentary to, the EPA Research Terms & Conditions of Grant Award and the EPA Research Guide for Grantees available on the EPA website (www.epa.ie). Version 3 Page 2 of 95
Table of Contents Introduction... 2 Table of Contents... 3 More Information... 5 Disclaimer... 6 Principal Investigator Portal... 7 Logging on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal... 7 Enabling Pop-ups... 7 Home Page... 9 Home Page Banner... 9 Definitions... 13 Getting Started... 14 Important Tips... 14 Change Password... 14 View Personal Information... 15 Saving/ Editing Forms... 16 Document Upload... 16 Lookup Button (Organisation)... 20 Print Form Facility... 21 Session Timeout... 21 Grantee Functions... 22 Overview... 22 View Your Grants... 23 View the activities for a grant... 25 Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity... 26 Submission of a Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity... 26 Responding to Queries on a Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity... 29 Certification & Approval of Financial Report (Cost Statements) Activity... 31 Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity... 33 Submission of a Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity... 33 Revising your Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity (Revisions Required)... 45 Budget Re-allocation Request Activity... 47 Submission of a Budget Re-allocation Request Activity... 47 Revising your Budget Re-allocation Request Activity... 51 Project Time Extension Request Activity... 54 Create a Project Time Extension Request Activity... 54 Complete your Project Time Extension Request Activity... 55 Saving / Submitting your Project Time Extension Request Activity... 56 Travel Outside the EU Request Activity... 58 Create a Travel Outside the EU Request Activity... 58 Complete your Travel Outside the EU Request Activity... 59 Saving / Submitting your Travel Outside the EU Request Activity... 60 Final Report Activities... 62 Version 3 Page 3 of 95
Submission of a Final Report Activity... 62 Submission of the Revised Final Report... 66 EPQ and Datasets End of Project Questionnaire Activity... 70 Create an End of Project Questionnaire Activity... 70 Complete the End of Project Questionnaire Activity... 71 Saving / Submitting your End of Project Questionnaire Activity... 74 Revising your End of Project Questionnaire Activity... 75 Dataset Metadata Activity... 76 Create a Dataset Metadata Activity... 76 Complete your Dataset Metadata Activity... 78 Saving/ Submitting your Dataset Metadata Activity... 78 Meetings Activity... 80 Who creates the Meeting activity?... 80 Who can access/ edit the Meeting activity?... 80 View the Meetings activity... 80 Upload documents in the Meetings activity... 81 Save your changes on the Meeting Activity... 82 Final Report Thesis Report Activity (Scholarships only)... 83 Create an Final Report Thesis Report Activity... 83 Complete the Final Report Thesis Report Activity... 85 Saving / Submitting your Final Report Thesis Report Activity... 85 Revising your Final Report Thesis Report Activity... 86 Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity (Scholarships only)... 87 Create a Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity... 87 Complete the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity... 89 Saving / Submitting your Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity... 89 Revising your Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity... 90 Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity (Researcher Travel Support & Event Support Grants only)... 91 Create an Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity... 91 Complete the Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity... 93 Saving/ Submitting your Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity... 94 Revising your Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity... 95 Version 3 Page 4 of 95
More Information For further information and assistance with the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, please contact: research@epa.ie. Version 3 Page 5 of 95
Disclaimer Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this User Guide, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The Environmental Protection Agency does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned or damages claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full, as a consequence of any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this document. Version 3 Page 6 of 95
Principal Investigator Portal Logging on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal The EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal live link is https://epa.smartsimple.ie/ - Clicking on this link will bring you to the Login window below. Input your username, which is your e-mail address, and password, which will have been sent to you in an auto-generated email from donotreply@epa.ie a. The tick box entitled Remember E-mail address saves your e-mail address to the box. b. The Forgot password? link will prompt you for your e-mail address and resend a new password to you. Enabling Pop-ups Please ensure that your browser settings permit pop-ups from the web site address. If you do not enable pop-ups when logged on to EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, many functions will appear not to work simply because the associated pop-up windows cannot be displayed. 1. When you log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal for the first time, the following window may be displayed. Version 3 Page 7 of 95
Firefox: Left click on the Options button in upper right corner. Chrome: Right click on the small icon indicated to un-block the pop-ups. 2. This will bring you to the window below. Firefox: Choose the option Always allow pop-ups from this site. Version 3 Page 8 of 95
Chrome: Choose Always allow pop-ups from https://epa.smartsimple.ie and click Finished. 3. You can now reload the page by clicking the icon located next to page address. Home Page Once you log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, you will be presented with your Home page, as shown in the window below: Home Page Banner The page banner (light blue banner across the top of the window) will remain the same while you are logged onto the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. It provides the following links: Version 3 Page 9 of 95
My Profile brings you to your profile page. Here you can update your profile with actual information. Change My Password gives you the option to change your password at any time. It is recommended that you change your password the first time you log on to the EPA Grant Application and Project Management Portal. Help shows list of currently available help options. In the right corner you will see your name and surname (here: Test Applicant). This allows you to logout of the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. Privacy & Security will bring you to the list of current privacy documents. Home brings you to your Home page. You can use this to return to your Home page Open Calls & Accessing Your Draft Applications The Open Calls section will list all available Call Topic References which can be applied for under the current call. To create a new application, click on the Apply button for the Call Topic Reference you are interested in and complete the online form. PLEASE NOTE: you can only submit an application using the relevant form and when a call for proposals is open. Once you have completed this step the Apply button will no longer be available for that Call Topic Reference and the following narrative will appear You have already created an Application for this Call. You can continue to edit your application by selecting the Draft Applications tab under the Applications & Historic Grants section, and clicking on the Open button for the grant application you wish to work on. Version 3 Page 10 of 95
You are only able to edit your application up to the point where it is submitted for institutional approval however once the application has been submitted you will still be able to view it by clicking on the Submitted Applications tab under the Applications & Historic Grants section. In Summary: o Draft Applications displays a list of all the applications for funding that you have created via the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal but have not yet submitted, i.e. your work-in-progress applications. If your application has been rejected or requires revision, it will appear in Draft. You can click on any application in the Draft list to view or edit an application. Please note you can only create a draft application when a call for proposals is open. o Submitted Applications displays a list of all the grant applications you have submitted but which have not been grant awarded. You can click on any application in the Submitted list and view a particular application. Please note you can only submit an application when a call for proposals is open. o Historic Applications and Grants displays a list of the applications submitted under previous calls which were not approved for funding.e.g. proposals at Missed deadline status. This section also includes projects that have been completed or terminated.. Live Grants Version 3 Page 11 of 95
The Live Grants section lists all your active grants and includes tabs for their associated activities (i.e. Technical Progress Reports, EPQ and Datasets, Financial Reports, Budget Re-Allocation Requests, Misc Requests, Meetings and Final Reports) Version 3 Page 12 of 95
