Research Reporter :: December 2007
Research Information from the University of Michigan

Online proposal approvals coming in early 2008

By Kelly Doonan-Reed, MAIS
Suzanne Tainter, DRDA

Early next year, research teams preparing proposals for sponsored projects will begin using the expansion of the Web based eResearch system called Proposal Management (eRPM) to obtain University approvals for their projects.

The system is being developed in collaboration with the U-M research community by the Michigan Administrative Information Services (MAIS), Division of Research Development and Administration (DRDA), and the Office of the Vice-President for Research (OVPR).

The new eRPM will allow the research team to create the Proposal Approval Form (PAF) and supporting materials online, route the file for approvals electronically, with eventual delivery to DRDA. While PAFs are currently filled out on line, routing and delivery still requires a paper form. Investigators and their teams will be able to easily determine the status of their proposals during internal routing.

Other capabilities of the eRPM will include a system-to-system interface for submission of funding proposals to federal sponsors through Grants.gov. These applications will be completed within eRPM, eliminating the need to download Grants.gov software.

Also, a new data warehouse will provide improved access to proposal information for the research community.

The redesigned PAF will be piloted with 20 to 25 proposals from a variety of units in February 2008, with full availability projected for May 2008. Over the next two years, eRPM features to be developed include routing, approval, and submission of proposals to internal funding sources, as well as online tools for developing proposal budgets.

Since 2005, the UM research community has been using eResearch Regulatory Management (eRRM) for the review and approval for human subjects research applications and, more recently, the Institutional Biosafety Committee Registrations. The eRRM system coordinates review activities for the Institutional Review Boards, Core Committees, and other scientific committees.

If you have questions about this project, please contact eRPM project managers, Jim Randolph (DRDA) at nihjim@umich.edu or Cathy Handyside (MAIS) at chandys@umich.edu.

Take the eRPM Survey

Share your impressions of the U-M proposal management process as it currently exists.

The eResearch team is surveying the research community to gather baseline information on U-M's proposal management process. That assessment will be compared to responses to a follow-up survey after the after eRPM system is implemented.

Use this link: Take the eRPM Baseline Survey

Research Unit Liaison program connects users and eRPM staff

A Research Unit Liaison program has been created to link U-M schools and colleges and the eResearch Proposal Management project staff. The liaisons will keep their units informed during eRPM design and development, provide feedback to the eRPM project team, and help to identify staff members who will need training on the system.

To find your Research Unit Liaison or learn more about the eRPM system, go to the eResearch website. Look at the lower left for the eRPM link.

December 2007

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