Questions & Answers

• What is IORA?

  As part of the University’s Research Systems Modernization Plan, we have implemented an Integrated Online Research Administration (IORA) system for Grants and Agreements management. IORA is a comprehensive suite of software solutions capable of managing various research functions. This system houses all Funded and Unfunded Agreements. The university’s Institutional Review Board (Click IRB) is also part of IORA.

  IORA streamlines and automates many of our processes, allowing for transparency and consistency in budgeting and reporting.

   

• I have a new faculty member coming to the U of R, and we need to begin transferring grants here (or submit a grant on their behalf) before their start date. What do I do?

  There are three options:

  1. Wait until the faculty member is an actual employee of UR/URMC. When that happens, their account in the identity management system will be enabled, and an Active Directory (AD) account will become associated with their UR/URMC email address. You can then use the request an IORA user account form to request an IORA account.
  2. The Department can sponsor a guest account for them in the interim until they become an employee of UR. Once created, use the request an IORA user account form to request an IORA Account. The account allows them to work directly on the Awards/Funding Proposals before their start date. However, they will need to ensure that the correct email address and URID is in IORA after their start date when the Guest account is disabled. If the faculty member notices there is a discrepancy (they can click on their name in the upper right of IORA and view their profile), they will need to contact University IT to resolve the matter.
  3. The Department Chair (or another department leader/Mentor) from the Department they will be working in can be listed as the PI on Awards/Funding Proposals until they arrive, and then (after following #1 above) ORPA can update the associated IORA records.
• Why did the “import Personnel” button disappear?

  When a user first opens the budget for a funding proposal and navigates to the “Personnel Cost Definition” smart form, they will see an option to “import proposal personnel”. When clicked, this will import any personnel listed in the Personnel section of the funding proposal smartforms. Once this import action is performed, it cannot be performed again. The button to import proposal personnel will no longer appear after the first use.

  If you need to add more personnel (other than TBD), the user will navigate back to the funding proposal, add the personnel and then return to the budget pages. The newly added person will be available from the dropdown window after selecting “add” from the Personnel Cost Definition smartform.

• How do I log in to IORA Grants?

  Login information can be found here.

• How do I request an IORA user account?

  Complete this form to make a request. Allow 3-5 business days for processing.

• Can I look up my awards by the GR#?

  Yes! Within the Grants module, you’ll see a sub-tab called Reports. Under Reports, click “Custom Reports.”  There, you will see a report called: UR Award Lookup by GR#

  

• What should I do if I don't see an Award in IORA?

  Please contact your ORPA Research Administrator (RA).

• I chose NIH as the Prime Sponsor but it shows up in IORA as a foundation. Why?

  If the Direct Sponsor or Prime Sponsor is NIH, choose “National Institutes of Health (NIH)”. To search for that in IORA, use the wild card as follows: %NIH%. For Funding Proposals, you must choose this NIH organization to allow IORA to show NIH as a federal sponsor. Do not choose a specific Institute within NIH (i.e. NHLBI).

• What is the "Team Disclosure Status" and do I need to do something with it?

  That is related to Huron’s Conflict of Interest management module. We are not utilizing this functionality so please ignore it. We are working with Huron to remove it from IORA.

• I used the "Export Budget" activity and nothing came up. Where do I find my exported IORA budget?
  The exported budget will appear as an Excel spreadsheet in the “History” tab.
• Are their specific naming conventions I should use in IORA for titles and document uploads?
  Yes, please see the IORA naming convention help document here
• What are the capabilities of the IORA Agreements/Grants Management System?

  The IORA workflow provides electronic routing for internal review, notifications and error checking, helping ensure transparency and first-time successful submissions to grants.gov. Timely reminders to researchers and staff for pending work items provides transparency into workflow statuses throughout the process.

  Post-award management capabilities include award set up, modification entry, workflow routing reviews and approval capabilities, as well as budget reconciliation to enter and track sponsor-approved budgets.