Definitions Application Form/Grant View: This is the form, which contains all the information in relation to your application/grant. Activities: Specific to the management of your project, there are two types of activities: o Pre-generated activities: Facilitate the submission of Technical Progress Reports and Financial Reports (Cost Statements), which have been pre-generated for the lifetime of your project, based on the project start and completion dates. These activities should be completed via the tabs available under the Live Grants section as shown above. Meetings activities will also be pre generated by the system prior to scheduled project kick off meeting and Steering Committee meetings. o Other activities: These are activities that you can create as required during the lifetime of your project. These include miscellaneous requests (Budget reallocation, no-cost time extension, approval of travel outside EU); submission of final reports (Final Report, Synthesis Report and State of Knowledge Report for Fellowship projects) and submission of End of Project Questionnaire, Metadata & Datasets. Transaction List: Transaction lists are sub-windows (with fields to be completed) opening from a link on an activity/form when you are in the grant view. Record/information regarding your project can be entered and saved on a transaction list, and then be attached to the particular activity/form (e.g. adding research team members details in a Technical Progress Report; adding a paper/conferences, etc.). Once the information on a Transaction List has been saved, the window can be closed. The information will be attached to the activity/form once the Save Draft button on the activity/form has been clicked. EPA Research Officer: This refers to the EPA Research Officer administering your project. Version 3 Page 13 of 95
Getting Started Important Tips Go-Back-one-page Feature The Back arrow in your Internet browser as seen above should not be used, as this will log you out of the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. Clicking on Home in the top right-hand corner of the screen will bring you back to your Home page as shown below: Refresh View of an Activity / Form The Refresh Button in your Internet Browser should not be used, as this will log you out of the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. To refresh the View of an Activity/Form, for example, following creation of a Transaction List window, upload of document, etc., click on the Save Draft button as shown below: Change Password The Change My Password option on the home page banner as seen above gives you the option to change your password at any time. It is recommended that you choose a password that is secure and meets the following minimum-security criteria: Version 3 Page 14 of 95
1. Minimum length should be at least six characters. 2. Includes a mix of symbols, letters and numbers. 3. Cannot be the same as your previous password. Passwords are case and space sensitive. Selecting Change My Password directs you to the window as shown below: View Personal Information You can view your personal details by clicking on My Profile in the home page banner. This will open the contact window as shown below: To amend your details, update the information in the appropriate fields and click on the Save button at the bottom of the screen. Please ensure you regularly check that your details are up to date. Version 3 Page 15 of 95
Note: to view guidance on how to use the Look up button, please refer to the Lookup Button (Organisation) section. Click the Save button to save any changes made to your profile as shown in the window below: Saving/ Editing Forms The Save Draft button will save the details of a new application/activity on the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal at Draft Status. This will also refresh the information on your application/activity following the creation of a Transaction List window, upload of documents, etc. You can save a draft form and log out of the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. It is good practice to regularly click on the Save Draft button when working on an application or activity to reduce the risk of losing your work The Submit button will submit your application/activity. Once the Submit button has been clicked, you cannot make any further change to your application / activity. The status of your application/activity will automatically change to Submitted. This is associated with an automated confirmation email sent to you and a notification email to the EPA Research Officer administering your project. Document Upload You will be requested to upload reporting templates and supporting documentation to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal from time to time. To enable the Upload Features on the form/activity you are working on, you will need to click on the Save Draft button first as shown below: There are two types of uploads on the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal: Version 3 Page 16 of 95
1. Upload of specific documents via a button which names the document to be uploaded as shown below. Generally such uploads must be in PDF format and are limited to a certain number of pages depending on the document to be uploaded. (If these instructions are not followed, an error message will appear when you attempt to submit your form/activity.) a. Click on the Upload Project Description Document button provided as shown in the screenshot above. This will bring you to the File Upload window as shown in the window below: b. Select the file you wish to upload by clicking on the Browse button and choosing the appropriate file. c. Click the Upload button. Once the file has been uploaded, it will appear as shown below: Version 3 Page 17 of 95
Note: do not click on the Refresh button in your internet browser, as this will log you out of the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. d. You should then click on the Save Draft button once you are back to the main activity window. The file will then appear on the activity. 2. General document upload where the format and document size is not specified. There are two options in relation to uploading general documentation. These are single file and multiple files uploads. If you wish to upload a single document only, you should use the Browse button. If you wish to upload multiple files at the same time, you should use the Drag and drop files here window. Please note that use of the multiple file upload option is dependent on the settings of your computer. The steps required to upload multiple files are detailed below (when using the single file option you will see the same windows as those that appear when uploading a specific document). a. Click the Upload button as shown in the screenshot below: b. This will bring you to the window as shown in the screenshot below where you can either drag and drop multiple files into the box or click on the Browse button to navigate to a single file you wish to upload. Version 3 Page 18 of 95
c. When files have been successfully uploaded they will appear in a list below the browse button (see next screen shot) d. To remove a file uploaded in error, click on the check box by the file name and then click on the delete symbol repeat steps a c to upload the correct file version e. Close the File Manager window once you have completed your uploads. Or f. Once you return to the activity window, click the Save Draft button to attach the uploaded files to the activity (i.e. the files will then appear on the activity). Note: To replace a document previously uploaded: For Upload of Specific Documents: Uploading another document will delete the previous upload For General Document Upload: Click on the check box at the side of the file name this will cause the Delete button to appear. Click on the Delete button to remove the file. Repeat steps a c above to upload the correct file. Version 3 Page 19 of 95
Lookup Button (Organisation) The Lookup button will be available when entering the details of project team members as part of the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity and when amending your personal details. The Lookup button allows you to view the list of registered organisations on the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. Click on the Lookup button to open the Select Organisation window. Type the organisation name in the search field and clicking the magnifying glass icon A list of organisations matching your search criteria will then appear Select the organisation by ticking the box located beside the organisations Name field. Click the OK button. The Organisation field will auto-populate with the selected organisation. Version 3 Page 20 of 95
Print Form Facility To print an application or activity, you can click on the Print Form button as shown below: This will open a Web View Form of your application or activity, with live hyperlinks for all documents attached to it as shown in the window below: You can export this form as a PDF document, by clicking on the Export as PDF button on top of the Web View Form as shown above: The file can then be saved and/or printed. Session Timeout The session timeout feature will automatically log out any user if their session remains inactive for 60 minutes (this may vary depending on your own network settings). Version 3 Page 21 of 95
Grantee Functions Overview Once your research proposal has been approved for funding and all parties have signed the notification of grant award, you can begin to use the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal to fulfil ongoing project management and reporting requirements related to your project. This will involve submitting reports and requests following the creation and completion of online forms known as activities. As a Grantee you can: 1. Create, Edit and Submit Reports There are 3 different types of reports required during the lifetime of an EPA funded research project. These are: a. Financial Reports (Cost Statements); b. Technical Progress Reports; c. Final Reports (including Synthesis Reports and where relevant State of Knowledge reports). It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to ensure that all reports are submitted on time and that they are of a satisfactory standard that clearly details progress on the project. 2. Create, Edit and Submit requests for approval The EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal also facilitates the submission of requests for approval for the following activities: a. Budget Re-allocation; b. No cost time extension; c. Travel outside the EU. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to ensure that all requests are submitted in good time. Version 3 Page 22 of 95
View Your Grants To view details of your grant awarded projects, please scroll to the Live Grants section on your home pageas shown below: Each field can be sorted by clicking on the header of the relevant column. The report provides the following information: Proposal Number: gives the project code of your grant, Project Status: gives the status of your project, Project Title: gives the title of your project, Institution: gives the name of your organization, Created Date: displays the date the application was created View: you can access the detailed information regarding a project by clicking on the Open button as shown above. This will open the awarded grant. The project code will appear in the Top Header as shown below: Version 3 Page 23 of 95
