Research Management System Reviewing Research Proposals in ECURMS: A guide for Associate Deans (Research) V5 - November 2016
Contents Introduction... 2 Processes... 2 Expression of Interest... 2 Pre-submission... 2 Conditional award revised proposal... 3 Accessing ECURMS... 4 Logging In... 4 Reviewing an Expression of Interest... 5 Accessing the Reviewer Dashboard... 5 Review Tab... 6 Adding Comments... 8 My Decision... 8 Reviewing a Completed Proposal... 9 Accessing the action item... 9 Reviewing the proposal... 11 Recording Your Decision... 11 Reviewing a Revised Proposal... 12 Accessing the action item... 12 Reviewing the Proposal... 13 Recording Your Decision... 14 Further assistance... 15 Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 1
Introduction During the grant application process you ll be called upon on two separate occasions to carry out a review on a proposal: Once at the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage, and once prior to the submission of the full application. You may also be required to review a revised proposal if a grant is awarded with conditions. Processes Expression of Interest The Expression of Interest process is as follows: 1. Researcher identifies a funding opportunity; 2. Researcher submits an expression of interest in ECURMS; 3. The researcher s line manager is notified: Researcher s line manager reviews the EOI and provides any appropriate input (if necessary). In this step they will indicate whether they approve for the EOI to be developed into a full proposal for submission. 4. The Researcher is notified of line manager s decision, with the RAO s being cc d onto the email generated by ECURMS 5. On notification of the approval of their expression of interest the researcher can begin to develop their proposal. The EOI provides basic information on proposed grant application; you ll be notified of the funding body and scheme, the proposed research team (Note: if the submitter is the sole investigator the research team section will be blank) and provided with a short summary of the project. Your review should confirm that the researcher has sufficient time and resources to develop the application, that you can support the use of the researcher s time as proposed, and that the proposed project is consistent with the definition of research. Pre-submission The pre-submission review process is as follows: 1. Researcher completes their proposal. 2. Research Development Advisor (RDA) reviews the proposal (if applicable), focussing on the content and ensuring a quality application. 3. Research Administration Officer (RAO) reviews the proposal, ensuring that the application is compliant with the funding body s funding rules and guidelines. 4. Researcher s line manager reviews the proposal and indicates whether or not they support the application via ECURMS. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 2
5. Once the proposal has been approved by the researcher s line manager, the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) will collate any supporting documentation. 6. The proposal is submitted to the funding body for consideration. In the course of your review (step 4 above) if you indicate your support for the submission you are confirming that the project constitutes research, and that the school or centre has the resources to facilitate the project. For more information on the ORI grant application process please visit ORI's Sourcing funding web page. Conditional award revised proposal A funding body may award a grant on the condition that certain criteria are met or on the basis of reduced funding. Often this will require some revision to a proposal scope and/or budget. The conditional award review process is as follows: 1. Researcher is notified that revisions are required; they are asked to redevelop their proposal and uploads documents to ECURMS (either directly or via an RAO). 2. Researcher s line manager reviews the revised proposal and records their decision in ECURMS. 3. Once the revised proposal has been approved by the researcher s line manager, the Research Contracts Adviser is notified that they can begin contract preparation. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 3
Accessing ECURMS Logging In 1. Log into the Staff Portal with your ads username and password. : 2. Click on the Research Management System hyperlink under the Easy Logins menu on the Staff Portal. 3. If not listed, click the Pencil icon located at the top of the Easy Logins menu, locate and tick the checkbox for Research Management System and click OK. 4. ECU RMS will open in a new window. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 4
Please note: If you are accessing ECURMS outside of the ECU network you will need to install and run VPN software. Reviewing an Expression of Interest Accessing the Reviewer Dashboard When an expression of interest requires your review you ll receive an email alert from ECURMS. Access the Reviewer Dashboard by following the link provided. The first screen of the dashboard provides a brief overview of the process. Click on the Review tab to start the process. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 5
Review Tab 1. You can enter ECURMS from the dashboard to review the e-form and uploaded documents, by clicking the links to the Form/Document file; or, they can view each e- form or uploaded document individually, by clicking the Open link to download the file. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 6
2. Once you have viewed all relevant documents you should select Reviewed from the Review Status drop-down, and then save your changes. Please note: In order to record your decision all items for review must have a review status of Reviewed. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 7
