University of Rochester

Research Administration

Systems Modernization

Terrance Howard-CollinsProject Director

Gunta LidersAVP for Research and Project

Administration

Kelley O’DonoghueAVP for Human Subject

Protection

What are we trying to do????

What we don’t want to do???

Where did we start??

2016 - UR Research IT Assessment by Huron Consulting

Assessed the UR Research functions Pre-Award

Award Management (post-award)

IRB

Safety (Radiation and IBC)

Identified areas where improved processes and modernization could assist in achieving the University’s vision to remain a premier research institution.

Widespread manual entry and, at times, duplication of effort within research

systems to capture, verify, and accurately report on data.

Multiple systems and processes are used across the university to accomplish

similar functions, resulting in a lack of consistency across departments and

colleges.

Many research systems do not adequately mirror business processes or contain

needed functionality, which is currently mitigated by use of paper forms and routing

While the effort of those involved is not taken for granted, the university’s PIs,

administrators, and other decentralized research stakeholders expressed varying

levels of customer satisfaction from central research administration/accounting

offices.

IT support for many research systems is spread thin or ‘single-threaded,’ creating

risk in continuing operations and future UR growth.

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Executive SummaryKey Themes

• Lack of trust in data has led many to discredit or ignore system-generated, standard reports.

• There is no PI Portal or central database to allow researchers to review standard research metrics.

Reporting

• Different processes exist across departments and colleges, with some departments operating inefficiently and ineffectively.

• Little communication between departments and department administrators across the university prevents best practices from being shared.

Business Process Review

• COEUS provides a static, basic model for pre-award data collection.

• Implementing a more robust system for both capturing, routing and submitting proposal data can supplement standard processes across the institution.

Pre-Award Technology

• Compliance systems are standalone, with little to no integration to core Research systems (e.g. Pre-Award System).

• The university should develop a strategic roadmap to adapt its compliance systems with regards to changes in regulations (e.g. IRB) and future growth.

Research Compliance Systems

• The procure-to-pay business processes are fulfilled by multiple entry points and often include manual steps, thus creating increased opportunity for data inaccuracy and inconsistency as well as downstream confusion.

• Complicated, manual reconciliation processes between multiple systems is required to track research financial encumbrances.

Purchasing & Commitments

Areas for Review

Executive Summary

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What happened??

2017 - Huron Consulting Arrangement Continues Conducted 5 Integrated Research Admin. System

Reviews CRMS

Pre-award and Award Management

IRB

Agreements/Contracts

Research Safety

Included interviews of 78 stakeholders across 22 departments

Solicited feedback from attendees

Deliverable: Functional and technical requirements document prioritized based on business need

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Modernization Project Roadmap

ConsiderationsRoadmap Success Factors

Project/Program Management

Change Management

Business Process Design

Service Delivery

Governance

Starting the project…

June 2017 - Research IT Systems Modernization Project

Pre/Post Award Management

IRB

Agreements/Contracts

Research Safety

Evaluate available products, focus on integrated solution

Prioritize how to implement

Evaluate available products…

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Single IRB FunctionalitySingle IRB functionality allows for competitive advantage in grant

submissions with multi-site research.

Increase Research

Productivity

Enable PI’s to be more productive in proposal submission and research

endeavors.

Improve Administrative

Efficiency

Reduce administrative effort, moving from a paper process to an automated,

efficient workflow, freeing time to assist with strategic planning and future

projections. Reduce shadow systems and departmental tracking for pre-

award.

Reputational ExcellenceBy providing state of the art administrative resources we can preserve and

attract prominent investigators, grants, and studies.

Data and Analytics

Equip Research Faculty and Staff with resources to engage in strategic

activities such as identifying sponsorship opportunities, submitting

proposals, preparing budgets, exploiting competitive advantages, and to

provide metrics to gauge operational effectiveness and pain points.

Improve Customer

Service

Promotes transparency, collaboration, communication, efficiency, and

effectiveness. Excitement and very positive feedback from those who

attended Vendor demonstrations. Research Community very excited about

the possibility of having an integrated system.

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Integrated Solution

110 individuals invited to participate

Investigators and Research Personnel

Research Administrators

Approximate 40% participation rate.

All participants were asked to complete a

brief survey after the demonstration to

assess the product

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Evaluate available products…

Key

Considerations

Integrated solution for entire lifecycle of eRA

Well thought out approach for sIRB support

sIRB data exchange for customers using the

same platform

Easy to customize forms and workflows

Robust budget and planning feature

Clean and user friendly interface

More TBD After Day in the Life Presentations

Integrated solution for entire lifecycle of eRA

Solid roadmap for sIRB support

Customizable forms and workflows

More TBD After Day in the Life Presentations

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Preferred Vendor Selection

Preferred Vendor Survey Results

Survey Question Click iMedRIS

Ability for product to meet

requirements

Ability to improve and

modernize research

administration

Would you like to invite the

vendor back for day in the life

scenario demonstrations?

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Vendor Selection Process

Day in the Life Scenarios Vendors invited to demonstrate specific scenarios

Feature roadmap – module scalability

Feedback and surveys

Company Viability Peer feedback and 1st tier research

affiliations/clients

Research business and process aptitude

Ability to provide an integrated platform (Pre-award, sIRB, Safety, COI, etc.)

Cost

Recommendation

Presented to Operational Excellence

Committee on 10/31:

Select the Click product for an integrated

eResearch Administration platform

Start IRB implementation in January 2018

Plan Pre/Post Award implementation for

January 2019

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What’s Next?

January/February 2018 Wrap up contract reviews and sign-off

Establish a sandbox for vision into what's coming

Identify collaborative working groups

Identify Business Process Improvements and Best

Practices

Finalize Project Plan

Begin Technical Implementation

Revised Consent Form Templates

New Sections (and eRecord language)

What does that mean for research under

review?

CURRENTLY APPROVED = NO REVISION

REQUIRED

New Application under review

Approved prior to January 19, 2018 - no revision required

Approved on or after January 19, 2018 - it will require

revision before it can be approved.

START USING THE NEW TEMPLATES