This view is composed of several sections which can be collapsed or expanded using the + and - buttons located in the header line of each section as shown below: Depending on the type of project you have applied for, these sections may include (but are not limited to): Administrative information relating to your project Project Overview Budget Summary Use of Funding Attendees Summary Non-profit declaration Budget Key Project Dates Applicant Details Project Description Budget Details Declaration This view also includes a Summary of Indicators as provided in your Technical Progress Reports: Research team details; Papers and Conferences; Research products; Awards. Version 3 Page 24 of 95
This can be accessed by clicking Transactions tab and clicking on each individual tab as shown below: You can also export this view as a PDF for saving or printing, by clicking on the Print Form button as shown below: The New button on the top left hand corner will allow you to create activities for your project (excluding pre-generated Technical Progress Reports & Financial reports). View the activities for a grant The Live Grants section provides you with a listing of all activities for your EPA grant awarded projects. The activities are listed by project number on individual tabs for each activity type the example given below shows the Financial Reports (Cost Statements) activity tab: These can be opened and viewed by clicking on the Open button as highlighted above: The status of each activity is listed under the Report Status heading and the date the activity is due is shown under the Due Date heading Each activity will be described in more detail in the relevant section of this guide. Version 3 Page 25 of 95
Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity Submission of a Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity Cost Statements for project based awards, green enterprise awards and Fellowships are due on the 28 th of January and 28 th of July each year during the lifetime of the project. You will receive a reminder email 21 days before each Cost Statement is due. All Cost Statements must be submitted by completing the pre-generated Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity for each 6-month reporting period (i.e. 1 st January 30 th June / 1 st July 31 st December) during the lifetime of the project. Open the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity for the current reporting period 1. Having logged on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, scroll to the Live Grants section, and select the Financial Reports tab. 2. A list of Financial Reports (cost statements) will then be shown for each of your live grants, along with their due date. 3. You can begin the process of submitting a cost statement online, by clicking on the Open button next to the cost statement which is due to be submitted. It is important to choose the correct report number as it contains the correct reporting period start, end and due date. Version 3 Page 26 of 95
If you complete and submit a report with an incorrect due date the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal will not recognise that the cost statement for the correct period has been submitted and will issue automatic reminder emails at pre-defined intervals stating that your cost statement is overdue. In such circumstances, you will be required to re-submit the cost statement by clicking on the hyperlink for the correct report number and reporting period. Please note that cost statements, which are not submitted using the correct pre-generated reporting activity or via the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, will not be accepted. Complete the Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity The Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity provides you with details of the current activity and project information. 1. You should download the Cost Statement Template using the link provided under Financial Report (Cost Statement) as shown below: The cost statement template should then be completed for the lead organisation. Additionally where a project has more than one participating organisation, each participant will need to complete a separate cost statement template. Each participant including the lead organisation should ensure that all relevant signatures, data, and supporting documentation outlined in the template are provided prior to upload. All documents should be uploaded by clicking on the Upload button as shown above. Version 3 Page 27 of 95
2. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to upload all cost statement templates and supporting documentation. Project participants should therefore forward their completed cost statement template electronically to the Principal Investigator as a PDF document along with all relevant supporting documentation. To facilitate the certification process, an Excel version of each participants cost statement must also be uploaded. 3. To ensure that all uploads are attached to the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity page, you must click on the Save Draft button at the bottom of the page as shown below: Saving / Submitting your Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. 2. You can return to the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity at a later date by repeating the above steps. 3. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page as shown below: 4. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted and will trigger an email to: a. You confirming that the cost statement has been submitted successfully. Version 3 Page 28 of 95
b. The EPA s financial consultants stating that the cost statement is available for review. Following its submission, the EPA s financial consultants will review the Financial Report (Cost Statement). If the cost statement receives a satisfactory review, it will be certified and details forwarded to the EPA 1. The status of the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity will change to Cost Statement Certified. Please note that any payment due will only be processed if the Technical Progress Report for the corresponding period is also satisfactory. Responding to Queries on a Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity Notification Should the EPA s financial consultants identify any queries during the review that require resolution before the expenditure incurred for that particular reporting period can be certified, they will upload these in the field entitled Financial Queries. You will be notified by email that queries need to be addressed before the cost statement can be certified. The status of the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity for cost statements with queries will have changed to Revision Required as shown below: Open your Financial Report (Cost Statement) Activity (Revisions Required) To open your Financial Report (Cost Statement) and respond to the queries click on the Open button as indicated above. 1 Reimbursement payments are only made once certified expenditure on the project exceeds the amount of the advance payment made by the EPA. Version 3 Page 29 of 95
Download / View the Financial Queries On the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity page, you should firstly view/ download the queries related to the cost statement submitted for the period as shown below: A response to the queries should then be prepared. Please note that where a project has more than one participating organisation you should forward the queries relating to that organisation to them asking them to prepare and return their response to the queries to you within 14 days. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to collate and upload the response to all queries relating to the cost statement. Upload your response to the Financial Queries Upload the collated response to all queries and any supporting documentation by clicking on the Upload button in the field entitled Queries Response and Supporting Documents as shown below: To ensure that all uploads are attached to the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity page, you must click on the Save Draft button at the bottom of the Save/ Submit your revised Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the response to queries together with relevant supporting documentation should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. Version 3 Page 30 of 95
Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity from Revision Required to Submitted and notification emails will be sent. The EPA s financial consultants will review the response to the queries after receiving them. If all queries are resolved the cost statement will be certified and details forwarded to the EPA. The status of the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity will change to Cost Statement Certified as shown below: Any payment due will only be processed if the Technical Progress Report for the corresponding period is also satisfactory. Further Clarifications required on the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity If queries are still outstanding or further clarifications are required, the EPA s financial consultants will upload these to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. You will again be notified by email that queries need to be addressed before the cost statement can be certified. The status of the Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity will have changed to Revision Required as detailed earlier. To respond to the queries, repeat the steps described previously. The latest set of queries will appear in the list of uploaded documents under the Financial Queries upload field. Certification & Approval of Financial Report (Cost Statements) Activity You will be notified by automated email once the EPA has approved your Financial Report (Cost Statement) activity, andstatus of the activity will change to Approved as shown below: Version 3 Page 31 of 95