  Principal Investigators, in addition to the benefits listed above, and when additional information is added to IORA, PIs will eventually have a dashboard view (similar to the examples below) that shows them all of the Proposal and Award activities occurring in their areas, allowing for easier tracking and reporting. This is not an immediate capability but will be delivered in the near future.

  Dashboard Sample 1:

  

  Dashboard Sample 2:

  

   

  For Department Administrators, large amounts of data will be re-purposed within IORA so creating new proposals will be easier. Key budget data will be pre-populated for study staff, improving accuracy and ease in budgeting and calculations. IORA will also provide the ability to automate SF 424 submissions across NIH, NSF, DoD and more. Department Administrators will also be able to view where various proposals are within the process by checking the system or receiving email notifications.

  For ORPA and other central administrative staff, with one source for all to enter information from Proposal to Award, processes can be streamlined and simplified and information becomes more readily available to all who need it. Additionally, the Agreements module in IORA allows us to maintain a single repository for all types, including non-disclosure, data use and material transfer agreements.

• What are the different ways we can utilize IORA to prepare and submit funding proposals?

  There are 3 different ways proposals are prepared and submitted:

  • Submission via email or non-standard system (subawards, small foundations)
    • If the sponsor does not require that ORPA submit the proposal or if there is no third party submission system such as ASSIST, Proposal Central, etc., a Funding Proposal should be created in IORA and all proposal documents should be uploaded with the smartforms in IORA for review, storage and reporting purposes. Submission will be done by the Department/PI.
  • Submission via a sponsor system (ASSIST, Research.gov, Proposal Central, etc.)
    • If the sponsor has a submission system and requires that ORPA submit, a Funding Proposal must still be created in IORA and some proposal documents (such as the budget justification) should be uploaded into the smartforms in IORA for review and reporting purposes. ORPA will submit the proposal via the sponsor’s system.
  • Submit via IORA system-to-system (SF424)
    • To submit system-to-system using SF424, all proposal documents should be included with the smartforms in IORA (SF424 is part of IORA) for review, storage and reporting purposes. ORPA will submit the proposal through IORA which will automatically send the SF424 to the sponsor.
  • Please review these process flows for more information.
• How does the funding proposal sign-off process compare to how we used to do things?

  You can review the old sign-off forms and see how they will map to IORA in the documents below. Hover your mouse over each field in the documents for a description (the color key is on the last page).

  • Old Industry Sponsored Clinical Research Studies Sign-Off form
  • Old Proposal Sign-Off Form
• Who can initiate funding proposals in IORA?

  In order to create a funding proposal in IORA, you must be CLASP-certified and watch four short training videos, answer a couple of basic questions and acknowledge your adherence to the University’s Code of Conduct. The four videos will cover topics such as an introduction to funding proposals, navigating the general dashboard, completing forms and managing the internal review process. Please visit MyPath to complete these activities at any time.

  Visit the ORPA site for more information about CLASP training.

• How was the system chosen?

  Choosing the IORA system (part of the Huron Research Suite) was a collaborative effort among research departments, administrators and IT. A cross-section of 110 individuals were invited to participate in vendor demonstrations with specific scenarios.

  All participants were asked to complete a survey after the demonstrations to assess the product and vendor based on the features and scalability of the product, the company’s viability, feedback from other institutions, research business and process aptitude, integration ability, cost and more. Ultimately, the team chose a comprehensive suite of software solutions capable of managing various research functions.

• Are Research Agreements also being managed in IORA?

  Yes. IORA allows us to maintain a single repository for all agreement types, including non-disclosure, data use, clinical trials and material transfer agreements.

  The benefits of managing agreements in IORA:

  • Easily submit agreements to the appropriate management office
  • Reduce data entry
  • Eliminate the risk of submissions falling through the cracks in individual email accounts
  • Track and manage agreement relationships
  • Give the contract owner and submitter the flexibility to determine the appropriate people and timing of additional reviews
  • Automatically create draft documents
  • Send emails from the system and receive emails from outside the system
  • Eliminate the need to manually track correspondence and maintain document version history
  • Identify bottlenecks and make informed decisions about process improvements
• What is the University's Research Administration Modernization plan?

