The eResearch Proposal Management system (eRPM) was updated to Version 7.7 with several enhancements on November 23, 2024.
For Unit Research Administrators
PI & Project Team, Reviewers, Unit Liaisons
Proposal Approval Form (PAF)
Removed Question 2.10 Project Administration which had the ability to select a Project Representative (PR). Instead, PAFs will route to a system-assigned PR based on the answer to PAF Question 1.2 (“Proposal,” “Contract” or “Subsequent PAF”).
Exceptions:
- Clinical Trial Routing Forms (CTRF) still allow PR selection, limited to those handling clinical trials.
- For Michigan Medicine, Michigan Grants Office's Department Submitters can assign a PR during Unit Review. This PR will remain assigned to the record until after PAF submission.
Subcontracts (SUBK)
SUBK workspace changes
- to match the layout/design of other post-award projects in eRPM, e.g. AWD, MOD, ACR
- Aligned workspace messages and added a Compliance Status meter to display and track required, pending, and completed compliance reviews (e.g., COI, Export Control, RAR, or Security, as applicable).
SUBK Workspace Messages and Compliance Status meter
- New Related Records tab for quick access to Unfunded Agreements (UFA) created during compliance reviews related to the SUBK (Security Plans, Technology Control Plans, etc.)
- To help identify export control research, a new question has been added to the “Submit Subcontract Request” activity for PI/Project Teams to answer only if the parent AWD is not flagged for Export Controls. Note: answering “Yes” or “Unsure” will initiate an Export Control Review.
Submit Subcontract Request
Unfunded Agreements (UFA)
A new required question has been added for Project Teams to enter expected activity duration in years/months on all NDAs, MTA, DUAs, and Other types of UFAs. ORSP and Innovation Partnerships will enter Start and End dates on these contracts.
Note: For Data Use Agreements (DUAs), the Agreement Start Date, End Date, and Ongoing fields have been removed from the forms.
UFA Worksheet
For Central Offices
Conflict of Interest (COI) Office, Export Controls (EC) Office, and Research Information Security Oversight (RISO)
SUBKs have been enhanced to include compliance review processes and activities. The SUBK workspace now displays and functions like the Award workspace, including a new Compliance Status meter with stoplight indicators for applicable compliance reviews.
Office of Contract Administration (OCA) and Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP)
Subcontracts (SUBK)
Enhanced functionality for COI, Export Control, and Research Information Security compliance review processes and activities, which is similar to that for post-Award projects to:
- Formalize the existing process of Posted Comments and emails.
- Include automatic triggers and review request activities for Export Control, COI, and Research Information Security reviews.
- Include a Compliance Status meter with required review stop-light indicators on SUBK workspaces (for Export Control, COI, and Research Information Security reviews).
- Show EC and Security review status info on the “Manage Compliance Factors” page.
- Include new SUBK activities and workspace messages to support when Regental Action Requests (RAR) are required.
Innovation Partnerships
A new required question has been added for Project Teams to enter expected activity duration in years/months on all NDAs, MTA, DUAs, and other types of UFAs. ORSP and Innovation Partnerships will enter Start and End dates on these contracts.
Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP)
Hardships
- Added “Project Administrative Home” department and related “PAF Sponsors” fields to the Hardship workspace to provide additional data to the Award Management Officer handling the Hardship request.
- Added “Central Office and/or Interested Parties” field to Post a Comment activity recipients to enhance communication between central offices (e.g., COI, ORSP).
PAF
- Enabled system calculation that applies the PR assignment business logic for Pre-Award Office and Award Management Office. Contracts will be manually triaged to Contract Officers by administrative staff.
- Added a new project lister for New PAF Triage to the ORSP-Staff workspace Proposals Inbox that displays PAFs that need a PR assigned.
- PAFs that don’t have a PR automatically assigned will be manually triaged and assigned by the support staff. The staff will assign the PR to the PAF, then the staff of the assigned PR will complete the Admin check.
- Enabled validation to prevent the Admin Check activity from being completed if the PR is not set, which prevents records from accidentally moving out of Inboxes.
- Updated the Send to Project Team for Changes activity to automatically clear the PR’s name if ORSP marks a proposal as incomplete, (e.g., if question 1.2 Purpose of Routing the PAF was answered incorrectly, and ORSP sends it back. This ensures that the PAF will return to the correct PR team based on the new answer to Q1.2.
Contract Lifecycle Management
Provided eRPM system integration with new Ironclad CLM system in support of modernizing sponsored research:
- Enabled Launch Ironclad Workflow activity for PRs to run from a PAF/UFA/AWD record.
- Enabled ORSP with functionality to provision individual central office user accounts by flagging them in eRPM.