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Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity Submission of a Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity Technical Progress Reports (TPRs) for project based awards, green enterprise awards and Fellowships are due on the 28 th of January and 28 th of July each year during the lifetime of the project. You will receive a reminder email 21 days before the TPR is due. The submission of a Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity involves a number of steps: a. Upload of TPR Template. b. Completion of text boxes on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity. c. Addition/ Update of Project Team Details. d. Addition/ Update of details in relation to Physical Indicators under the headings Papers and Conferences for this Period (e.g. Peer reviewed papers) and Summary of Research Product Details (e.g. Models, datasets etc.). e. Addition of information in relation to funding leverage and linkages. All TPRs must be submitted by completing the pre-generated Technical Progress Report (TPR) activities for each 6-month reporting period (i.e. 1 st January 30 th June / 1 st July 31 st December) during the lifetime of the project. Open the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity for the current reporting period 1. Once logged on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, scroll to the Live Grants section and click on the Technical Progress Reports tab as shown below: Version 3 Page 33 of 95
2. A pre-generated list of Technical Progress Report (TPR) activities is associated with each project and contains details of all TPRs that must be submitted during the lifetime of the project. As shown above, this list contains: Proposal Number, Project Status, Project Title, Institution Created Date Report Type Name Report Status Report Number Due Date To complete the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity, you should click on the Open button as shown below: at the end of the row. 3. It is important to choose the correct report number as it contains the correct reporting period start and end dates. It also contains the correct due date. If you complete and submit a report with an incorrect due date, the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal will not recognise that the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity has been submitted for the correct period and will issue automatic reminder emails at pre-defined intervals stating that your TPR is overdue. In such circumstances, you will be required to re-submit the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity by clicking on the Open button for the correct report number and reporting period. Please note that TPRs, which are not submitted using the correct pre-generated reporting activity and template provided, or via the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, will not be accepted. Version 3 Page 34 of 95
Complete the Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity The Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity provides you with details of the current activity and project information. 1. Project Website Where relevant, enter the details of your project website in the Field Entitled: Project website as shown below: 2. Upload of the Technical Progress Report Template You should download the TPR template using the link provided as shown above: Failing to use the correct template will result in the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity having to be revised and resubmitted. 3. The TPR template should then be completed. This document should not exceed 8 A4-pages (including Gantt chart) and should present a concise but comprehensive review of research activities in the reporting period along with a schedule for forthcoming work. 4. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to upload the TPR template. This should be done by clicking on the Upload Technical Progress Report PDF only button as shown above. Please note that this field is a Single File upload facility. 5. To ensure that the upload is attached to the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity page, you must click on the Save Draft button at the bottom of the page. Version 3 Page 35 of 95
6. Overall Statement Field You will then need to complete the field entitled Overall statement regarding progress vis-a-vis project aims and timeframe. Please note that this statement should not exceed 150 words as shown below: 7. Project Team Details Section As part of the TPR submission, you are required to provide details of all research team members including yourself as shown below: These details must be updated each time a Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity is submitted. 8. To Add a research team member, click on the Create New link in the Project Team Details Section as shown above: 9. You will be taken to a window entitled New Research Team, known as a Transaction List as shown below: Version 3 Page 36 of 95
You should complete all fields on the form for all members of the research team (one transaction list per team member). a. Reporting Period Field: Complete the Reporting Period From and Reporting Period To fields (these dates will be the same as those on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity). b. Employment Period Field under the Team Member Details heading: Enter the dates of the Employment period for each research team member as shown below: The Employment Period From and Employment Period To fields relate to the employment period of each team member during the lifetime of the project. The Employment Period From field relates to the 1st day that the team member was employed on the project and should not be changed in subsequent reports once it has been created. The Employment Period To field should be updated each time you submit a TPR, in circumstances where the team member is still employed on the Project. This date should never be later that the end date of the reporting period (i.e. Reporting Period To: Field above). If the team member is no longer employed on the project, no further action is required. 10. Complete all the other fields on the transaction list window. Please note that all fields are compulsory. 11. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page as shown: Version 3 Page 37 of 95
12. To add additional project team members without going back to the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity, click the plus button at the top of the transaction list window as shown below and repeat step 9. 13. Once you have finished adding details of all project team members, click on the X in the top corner of the tab on your browser as shown below: 14. Details of all project team members will appear on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity as shown below, once you click the Save Draft button on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity. Version 3 Page 38 of 95
15. To amend/ update the details of a project team member for subsequent reporting periods, click on the View All link in the Project Team Details Section as shown below: 16. You will be taken to a transaction list window listing the project team members associated with the project as shown below. You should click on the Open button of the relevant participant as shown below: 17. On the Edit Research team transaction list window, you can then edit the Employment Period To field for each project team member, who continues to be employed on the project. You should not amend the details of participants who are no longer working on the project. 18. Once you have edited the participant s details, click the Save button and click on the X in the top corner of the tab on your browser as shown below: 19. The amended details of the project team members will appear on Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity, once you click the Save Draft button on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity. 20. Repeat steps 14-18 for each participant whose details need to be amended. Version 3 Page 39 of 95
21. Report on Physical Indicators Section As part of the TPR submission, you are required to provide details of Papers and Conferences and Research Product Details related to your project. Please provide in this section: Details of papers appearing in peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings (Authors, Title of Paper, Publication Details, Status etc.); Details of conference papers/ presentations/ posters (Authors, Title of paper, Conference Details etc.); Details of other papers, posters, publications (including trade magazines, newspaper articles etc); Details of research products (e.g. models, data-sets, methodologies, innovations, patents, trademarks etc.); Details of reports to policy and decision makers on environmental issues: (Report Title, Relevant legislation etc); All details from the project start date should be included. Copies of papers published/ presented in the current reporting period should be uploaded in the relevant fields described below. 22. Papers and Conferences To add details of Papers and Conferences, click on the Create New link in the Report on Physical Indicators section as shown below: 23. You will be taken to the New Papers and Conferences transaction list window as shown: Version 3 Page 40 of 95
24. Complete the Reporting Period From and Reporting Period To fields (these dates will be the same as those on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity)and all relevant fields in the Physical Indicators Section as shown above. 25. Click the Save button. At this point, you can also upload papers, presentations, posters, etc. in the Attach Paper, Presentation or Poster Field as shown below: 26. To add additional Papers and Conferences without going back to the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity, click the Plus button at the top of the transaction list window as shown below and repeat steps 22 to 26. 27. Once you have finished adding details of Papers and Conferences, click on the X in the top corner of the tab on your browser as shown: Version 3 Page 41 of 95
28. Details of Papers and Conferences will appear on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity, once you click the Save Draft button on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity. 29. Research Product Details To add Research Product Details, click on the Create New link in the Summary of Research Product Details section as shown below: 30. You will be taken to the Research Product Details transaction list window as shown below: Version 3 Page 42 of 95
