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Research Operations Office

 

Published on 28 May 2015


Euro exchange rates in X5

Each month X5 is updated with a default exchange rate for Euros, based on the average of the rates for the previous month.  Recent substantial increases in the exchange rate between submission of the application and notification of award has resulted in a significant shortfall to the grant which is not covered by the University’s FOREX policy. However, Departments are able to use a higher exchange rate at their discretion, and if the budget threshold of the call allows it, to mitigate against possible losses. Details on how to change the rate are available from the X5 web site  

http://www.research-operations.admin.cam.ac.uk/system/files/costing/guidance_on_currency_revaluation.pdf

X5 Training

The Research Operations Office is again offering X5 training and would like to invite departmental staff who are required to generate costings for their departments, to attend one of these events. The content will include; using the Project Wizard to generate a costing, adding staff and non-staff costs, the differences between copying to a draft or new record, printing reports and other essential knowledge required to produce an accurate costing.

Venue: All training will be held at 17 Mill Lane – UIS Computer Room

Time: 09h30 to 13h00

Dates:

Friday 12 June
Monday 6 July
Monday 10 August

Delegates: 9 available places for each session

To book a place at one of the X5 sessions or if you have any queries, please email Debbie.West-Lewis@admin.cam.ac.uk with “X5 Training Session” in the subject heading of your email.

Full Economic Costing and Income Allocation Policy briefing session – 17 July

As part of the Research Operations Office Training Strategy (ROOTS) the following session is scheduled for Friday 17 July, 9.30am – 11am, 16 Mill Lane.

The briefing is relevant to all staff involved in research grants, particularly those new to the University or wishing to increase their understanding of University policy and its impact on research grants and their administration. Content includes:

Clarity on definitions of Direct costs and Indirect costs
What the PI should be aware of at application stage
What information might the Head of Department need to know before approving the application
What questions the Departmental Administrator may ask before submitting the application
How the Income Allocation Policy apportions overheads between the Department and the University

This briefing is about the theory to costing a project and the University’s policies which may affect pricing and allocation of overheads, it is not a practical training session on how to use X5.

To book a place, please contact Debbie.West-Lewis@admin.cam.ac.uk

Research Data Management Policy Framework

On 23rd April 2015 the Research Policy Committee approved the new University of Cambridge Research Data Management Policy Framework: http://www.data.cam.ac.uk/university-policy. All researchers and research students should familiarise themselves with the policy and any questions can be addressed to info@data.cam.ac.uk.

Open Data Events and Blog

1. Open Data lunchtime session –15 June

Monday 15 June, 12:30 – 13:30, Mill Lane Lecture Room 10

Most research funders (research councils, charities and foundations) have introduced policies on research data management. The general expectation is that data from publicly funded research projects should be made openly available with as few restrictions as possible.

If you have any questions or if you would like to know more about research data requirements and help offered by the University of Cambridge, come to the ‘Open Data’ session (open to all researchers, staff and research students at the University of Cambridge).

Read more and register https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-data-lunchtime-session-central-cambrid...

2. Tool to help researchers comply with funder requirements for data sharing

Wednesday 17 June, 12:30 – 13:30, Mill Lane Lecture Room 5

The Open Data Team together with researchers from the Computer Lab at the University of Cambridge are organising a lunchtime presentation about OPUS – a tool designed to help researchers and research students keep track of their research data and comply with funder requirements for data sharing. The presentation is free and open and to everyone, but registration is required: https://www.bit.ly/OPUStool

If you have any questions please contact info@data.cam.ac.uk

3. Open Data Blog

On Friday 15 May there was a meeting between the University of Cambridge and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) about the background and practical application of their open data policy. Here is a blog which summarises the discussion https://unlockingresearch.blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/?p=151 as well as links to other Open Data posts.