  Several years ago, an extensive assessment was completed on the University’s research systems to develop a roadmap for future investments and improvements in alignment with institutional goals and priorities. As part of that assessment, the following themes and observations were identified:

  • 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..
  • IT support for many research systems is spread thin or ‘single-threaded,’ creating risk in continuing operations and future UR growth.

  The university’s various research systems were prioritized for modernization including Agreements, Grants, IRB, Conflicts of Interest and Bio-Safety.

  The Grants and Agreements modules are part of the Integrated Online Research Administration (IORA) system, a comprehensive suite of software solutions capable of managing various research functions such as Agreements, Grants, IRB, Conflicts of Interest and Bio-Safety. Click IRB is also part of the IORA system.

  IORA is part of a larger, institution-wide Research Administration Systems Modernization Plan, which is made up of:

  • • IORA Unfunded Agreements – IORA
    • Grants – IORA
    • IRB (also known as Click IRB) – IORA
    • PI Portal – IORA (date TBD)
    • Bio-Safety, IACUC, Conflict of Interest – TBD (date TBD)
    • Clinical Trials – Check the Embark site

  Please browse this site and check back often for the most up-to-date information.

• What happens with awards and proposals that were in queue before IORA went live?

  Active awards migrated to IORA. Proposals that have not been awarded will remain in COEUS. If a COEUS proposal was awarded after IORA was implemented, the award will be made within IORA and the corresponding proposal will be captured in IORA by ORPA staff.

• Does the five day internal proposal deadline apply in IORA?

  Yes.

• What browsers and operating systems can be used with IORA (Huron version 9.0)?

  For basic site browsing, the following operating systems and web browsers are supported:

  Platform	Browser
  Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 Server 2012, Server 2012 R2	Internet Explorer: version 11 Edge: latest version Firefox: latest version Chrome*: latest version
  Apple Mac OS 10.11, 10.12, 10.13	Safari: latest version applicable to OS Firefox: latest version Chrome: latest version
  Apple iOS 9, 10, 11 (iPhone and iPad)	Safari

  View more details here.

• How will departments and administrators get proposal reports for their own departments and for others?

  IORA has various standard reports available. The majority of reporting will continue to be housed in the Data Warehouse.

• How is proposal information shared across departments in IORA?

  In addition to broad reporting capabilities, individuals will have access to various proposals, awards and agreements in IORA based on their security permissions and roles.

• How does IORA integrate with other grants submission systems?
  • For Grants.gov, you will have the ability to directly submit proposals through the IORA system or you may continue to utilize the current federal systems (i.e. ASSIST).
  • For non-federal systems, you’ll continue using the sponsor’s required system to submit the proposal.
  • For all sponsors, you will utilize IORA to capture certain proposal information and to facilitate the internal proposal review.
• Is IORA mobile friendly?

  Currently, a mobile app does not exist for IORA. However, the IORA website has been developed with responsive design in mind. This means the layout adjusts to accommodate the screen size of common devices (laptops, tablets, mobile phones, etc.).

  You will be able to browse and interact with the IORA website via your device with either of the following methods:

  • Connected directly to the UR/URMC network via UR/URMC Wireless (not “Guest” wireless) or VPN
  • Using DUO (2-factor authentication) via Active Directory
    • UR: https://tech.rochester.edu/services/two-factor-authentication/
    • URMC: http://sites.mc.rochester.edu/information-systems/get-help/keeping-information-safe/two-factor-authentication.aspx
• What is the training plan?

  Comprehensive training, user guides, office hours, online videos and are available to support the IORA system. Check the IORA Training Resources site for information.

  Additionally, 30+ department administrators have volunteered to be IORA super users and are willing to help and share information.

   

• Who is required to take IORA training?

  To be able to create a proposal in IORA, you must be CLASP certified, watch 4 short IORA training videos and acknowledge the University’s Code of Conduct, which will take less than 30 minutes. The four videos will cover topics such as an introduction to funding proposals, navigating the general dashboard, completing forms and managing the internal review process. You can complete the videos and acknowledgement in MyPath at any time.