31. Complete the Reporting Period From and Reporting Period To fields as shown above (these dates will be the same as those on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity). 32. Complete all the relevant fields in the Product section as shown above: 33. Click the Save button located at the bottom of the page At this point you can also upload any relevant documentation in the Attach Document as shown below: 34. To add additional Research Product details without going back to the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity, click the Plus button at the top of the transaction list window and repeat steps 32 to 35. 35. Once you have finished adding the details of Research Products, click on the X in the top corner of the tab on your browser as shown below: 36. Details of Research Products will appear on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity, once you click the Save Draft button on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity. 37. Funding Leverage & Linkages Section In the Funding Leverage & Linkages section, select the relevant option from the dropdown menu as shown: Version 3 Page 43 of 95
38. If you choose the option Yes, a text box entitled Please Provide Details will appear and should be completed as shown below: Saving/ Submitting your Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity 39. You can save information you have entered on the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. 40. You can return to the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity at a later date by repeating steps one to five. 41. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted as shown below and will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the TPR is available for review. Version 3 Page 44 of 95
Following its submission, the EPA Research Officer will send for review/ review the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity. If the TPR receives a satisfactory review, it will be signed off. The status of the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity will change to Approved as shown below: Revising your Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity (Revisions Required) Notification 42. If the TPR received an unsatisfactory review, you will be notified by an autogenerated email outlining the revisions required. The status of the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity will change to Revisions Required as shown below. You are required to revise the activity within 14 days of receiving the notification email. Open your Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity (Revisions Required) 43. You will need to log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal and repeat steps one to five (see above). 44. Look for the relevant grant and click on the Open button next to the relevant Technical Progress Report (TPR) as shown above: Version 3 Page 45 of 95
Amend your Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity 45. You can edit your Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity by following the steps 1 to 41. Save/ Submit your revised Technical Progress Report (TPR) Activity 46. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, click on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity from Revision Required to Submitted and notification emails will be sent. The EPA Research Officer will send for review/ review the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity. If the TPR receives a satisfactory review, it will be signed off. The status of the Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity will change to Approved. You will be notified by automated email once the EPA has approved your Technical Progress Report (TPR) activity. Version 3 Page 46 of 95
Budget Re-allocation Request Activity If required, the Grantee can request a re-allocation of funds between budget categories (e.g. Salary, Consumables, Equipment, Travel & Subsistence, Sub-contracts, etc ) and project participants. Normally, the total re-allocation between budget categories should not exceed 15% of the total project budget. The Grantee should ensure that the proposed re-allocation is within the agreed budget. Budget re-allocation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Submission of a Budget Re-allocation Request Activity Create a Budget Re-allocation Request Activity 1. You can request a budget re-allocation by logging on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, scrolling to the Live Grants section, and clicking on the Budget Re-Allocation Requests tab, as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant and click the Open button of the project you wish to make a budget re-allocation request as shown above. 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page) as shown: Version 3 Page 47 of 95
4. Click on the New button located at the top left hand corner the option Activity will appear as shown above. 5. Click on Activity. 6. You will be brought to the New Activity window as shown below: 7. Select the option Budget Re-allocation Request in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown below: Version 3 Page 48 of 95
8. You will be brought to the Budget Re-allocation Request Activity page as shown below: The Budget Re-allocation Request Activity page provides you with details of the current activity (e.g. status, last modified date) and project information ( Project Section). 9. Click the Save Draft button to enable the upload buttons for the activity, once the form is fully loaded. Upload your Budget Re-allocation Request Template 1. Download the Budget Re-allocation Request template available in the Budget Reallocation section as shown below: 2. Complete the budget re-allocation template and ensure that the relevant person within the organisation requesting the re-allocation signs it. Version 3 Page 49 of 95
3. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to scan and convert all signed budget re-allocation request templates to PDF prior to upload. It is also the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to upload the completed budget reallocation request template even if it relates exclusively to a project participant (partner organisation). Where the request relates to a re-allocation between project participants (partners), separate templates (one per partner) should be completed, signed as appropriate, scanned and converted to a single PDF document prior to upload. 4. The completed PDF budget re-allocation template should be uploaded in the Budget Re-allocation Form (PDF Only) field by clicking the Upload budget Reallocation form (PDF Only) button as shown above. 5. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the page to attach the uploaded document to the activity form. Saving/ Submitting your Budget Re-allocation Request Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the Budget Re-allocation Request activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. 2. You can return to the Budget Re-allocation Request activity at a later date by repeating steps one to five. 3. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Budget Re-allocation Request activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. 4. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted and will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the budget re-allocation request has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project and the EPA s financial consultants stating that the budget re-allocation request is available for review. Version 3 Page 50 of 95
Your budget re-allocation request will then be reviewed. If it is approved, you will receive an auto-generated email confirming this and the status of the activity will change to Approved. 5. You will also be notified by email if the request is not approved or if further information/ clarification is required before it can be approved. a. In circumstances where the budget re-allocation request contains numerical errors, you will be asked to re-submit the request. Instructions on how to do so are outlined below. The status of your request will have changed to Revision Required. b. Where justification is insufficient the request will be rejected. In such circumstances you may not re-submit the request using the activity that has been rejected. You may however submit a new request with revised justification. To do so you will need to repeat the steps above. Revising your Budget Re-allocation Request Activity 1. If there are numerical errors in your budget re-allocation request, you will be required to revise your Budget Re-allocation Request Activity. 2. Log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, scroll to the Live Grants section, and select the Budget Re-Allocation Requests tab as shown below: 3. Click on the Open button related to the relevant activity to be revised as shown above. Version 3 Page 51 of 95
4. You can view/ download the queries on your budget re-allocation by clicking on the link in the Budget Re-allocation Queries section as shown below: 5. You should ensure that the appropriate person makes the necessary revisions to the budget re-allocation request template. 6. You should also ensure that the revised budget re-allocation request is signed scanned and uploaded by clicking on the Upload Revised Budget Reallocation (PDF Only) button in the Revised Budget Re-allocation Form field as shown above. 7. Once the budget re-allocation form has been uploaded, click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen. 8. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted and will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the budget re-allocation request has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project and the EPA s financial consultants stating that the budget re-allocation request is available for review. Your budget re-allocation request will then be reviewed. If it is approved, you will receive an auto-generated email confirming this and the status of the activity will change to Approved. In circumstances where the budget reallocation request contains numerical errors, you will be asked to re-submit the request and the status of your request will have changed to Revision Required. Instructions on how to re-submit the request are outlined above. Version 3 Page 52 of 95
