Office of Research Update

Mary Lidstrom, Vice Provost for ResearchJim Kresl, Director Office of Research Information Services

Karen Moe, Director & Assist Vice Provost for Research, Human Subjects Division

Lynne Chronister, Director & Assist Vice Provost for Research, Office of Sponsored Programs

May 7, 2010

• Add Value to the Overall Research Experience• Achieve Operational Excellence• Attract and Retain Top, Diverse Staff• Add Value to the UW

Overarching iSTAR Goal: Continue to Advance as a Premier International Research University

Increasing administrative burden creates frustration Unfunded compliance mandates increase stressExisting electronic systems place the burden on the researcher

Research Roadmap Goal: create a researcher-centric approach to research administration, reducing administrative burden and streamlining processing

Increasing complexity of research management requires new tools and a new approach

Finished proposal

Agency

Radiation safety

Human subjects

Sponsored programs

Form 3

Form 2Form 1

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Attend training session

Office of Research Information Services

Jim Kresl, Director Office of Research Information Services

Add Value to the Overall Research Experience

ORIS provides support for all research support units, via the Research Roadmap project

• Provide information to faculty and staff– Learning Program established that supports all faculty and

staff that use ORIS systems – Web sites upgraded to provide more timely information

• OSP• HSD• Knowledge Bank and Grants.gov Submission Guide

Achieve Operational Excellence• DORA (HSD system)

– Upgraded (speed and service) to enhance service to researchers• C4C system development project initiated

– Streamline IP commercialization process, upgrade system in use• Data Warehouse project initiated

– Add research data to Data Warehouse– Provide reports for campus to better manage research

• Budget module– Build a complete UW budget online pulling directly from central

systems, with the ability to reuse, modify, and test scenarios• New releases

– Streamlined the system for reporting bugs and responding to issues– Improved SAGE system navigation and form flow

Add Value to the UW

• Worked with the ARRA team to develop streamlined reporting capabilities– Established working arrangement with OFM and

RATB to enable UW to use batch upload for verification and submission

• New EH&S electronic system • New Subcontracts Module in SAGE/SERA• Integration of SAGE Budget Module to Grant

Runner Module• Phase 1 of electronic bridge between OSP and

GCA

What’s Coming?

Office of Research Human Subjects DivisionKaren Moe, Director & Assist Vice

Provost for Research, Human Subjects Division

Add Value to the Overall Research Experience

• Metrics– IRB performance and workload metrics developed and publicly posted

on the HSD website– Turnaround times for new IRB applications: Exemptions – 3 days;

Minimal risk – 15 days; full IRB review – 54 days – Used to identify areas for process improvement efforts

• New policies to streamline reviews– Research involving public data sets does not require IRB review– Some research involving de-identified biological specimens does not

require IRB review• Providing information

– With ORIS, HSD website is being revised so information is easier to find (release date: June 2010)

Achieve Operational Excellence • Turn-around time for IRB approval

– decreased significantly in the last four years• New policies

– “Dual review” by two UW IRBs of a single application is no longer allowed except in very unusual circumstances that must be approved by HSD management

– HSD staff screen all applications before IRB review to determine whether the research needs any IRB review at all, or whether it qualifies for exemption status or Minimal Risk review

– Certain types of highly-specialized research (e.g., emergency medicine research; human embryonic stem cell research) are now always assigned to the same IRB

• Timely help for researchers– The HSD “help” email address ( hsdinfo@u.washington.edu ) is

monitored throughout every working day, and is now answered by senior experienced HSD staff

Add Value to the UW

• Streamlined process for ARRA reviews• Participation as “subjects” in a variety of national research

projects, to help identify and develop efficient “best practices”

• IRB application revision– 95% of new applications are returned for modifications– Reduce this “back and forth” between the IRB and researchers via a

significant revision of the IRB application form• Genetics research

– HSD is working with a large group of UW genetics researchers to improve and speed the IRB review of all research with any genetics component, including submission of genotypes to NIH databases

• Human specimens– Factors that affect and/or slow the review of research involving human

specimens are being examined and revised

What’s Coming?

Office of ResearchOffice of Sponsored Programs

Lynne Chronister, Director & Assist Vice Provost for

Research, OSP

Add Value to the Overall Research Experience

• Help– Created a HELPLINE service with an email and telephone number

• Information dissemination– With GCA, re-designed the QRAM campus information dissemination

program • Streamline submission process

– Established a 2-Day final deadline for paper and electronic proposal submissions

Add Value to the Overall Research Experience

• Metrics– Developed, with ORIS, a basic metrics and tracking system to assist

campus in assessing grants and contracts processing time• Information dissemination/training

– Developed a calendar of scheduled ongoing department visits by each OSP team, including the Subcontract team to reach out to campus

– Created the Learning and Business Support group (LABS) within OSP to coordinate process improvement initiatives, designing and delivery of learning programs, and communication to campus

– With ORIS, designed a new OSP website that is more comprehensive and search-friendly

– Established a central Export Control/ITAR process and website to inform and facilitate appropriate approvals and licensing of covered activities

Achieve Operational Excellence• Awards

– With ORIS, transitioned from a burdensome paper-based NEA process to electronic Funding Actions (eFA). Reduced time from an average of 5 to 6 weeks to 3 to 4 days.

– Created for campus a revised process for Capturing, Reporting and Requesting Account Establishment for Awards and Modifications

• Clinical trials– With CRBB and other partners, Improved the Clinical Trials Life Cycle process-

now have 31 Master agreements for clinical trials• Budget extensions

– Developed an electronic web-based system for campus to request budget extensions e.g. No Cost Extensions (NCE’s). OSP approves electronically and submits to GCA.

• Subawards– In collaboration with Purchasing and campus representatives, redesigned the

UW subawarding process. Reduced time from 95 to 35 days.

Achieve Operational Excellence

• Decrease administrative burden– Eliminated redundant forms sent to campus

• Industry contracts– New non-federal forms documents, negotiation guidance and guides

enabling faster turn-around on contracts– Increased number of Master Agreements

• Turnaround times– Decreased turnaround time on documents and approvals via new

signature authority process • Re-designed the OSP organizational structure to be more

responsive to campus needs.

Add Value to the UW

• In cooperation with a core campus team, created an infrastructure and process for responding to the American Recovery and Reinvention Act (ARRA)

• Created a joint research advisory training team (RAPTURE), which includes departmental representatives, and staff from both GCA and MAA to assess and address campus training needs in research administration

• With C4C and CFR, organized a UW Industry Relations Task Force

• Expansion and enhancement of training offerings- Revisions to existing courses- New topics: How to Build a Basic Budget, SubRecipient Monitoring

• Changes to the technology control plan and export control processes

• Review of all Grants Information Memoranda (GIM) for revisions and clarifications

• Stable staffing in OSP will enhance risk analysis and speed review of bilateral awards

What’s Coming?

Summary• Continue with our OR-wide strategies to

increase efficiencies• Relieve administrative burden• Improve services to campus through the

Research Roadmap project