  Additionally, there are instructor-led sessions available (see below to register) for those who will be creating proposals, reviewing proposals, or setting up Awards or Agreements. These sessions will be recorded and it is suggested you either attend the session(s) that pertains to your role or watch the recording. Additionally, there are short videos available at any time that cover funding proposals, agreements, and awards as well as general system navigation (see below).

  If you are simply named on a funding proposal, there is no training required. Visit the IORA Training page for information.

• Are Faculty (PIs) required to take training?

  Faculty who work with CLASP-certified administrators are not required to take the trainings. Faculty who work outside the structure of the department, are required to take a mandatory MyPath training where they would certify to having read the code of conduct.

  Instructor-led training is recommended primarily for administrators and those Faculty who are interested in learning how to use IORA. There are additional resources available for anyone who would like to learn about IORA, (videos, training guides, FAQs, etc.) which may make attending the ILT sessions unnecessary for some. Please visit the IORA Training page for details.

   

• If we are submitting via a sponsor system, should we upload documents into IORA or the sponsor system (such as ASSIST) or both?

  If you choose to use the sponsor system (vs. system-to-system in IORA), basic information, department review and certification and correspondence between OPRA and the departments will occur in IORA.

  Enter the budget in IORA as well because if the proposal is awarded, the budget will be reconciled in IORA and IORA will automatically feed the budget into WorkDay. Complete the proposal in the sponsor’s system as required. ORPA will submit the proposal using the sponsor’s system.

• Do we have to put the budget in IORA if we are submitting directly to the sponsor system and not using system-to-system in IORA?

  Yes. Putting the budget information in the IORA Funding Proposal will provide t significant value if the Funding Proposal is awarded. Upon award, the budget information previously entered in IORA will automatically import to the IORA award. The budget will then be reconciled in IORA which automatically feeds the budget information into WorkDay. Adding the budget in IORA also allows for better reporting later.

• Do we have to decide if we want to use system to system or ASSIST ahead of time?

  It’s a good idea to decide beforehand to avoid any rework later. If you’re interested and want to work with ORPA to do a system-to-system until you are comfortable with the process, they’d be happy to work with you. As you get more comfortable with IORA, you may decide you want to try different ways to submit your proposals.

• Does ORPA have a preference that we use system-to-system?

  No, use what you are most comfortable with.

• When should I start entering proposal information in IORA?

  It’s a good idea to start the smart forms in IORA once you’re aware of an upcoming proposal. ORPA recommends filling out the first page (General Proposal Information) and the Sponsor Deadline (on Budgets and Key Dates smart form). That way ORPA will see it in IORA along with the sponsor’s due date and know to expect the proposal at some point. (In the future, this may replace the SharePoint calendar some of you may have used with ORPA in the past.)

• Will RPPRs/Progress Reports be processed in IORA?

  For RPPRs/Progress Reports that ORPA submits (non-SNAP), there is a shortened funding proposal in IORA that allows us to capture the required certification before submission.

  For RPPRs/Progress Reports submitted directly by the PI, nothing needs to be entered in IORA.

• What automatic notifications are turned on in IORA and who receives them?

  Some automatic notifications are currently turned on for various actions within IORA but will continue to be refined over the coming weeks. Please see the current status here.

• When should PIs complete the PI certification for a funding proposal?

  The proposal should be in the final form prior to PI certification. In addition to the PI certifying that they aren’t debarred or suspended, don’t have any conflicts of interest, etc. they are also certifying that the proposal is accurate and ready for submission. Therefore, the PI shouldn’t certify until they’ve reviewed the entire proposal and it is ready for submission. ORPA will not submit a funding proposal without PI certification. The PI will receive an e-mail notification to provide their certification after the funding proposal has been approved by the department reviewer. Please watch this short video (less than 3 minutes) to see the PI certification process.

• What if a department reviewer is not available to review/approve a funding proposal?

  IORA allows for an alternate department approver to be named who can provide approval in case a department reviewer/approver is unavailable. If you need to add someone as an alternate approver, please complete this this form. Please allow 3-5 business days for the team to make the update in IORA.