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Project Time Extension Request Activity In the event of a project encountering delays, it is the responsibility of the Grantee to request a time extension (at no extra cost) to the EPA as soon as it has become clear that the project will not be completed within the agreed timeframe. A project is considered completed once the Final Report(s) has (have) been signed off or final thesis submitted in the case of scholarships. Requests for time extension will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Create a Project Time Extension Request Activity 1. You can request a time extension by logging on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, scrolling to the Live Grants section and clicking on the Misc. Requests tab as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to make a time extension request and click the Open button as shown above. 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page). 4. Click on the New button located at the left hand corner and select Activity as shown below: Version 3 Page 54 of 95
5. You will be brought to the New Activity window as shown below: 6. Select the option Project Time Extension Request in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown above. 7. You will be brought to the Project Time Extension Request Activity page as shown below: 8. The Project Time Extension Request Activity page provides you with details of the current activity (e.g. status, last modified date) and project information ( Project Section). Complete your Project Time Extension Request Activity 1. Complete the text box entitled Justification for Time Extension (the justification should not exceed 200 words) and click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the page as show: Version 3 Page 55 of 95
2. In the Number of Months Requested: field, enter the number of months requested and click the Save Draft button as shown above: Saving / Submitting your Project Time Extension Request Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the Project Time Extension Request activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button at the bottom of the page which will enable you to return to the activity at a later date in order to continue completing it. 2. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Project Time Extension Request activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page as shown: Version 3 Page 56 of 95
3. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted and will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the Project Time Extension Request activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the Project Time Extension request is available for review. 4. Your Project Time Extension request will then be reviewed. You will receive an autogenerated email advising you of the outcome of this review. A reason will be provided in all instances where a request is not approved. 5. The status of the activity will change from Submitted to Approved or Rejected depending on the outcome of the review. Version 3 Page 57 of 95
Travel Outside the EU Request Activity Create a Travel Outside the EU Request Activity 1. You can make a request for Travel Outside the EU by logging on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, scrolling to the Live Grants section and clicking on he Misc. Requests tab as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to make a request for Travel Outside the EU and click the Open button as shown above: 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page). 4. Click on the New tab located at the left hand corner and then click on Activity as shown below: 5. You will be brought to the New Activity window. Select the option Travel Outside the EU Request in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown below: Version 3 Page 58 of 95
6. You will be brought to the Travel Outside the EU Request Activity page as shown below: 7. The Travel Outside the EU Request Activity page provides you with details of the current activity (e.g. status, last modified date) and project information ( Project Section). Complete your Travel Outside the EU Request Activity Complete all fields on the Travel Outside the EU Request activity as shown below. Please note that all fields are compulsory. 1. Click the Save Draft button located at the bottom of the page to save the information provided and enable the upload button on the Travel Outside the EU Request activity. 2. Upload any relevant related documentation such as the paper being presented at the event by clicking on the Upload Related Document button in the Upload related documents (e.g. paper presented, conference proceedings, etc): field as shown: Version 3 Page 59 of 95
Saving / Submitting your Travel Outside the EU Request Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the Travel Outside the EU Request activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button located at the bottom of the page. 2. You can return to the Travel Outside the EU Request activity at a later date by scrolling to the Live Grants section on your home page then selecting the tab Misc. Requests, and clicking on the Open button next to the relevant activity for the project number. 3. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Travel Outside the EU Request activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button located at the bottom of the page. 4. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted and will trigger an email to: Version 3 Page 60 of 95
a. You, confirming that the Travel Outside the EU Request activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the Travel Outside the EU request is available for review. 5. Your Travel Outside the EU request will then be reviewed. You will receive an autogenerated email advising you of the outcome of this review. A reason will be provided in all instances where a request is not approved. 6. The status of the activity will change from Submitted to Approved or Rejected depending on the outcome of the review. Version 3 Page 61 of 95
Final Report Activities The EPA requires the Principal Investigator to submit a draft Final Report to describe the objectives, methodologies, outcomes, etc. of the research. If this report is longer than 75 pages, a draft Synthesis Report (20-30 pages) providing an overview of the work should also be submitted. It is important that all team members agree and sign-off on the content of the reports prior to submission to the EPA. Both reports should be submitted by the end date of the project, following the Guidelines for Submission of Final Reports available from the EPA website (www.epa.ie). For Research Fellowship projects, the EPA requires the Principal Investigator to submit a State of Knowledge Report on Month 8 of the fellowship project. The reports will be peer-reviewed and should be revised by the project team in order to address any comments/recommendations. The EPA will sign-off on the report(s), once satisfied with its contents. This section describes the steps in relation to the submission and revision of the: Final Report: Final Report Final Report Activity; Synthesis Report: Final Report Synthesis Report Activity; For Research Fellowship projects: State of Knowledge Report: Final Report State of Knowledge Report Activity. The steps below are described in the context of the submission and revision of a Final Report and are applicable to all Final Report Activities, including Synthesis reports and State of Knowledge reports. Submission of a Final Report Activity Create a Final Report Activity 1. Log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. You can create a Final Report Activity by scrolling down to the Live Grants section and selecting the Final Reports tab as shown: Version 3 Page 62 of 95
2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to create a Final Report Activity and click the Open button as shown above: 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page). 4. Click on the New tab located at the left hand corner as shown below: 5. Click on the option Activity which will appear in the dropdown menu as shown above. 6. You will be brought to the New Activity window. Select the option Synthesis Report in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown below: Version 3 Page 63 of 95
Note: For Synthesis Report: choose the option Synthesis Report ; For State of Knowledge Report: choose the option State of Knowledge Report (option not shown in the above screenshot). 7. You will be brought to the Final Report Activity page as shown below: 8. The Final Report Activity page provides you with details of the current activity (e.g. status, last modified date) and project information ( Project Section). Complete your Final Report Synthesis Report Activity 1. To activate the fields click on Save Draft as shown above, and complete the following: Report Title ; Authors ; Date Draft Uploaded on the Final Report activity as shown below. Please note that these fields are compulsory. Version 3 Page 64 of 95
2. Upload the draft Final report in MS Word format in the Upload Report (Word Format Only): field, by clicking on the upload button provided as shown above. 3. Upload the Executive Summary in MS Word format in the Please Upload Executive Summary: field, by clicking on the upload button provided as shown above. Saving/ Submitting your Final Report Activity 1. You can save the information you have entered on the Final Report activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button located at the bottom of the page. 2. You can return to the Final Report activity at a later date by scrolling to the Live Grants section, selecting the Final Report tab, and clicking on the Open button for the relevant project report. 3. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Final Report activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. 4. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted as shown below and will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the Final Report activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the final report is available for review. Version 3 Page 65 of 95
