Improvements

 Organisation Design

  • Increased support for principal investigators through "cradle to grave" research management support – pre- and post-award
  • Clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities to avoid duplication of effort
  • “Right first time” approach
  • Career development opportunities within research management support across the University
  • More effective research management support collaboration across the University  

 Systems

  • Use of funder templates to drive costing and pricing
  • Data captured and validated at earliest point in the process
  • Online approval workflow and improved approval summary
  • “Auto” approval on award where no significant change from previously approved application
  • Automatic creation of live project in the finance system (Agresso)
  • Approval of award transfers relevant vacancy information to HR Payroll System
  • No further financial approval required where no change from approved award
  • Automatic re-phasing of budgets when actual start date updated
  • Automatic posting of indirect/estate costs when actual start date updated
  • Directly allocated salaries held in HR Payroll System to allow forecasting of salaries
  • Improved financial reporting for principal investigators and support staff
  • Draft Final Expenditure Statement produced 6 months before project end date
  • Ability to capture reasons where award is not fully claimed at project close
  • Improved risk management at an early stage
  • Same project number pre- and post-award, allowing clearer tracking, visibility & linkage of projects