Adding Comments If you wish to leave comments for the CI, you can do so using the Add comments section of the reviewer dashboard. Within this section you have the option to restrict the visibility of the comments to certain users/user groups, however, you are encouraged to use the option To be shared with everyone. My Decision This section allows you to record your approval decision. 1. Once you have marked the Items to review as reviewed, a drop down menu, underneath My Decision is, will be visible. From this menu you can choose the appropriate decision from; Approved Not Approved Not Approved Revision Required Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 8
2. If you have selected Approved you will need to then Accept the certification that appears on screen: Reviewing a Completed Proposal When a completed proposal requires your review, prior to its submission, you will receive an email alert and an action item from ECURMS. Accessing the action item 1. The email sent from ECURMS includes a link to the action item. To open the action item click the Log In link at the bottom of the email. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 9
2. You will be prompted to enter your ADS log in details; once you have done this the action item will open. Note: If you are accessing ECURMS outside of the ECU network you will need to install and run VPN software. 3. Click the hyperlinked proposal number to open the proposal record. Please do not close the action item window, as you will return to this to record your decision after your review is complete. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 10
Reviewing the proposal 1. For this exercise, you will be primarily concerned with reviewing the finalised proposal, which is located in the Attachments folder: a. Navigate to the Attachments folder on the menu at the left of the screen. b. Open the proposal documents (normally titled Final Proposal or similar) by clicking the view icon. c. Review the Proposal and any other supporting material that sits in the attachments screen. Once you have made your decision you can exit the ECURMS record by clicking in the top left of your browser window. Recording Your Decision Once you have reviewed all of the necessary documents and exited the ECURMS proposal record, return to the action item to record your decision. 1. Scroll down to the Finalize Task/Assignment Section and select the appropriate status from the drop-down list labelled Next Step/Decision : Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 11
You will see the following options: Approved for Submission: Indicates that you support the submission. Not Approved for Submission: Indicates that you do not support the submission of the proposal to the funding body Not Approved for Submission Revision Required: Indicates that you would like revisions to be made prior to approving the submission. If required, you can record comments in the text box situated above the drop-down menu. 2. Click on I am done (Task Assignment title bar) to confirm your decision and close the action item. Reviewing a Revised Proposal When a researcher is awarded a grant with conditions and is asked to submit a revised proposal, the revised proposal will require your approval before the project can be progressed. Accessing the action item The email sent from ECURMS includes a link to the action item; to open the action item window click the Log In link at the bottom of the email. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 12
Note: If you are accessing ECURMS outside of the ECU network you will need to install and run VPN software. Reviewing the Proposal 1. The revised proposal will have been uploaded into the Attachments folder: a. Navigate to the Attachments folder on the menu at the left of the screen. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 13
b. Open the revised proposal/budget by clicking the view icon. c. Review the Proposal and any other supporting material that sits in the attachments screen. Once you have made your decision you can exit the ECURMS record by clicking in the top left of your browser window. Recording Your Decision Once you have reviewed all of the necessary documents and exited the ECURMS proposal record, return to the action item to record your decision. 1. Scroll down to the Finalize Task/Assignment Section and select the appropriate status from the drop-down list labelled Next Step/Decision : You will see the following options: Approved for submission: indicates your support for project to proceed Not Approved for Submission: Indicates that you do not support the project and are not prepared for the project to be run within your school/centre. Not Approved for Submission Revision Required: This indicates that you would like some amendment to the project plan and/or budget prior to making your approval decision. Withdrawn: The project s CI has withdrawn their proposal submission Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 14
Please note: If you select revision required, it is recommend that you either provide feedback in the comments box (located immediately the Next Step/Decision pick list) or contact the listed ECU CI to discuss your reasoning. When you have recorded your decision you should close the action item to complete the process. This is achieved by clicking I am done in the Task/Assignment title bar. Further assistance If you require assistance with the ECURMS review process contact your school s Research Administration Officer (RAO). If you d like to provide feedback on these ECURMS processes please contact rms@ecu.edu.au. Reviewing research proposals in ECURMS 15