5. Your final report will then be reviewed. The status of the activity will change to Under Review as shown below: 6. Once the review has been completed, you will receive an auto-generated email advising you to log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. If necessary, the status of the activity will change to Revisions Required as shown below: Submission of the Revised Final Report 1. Log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, scroll to the Live Grants section and select the Final Reports tab as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant related to the Final Report Final Report Activity to 3. be revised and click the Open button as shown above. Version 3 Page 66 of 95
4. You will be brought to the Final Report activity that requires revision as shown below: 5. View/ download the reviewers detailed comments and Overall Comments on the final report, available from the Reviewer Detailed Comments: and Overall Comments fields as shown below: 6. You should then make the required revisions. Version 3 Page 67 of 95
7. Upload the revised final report in MS Word format in the Upload Revised Report (Word Format Only): field, by clicking on the upload button provided as shown below: 8. Complete the field entitled Date Revision Uploaded as shown above. 9. Upload the revised Executive Summary in MS Word format in the Please Upload Executive Summary: field, by clicking on the upload button provided as shown below. 10. Click on the Save Draft button at the bottom of the window to save the information entered and to attach the uploaded documents to the activity. 11. You can save information you have entered on the Final Report Final Report activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. Version 3 Page 68 of 95
12. You can return to the Final Report Final Report activity at a later date by repeating the above steps. 13. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the revised Final Report Final Report activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. 14. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Revisions Required to Submitted will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the Final Report Final Report activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the report is available for review. 15. Your final report will then be reviewed. The status of the activity will change to Under Review. 16. Once the revised report has been reviewed, you will receive an auto-generated email advising you that either further revision is required or that the report has been signed off. If the report requires further revision you will need to log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal and repeat the above steps. 17. You will be notified by automated email once the EPA has approved your Final Report Final Report activity. This internal process will be reflected by a succession of intermediary statuses of the activity. Once approved, the status of the activity will change to Approved as shown below: 18. Once the report has been approved, the publication process will then begin. Version 3 Page 69 of 95
EPQ and Datasets End of Project Questionnaire Activity Create an End of Project Questionnaire Activity 1. Log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. You can create an End of Project Questionnaire by scrolling to the Live Grants section and selecting the EPQ and Datasets tab as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to submit a End of Project Questionnaire Activity and click the Open button as shown above. 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page). 4. Click on the New button located at the top left hand corner and then select Activity as shown below: 5. You will be brought to the New Activity window. Select the option End of Project Questionnaire in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown: Version 3 Page 70 of 95
6. You will be brought to the End of Project Questionnaire Activity page as shown below. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the form to activate all of the fields: Complete the End of Project Questionnaire Activity 1. Amend the Project Team details, where required (the information from your last Technical Progress Report has been copied across) a. Click on Create New to create a new record as shown below; b. Click on View All and on selected record to amend an existing record as shown: Version 3 Page 71 of 95
2. Amend the Report on Physical Indicators, where required (the information from your last Technical Progress Report has been copied across) Please note that there are two sections: Papers & Conferences and Research Products Details a. Click on Create New to create a new record as shown below; b. Click on View All and on selected record to amend an existing record as shown below: 3. Complete the Report on Esteem Indicators (not for Scholarships) a. Click on Create New to create a new record as shown below; b. Click on View All and on selected record to amend an existing record as shown below: Version 3 Page 72 of 95
4. Complete the Report on Research Impact Indicators (not for Scholarships) Please note that there are three sections: Summary of Policy Impacts; Summary of Commercial Impacts and Summary of Collaborative Impacts. a. Click on Create New to create a new record as shown below; b. Click on View All and on selected record to amend an existing record as shown below: 5. Complete the field entitled Experience gained from working on this project (not for Scholarships) as shown below. Please note 200 word limit. 6. Complete the field entitled Research Strategy (not for Scholarships) as shown below. Please note 200 word limit. Version 3 Page 73 of 95
7. Select the relevant answer in the dropdown in the field entitled Funding Leverage & Linkages as shown below: 8. Click the Save Draft button to save your changes as shown above. Saving / Submitting your End of Project Questionnaire Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the End of Project Questionnaire activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. 2. You can return to the End of Project Questionnaire activity at a later date by repeating the earlier steps. 3. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the End of Project Questionnaire activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. 4. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted as shown below and will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the End of Project Questionnaire activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the End of Project Questionnaire is available for review. 5. If the End of Project Questionnaire receives a satisfactory review, you will be notified by an auto-generated email. The status of the End of Project Questionnaire activity will change to Approved. Version 3 Page 74 of 95
Revising your End of Project Questionnaire Activity 1. If the End of Project Questionnaire receives an unsatisfactory review, you will be notified by an auto-generated email outlining the revisions required. The status of the End of Project Questionnaire activity will change to Revisions Required as shown below. You can access and revise the activity clicking on the Open button for the appropriate project activity. Version 3 Page 75 of 95
Dataset Metadata Activity It is a requirement of all EPA Research funded projects that all datasets produced by the research and associated metadata are made digitally (where relevant) available to the EPA. Create a Dataset Metadata Activity 1. Log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. You can submit a Dataset Metadata activity by scrolling to the Live Grants section and selecting the EPQ and Datasets tab as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to submit a Dataset Metadata Activity and click the Open button as shown above. 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page).click on the New button located at the top left hand corner and then select Activity as shown below: Version 3 Page 76 of 95
4. You will be brought to the New Activity window. Select the option Dataset Metadata in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown below: 5. You will be brought to the Dataset Metadata Activity page. 6. The Dataset Metadata Activity page provides you with details of the current activity (e.g. status, last modified date) and project information ( Project Section) as shown below: Version 3 Page 77 of 95
Complete your Dataset Metadata Activity 1. Download and complete the Metadata template by clicking on the link available in the Dataset Metadata section as shown below: 2. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the screen to enable the upload button on the Dataset Metadata activity. 3. Upload the completed Metadata template by clicking on the Upload Dataset (Excel spreadsheet only) button in the Upload Dataset Metadata: field as shown below: Saving/ Submitting your Dataset Metadata Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the Dataset Metadata activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. 2. You can return to the Dataset Metadata activity at a later date by repeating the above steps. Version 3 Page 78 of 95
3. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Dataset Metadata activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. 4. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted as shown below and will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the Dataset Metadata activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the Metadata template is available. Version 3 Page 79 of 95
Meetings Activity From time to time, you may be invited to attend project progress meetings/ Steering Committee meetings organised by the EPA Research Officer administering your project. Who creates the Meeting activity? The EPA Research Officer will create a Meeting activity on the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal and will notify you when this is the case. This activity has two statuses: Meeting Planned Meeting Held It allows for: The upload of agenda, presentations and relevant documentation in advance of a meeting (at the Meeting Planned status). The upload of minutes, comments and any other relevant documentation after the meeting has taken place (at the Meeting Held status). Who can access/ edit the Meeting activity? All attendees, who are registered users on the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal (e.g. Principal Investigator, reviewers), invited by the EPA Research Officer, have access to this activity and can upload relevant documents as required. View the Meetings activity 1. To view the Meetings activity, log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal, scroll to the Live Grants section and click ont eh Meetigs tab as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to view the Meetings activity, and click the Open button as shown above. 3. As shown below the Meeting activity form contains the project details and details of the: a. Meeting Type; Version 3 Page 80 of 95
