skip to content

Research Operations Office

 

Published on 5 April 2012


Research Outcomes System (ROS) Update

There have been a number of queries relating to ROS and the submission of data. The current situation is summarised below. Further Bulletins will be issued if there are any additional developments.

  • ROS was adopted by AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC and ESRC in November 2011.

  • NERC has declared its intention to adopt ROS for future data gathering.

  • MRC and STFC continue to use e-Val.

  • ROS can be accessed at https://logon.rcuk.ac.uk using JeS login details.

  • Research outcomes will be gathered for all grants that have ended since 1st April 2006.

  • The initial data gathering exercise will focus on Key Findings, Publications/Other Research Outputs and Impact.

  • RCUK have recognised the challenges experienced in adopting this new process and have recently announced that the deadline for submissions has been extended to 30th April 2012.
    See — http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/research/documents/local/news/2012_03_ROS_Email.pdf

  • ROS is available all year round for submitting research outcomes, but an annual exercise will be conducted every January to March in order to encourage submissions. For the first collection period outcomes should be submitted for grants that are currently in ROS and:

      • started more than 12 months ago, or
      • have ended, but a final report has not been submitted,
      • or a final report has been submitted and relevant information has been transferred to ROS by a Research Council.
  • RCUK have stated that ‘The Research Councils are working to transfer all relevant final report information into ROS. If grant holders have already completed a final report, we are advising them to wait until that information is in ROS before adding any new or additional outcomes. Individual Research Councils will contact grant holders when this information is ready to review in ROS.’ This includes information from e-Val, where PIs have reported one or more instances of further funding with other Research Councils.

  • EPSRC have recently advised that this information has been loaded, but that some was not directly map-able or was incorrectly entered into the FSR. They have asked PIs to check that information is correct and to input additional findings
    — See http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/research/documents/local/news/ROS_EPS_Transfer_Message.pdf

  • The Research Office has obtained a list of PIs who are required to input information into ROS from RCUK. This list will be circulated to departments to assist in ensuring that all PIs input data by the deadline.

  • Staff no longer at Cambridge: please inform the Research Office of any staff who are no longer at Cambridge. This information will be passed on to RCUK.

  • Final Reports and Sanctions:

      • EPSRC have stated that ROS will eventually replace FSRs on JeS.  Sanctions will be applied in the same way as they currently are for FSRs (i.e. if not completed within 3 months of the end of the grant).
      • EPSRC state that ‘In the short term it will remain a grant condition that a Final Report should be submitted within three months of the end date of the grant: however, to minimize any temporary duplication of reporting effort EPSRC will accept 'data-lite' Final Reports.’ EPSRC will be monitoring ROS submissions to ensure that acceptable levels of information are being provided where such 'data-lite' Je-S Final Reports are received. Sanctions will be applied for late submissions.Click here for a recent update
      • Sanctions will NOT be applied to grants that have already closed and for which FSRs have been submitted.
      • AHRC state that ‘The AHRC no longer requires award holders to complete a Final Report at the end of their award. Instead, award holders are expected to update the Research Outcomes System (ROS) with details of the outputs, outcomes and impacts of their research. Award holders will be sent information about ROS during the award period and will receive annual reminders.’ Please see the AHRC Research Funding Guide
      • ESRC will contact grant holders three months before the Final report is due and outline to process.
      • BBSRC grant holders must still submit Final Reports in the normal way, but should not duplicate information which they have loaded into ROS.
  • The Research Office will be gathering constructive comments on the use of ROS to feed back to RCUK once the first data gathering exercise is complete.

Please contact your Research Support Manager in your School Team if you have any questions or comments.

Changes to distribution of funding alerts

Following a recent review of the usage of our funding opportunities database, Research Professional, which included an administrators’ questionnaire in November and a survey of academic staff in January, the Research Office will be amending its current method of distributing funding alerts. In summary, the findings highlighted the need for more targeted but less frequent email alerts, preferably weekly rather than daily.

In addition to this, our current administrator who emails these alerts is leaving the Research Operations Office to take up a promotion in MISD, so therefore from 16th April there will be a change in the process of disseminating funding opportunities from the Research Operations Office to Departments. The Research Strategy Office will temporarily take over emailing alerts, but will be collating all new funding opportunities into a weekly summary with less detail, rather than sending individual, detailed emails on a daily basis. Although the level of detail will be reduced, there will be links to the main web pages to access further details if required. The funding calls calendar which has been maintained on the Research Operations Office web page will also not continue in its current format.

We are also considering increasing the level of subscription to Research Professional to include a comprehensive facility for more targeted email alerts controlled at Departmental level and to provide access to overseas funding opportunities and news items. This function on the higher level of access will allow departmental administrators to set up local, discipline- or theme-specific groups to create much more targeted email alerts. These will take a little setting up initially, but will ensure that only relevant funding opportunities are alerted to group members. Individuals can choose to be in as many groups as they wish.

After the implementation of the higher level of access and devolved group management, the Research Strategy Office will continue to monitor restricted calls, issuing guidance and coordinating the internal selection process.

A demonstration of the enhanced level of access to Research Professional will take place on 22nd May at the RGUG meeting and all Departmental Administrators are strongly encouraged to attend. More details will be circulated over the coming weeks and training will be available in summer for those wishing to take full advantage of the increased level of service offered by the upgrade.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Assistant Director or Research Support Manager in the Research Operations Office.

Equipment Costing Workshops

In order to facilitate the Equipment Sharing project currently underway, the Finance Division will be running workshops to assist departmental staff in preparing a suitable costing for shared equipment.

The workshops will also provide the opportunity to revisit the fEC guidelines on costing and accounting for Small Research Facilities.

Departments will be contacted nearer the time with further details of the costing requirements under the sharing project; however advance notice is being given for those who wish to book themselves on to one of the workshops now. There are three separate dates available:

  • 3rd May — Greenwich House, Madingley Rd
  • 9th May  — Clinical School, Addenbrookes Site
  • 10th May — Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road

Click here to book online


(please only book a place on one date – all workshops will cover the same material)

If you have any further questions please email Jonathan Rose, Finance Division

Research Professional online broadcast training session on Tuesday 10 April 2012

This monthly webinar is open to all members of the University.  The next session will take place from 10 — 11am on Tuesday 10th April and will:

  • Introduce you to the Research Professional platform,
  • Demonstrate how to locate funding opportunities which match your interests,
  • Show you how to set up email alerts to keep you informed of new developments.

You can view the demonstration from your own computer, and can choose to receive sound either via your computer's microphone and speakers, or by phoning in to a voice conference.  You will be able to put questions to the presenter using a text chat feature. Click here to register for free access

A list of all forthcoming webinars and further information about the Research Professional database is available on the Research Operations Office website. You can start using the database directly at www.researchprofessional.com