b. Meeting Agenda; c. Meeting Minutes; d. Related Documents; e. Meeting Date; f. Meeting Location. 4. You can download the documents by clicking on the filename in the relevant field of the form as shown above. Upload documents in the Meetings activity 1. To upload documents in the Meetings activity, click on the relevant upload button (See more details about Document Upload) as shown in the previous image. 2. Meeting Minutes field: when uploading Minutes or Comments on Minutes. Please ensure that your file is clearly labelled as several users will be uploading documents in this field (Name_Minutes_Meeting date). 3. Related Documents field: when uploading presentations or any other relevant documentation in advance of a meeting. Please ensure that your file is clearly labelled as several users will be uploading documents in this field (Name_Type of document_meeting date). Version 3 Page 81 of 95
Save your changes on the Meeting Activity 1. Once you have uploaded the relevant documents, click the Save Draft button to ensure that all your uploaded documents are attached to the Meeting activity and click on the Submit button. 2. You can then close the Meeting activity. Please note that currently there are no automated email notifications associated with the Meeting Activity. Please inform your EPA contact once you have amended a Meeting Activity. Version 3 Page 82 of 95
Final Report Thesis Report Activity (Scholarships only) Create an Final Report Thesis Report Activity 1. Log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. You can create a Final Report Thesis Report by scrolling to the Live Grants section and selecting the Final Reports tab as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to create a Final Report Thesis Report Activity and click the Open button as shown above. 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page). 4. Click on the New button located at the left hand corner and then select Activity as shown below: 5. You will be brought to the New Activity window. Select the option Final Report Thesis Report in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown: Version 3 Page 83 of 95
6. This will open the Final Report Thesis Report Activity page as shown below. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the form to activate all of the fields and enable the upload buttons: Version 3 Page 84 of 95
Complete the Final Report Thesis Report Activity 1. Complete all fields of the form as shown below including: a. Thesis Title b. Thesis Authors c. Date of submission of Final Thesis (i.e. date when you submitted the final version of your thesis (post-viva corrections) 2. Upload your final thesis as a single PDF file as shown above. 3. Upload your thesis abstract as a WORD document as shown below: 4. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the form to refresh the activity and save your changes. Saving / Submitting your Final Report Thesis Report Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the Final Report Thesis Report activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. 2. You can return to the Final Report Thesis Report activity at a later date by repeating the earlier steps. Version 3 Page 85 of 95
3. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Final Report Thesis Report activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. 4. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted as shown below and will trigger an email to: a. You confirming that the Final Report Thesis Report activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the Final Report Thesis Report is available. 5. If the Final Report Thesis Report has been submitted correctly, you will be notified by an auto-generated email. The status of the Final Report Thesis Report activity will change to Approved as shown below: Revising your Final Report Thesis Report Activity 1. If the Final Report Thesis Report has been submitted incorrectly, you will be notified by an auto-generated email outlining the revisions required. The status of the Final Report Thesis Report activity will change to Revisions Required. You can access and revise the activity by repeating steps one to four. Version 3 Page 86 of 95
Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity (Scholarships only) Create a Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity Please ensure that you have submitted a Request for Time Extension before submitting a 4 th year fee request. 1. Log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. You can to create a Misc. 4th Year Fee Request by scrolling to the Live Grants section and selecting the tab Misc. Requests as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to create a 4th Year Fee Request Activity and click the Open button as shown above. 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page). 4. Click on the New button located at the top left hand corner and then select Activity as shown below: Version 3 Page 87 of 95
5. You will be brought to the New Activity window. Select the option Misc. 4th Year Fee Request in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown below: 6. This will open the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity page as shown below. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the form to activate all fields and enable the upload buttons as shown below: Version 3 Page 88 of 95
Complete the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity 1. Complete all fields of the form as shown below: a. Amount of Fees Requested ( ) b. Justification for your request (Please note 500 word limit). 2. Upload the relevant supporting documentation (i.e. proof of fees amount) (PDF files only) as shown above. 3. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the form to refresh the activity and save your changes. Saving / Submitting your Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. 2. You can return to the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request activity at a later date by repeating the above steps. 3. Once you are satisfied that all relevant information has been included, the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request activity should be submitted by clicking on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. Version 3 Page 89 of 95
4. Clicking Submit will automatically change the status of the activity from Draft to Submitted as shown below and will trigger an email to: a. You, confirming that the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request activity has been submitted successfully. b. The EPA Research Officer administering your project stating that the 4th Year Fee Request is available. 5. If the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request receives a satisfactory review, you will be notified by an auto-generated email. The status of the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request activity will change to Approved, as shown below: 6. If the 4th Year Fee Request is not approved, you will be notified by an autogenerated email. The status of the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request activity will change to Rejected. Revising your Misc. 4th Year Fee Request Activity 1. If 4th Year Fee Request receives an unsatisfactory review, you will be notified by an auto-generated email outlining the revisions required. The status of the Misc. 4th Year Fee Request activity will change to Revisions Required. You can access and revise the activity by repeating the steps outlined earlier. Version 3 Page 90 of 95
Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity (Researcher Travel Support & Event Support Grants only) Create an Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity 1. Log on to the EPA s Grant Application and Project Management Portal. You can create a Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request by scrolling to the Live Grants section and selecting the Misc. Requests tab as shown below: 2. Look for the relevant grant for which you wish to create a Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity and click the Open button as shown above. 3. You will be brought to the Grant View (read-only version of the grant application page). 4. Click on the New button located at the left hand corner and then select Activity as shown below: Version 3 Page 91 of 95
5. You will be brought to the New Activity window. Select the option Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request in the Activity Type dropdown menu as shown below: 6. This will open the Misc Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity page as shown below. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the form to activate all the fields and enable the upload buttons.: Version 3 Page 92 of 95
Complete the Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity 1. Complete all the fields as shown below in the Event Feedback Section: a. List of all other co-funders (Event Support Grant type only) b. Number of Participants (Event Support Grant type only), number of male participants, number of female participants c. Summary of the event (200 words Max.) d. Keynote Speakers (Names and Subjects (if applicable)) (Event Support Grant type only) e. Highlights of the Event (position paper, awards, etc.) f. Outline how this event will aid your research - 300 words max. (Researcher Travel Support Grant type only) 2. Upload additional information in the Additional Information Section as shown below: Event Support Grant type Version 3 Page 93 of 95
Researcher Travel Support Grant type 3. Upload your signed invoice (PDF only) in the Payment Request Section: 4. Click the Save Draft button at the bottom of the form to refresh the activity and save your changes. Saving/ Submitting your Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request Activity 1. You can save information you have entered on the Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request activity as many times as you like prior to submission by clicking the Save Draft button. 2. You can return to the Misc. Event Feedback Form and Payment Request activity at a later date by repeating the earlier steps. Version 3 Page 94 of 95