ePRF FAQs
Getting Started
1. How do I start and complete an ePRF?
Much of the information in the ePRF is the same as it’s always been. What’s changed is you’ll be using a ‘smart’ form to enter proposal information, helping us minimize errors and duplicative data entry.
Start an ePRF from the ResearchUVA dashboard.
You’ll enter some basic information about the proposal on two intial pages (e.g., type of proposal, title of proposal, Principal Investigator (PI), Sponsor), and then move through the ePRF to complete information required in several tabs (Proposal, Sponsor, Personnel, Budget, Compliance, Science, and Documents).
2. Why can't I start an ePRF?
Your Role in ResearchUVA may restrict your ability to create an ePRF. If you do not see the ePRF as an administrator and should, it is likely that you do not have the role of “Research Administrator”. To request access, you’ll need to follow UVA’s ESHARP approvals request process at http://its.virginia.edu/esharp. If you have any questions as it connects to your current access and what access you will need specifically, please contact [email protected].
3. Why can't I complete certain sections of the ePRF?
Some of the fields in the ePRF are conditional (e.g., if there’s no cost sharing on the proposal, you can’t enter cost sharing info in the ePRF; or if you don’t answer ‘yes’ to there being a different originating sponsor, you can’t enter info re: originating sponsor).
4. What happens if I abandon a proposal?
If you click the Abandon Proposal button, the proposal is gone forever and cannot be retrieved. However, you can start work on a proposal, save it, and return to work on it at a later time.
5. How do I create an ePRF if the faculty member or any key personnel are not yet in the system?
Email [email protected].
6. What do I do if I selected the wrong proposal type?
You cannot change the proposal type once the ePRF has been created. If you select the wrong proposal type at the start of the ePRF, you will have to abandon the ePRF and start again. We recommend you review the complete list and explanation of Proposal Types on the first page of the ePRF carefully before selecting the type of proposal.
7. Why is selecting the correct proposal type so important?
The designation of proposal type is a critical field and has a significant impact on a broad range of reports, including evaluating hit rate on proposals and ensuring we track on proposal numbers in terms of what counts and what doesn’t.
8. Where are non-competing continuations?
A non-competing continuation is typically a report requesting continuation (on a noncompetitive basis) of an existing sponsored program, and does not represent a proposal for new funding. The most common form of a non-competing continuation is NIH’s Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR). As non-competing continuations do not fall into the category of a standard proposal submission, we have removed them from the proposal types on the ePRF; this is for a number of reasons, including to reduce unnecessary administrative burden (as the relevant ePRF should have been completed at the full proposal stage) and to ensure appropriate reporting on proposal information at the institutional level.
9. If I have a non-competing continuation, what should I do?
As this is a post-award request, please send an email (as you would with other post-award actions) to [email protected] once the submission is ready for institutional review, and provide any other documentation you would like included with the action. Please reference the relevant research idea/award number. This will be uploaded in ResearchUVA as a non-competing continuation action. As we move to transition SP23s (and beyond!) to electronic routing, we will shortly be working to develop an electronic form that includes information pertinent to a non-competing continuation, so departments may generate the request in the system directly, and route it to the appropriate institutional signatory.
10. What fields must be completed and what happens if you don't complete them?
Information is organized by tabs in the ePRF, and you must enter information in fields in each of these tabs. The required fields have blue, bolded headers or outlines. Fields that are not required have black (or gray) unbolded headers or outlines. If a red triangle appears on a tab, it means the data in the tab is incomplete.
11. How do I search for a Sponsor?
ResearchUVA only searches sponsor (immediate or originating) and customer names.
12. How soon should I start an ePRF?
You can start an ePRF as soon as you know about a proposal you are planning to submit. There’s basic info you’ll need to fill in (e.g., type of proposal, title of proposal, PI involved, Sponsor) before you move through the form to complete information required in several tabs (Proposal, Sponsor, Personnel, Budget, Compliance, Science and Documents).
There are many different data elements in the ePRF. To help ensure we are all entering accurate data from the outset, we are working on set of guidelines about the data elements in the ePRF to help ensure all users understand what specific information we are asking for in each section.
Roles
13. What is an Administrative Contact?
The person who starts an ePRF is the Administrative Contact by default, as the Administrative Contact should be the primary contact for the proposal submission. Click the Change link to make someone else the Administrative Contact.
14. What can Fiscal Contacts do in ResearchUVA?
Fiscal Contact in ResearchUVA is an automatic responsibility granted to anyone who is named as a Fiscal Contact in Oracle; this is updated via a nightly process. Fiscal Contacts can view any Projects on which they are named and any Awards directly related to those Projects. Fiscal Contacts cannot start an ePRF.
15. Where is the Fiscal Contact field on the ePRF?
There is no Fiscal Contact field on the ePRF. While this was a field on the Adobe PRF, it has been removed in an effort to reduce unnecessary data entry and to improve accuracy at the award setup stage. This information is not used at the proposal stage; as a significant portion of proposals are not funded, this information is never needed for many proposals. If a proposal is awarded (ranging from a month to over a year after proposal submission), the Fiscal Contact information is often outdated, and thus incorrect, and should not be relied upon during award setup. At this time, the Fiscal Contact is confirmed at the award setup stage to ensure the most current contact is listed.
16. What can Research Administrators do in ResearchUVA?
Research Administrators can see all Proposal, Award, Project, and NFA information for all Organization codes assigned to them in ResearchUVA. They can also start ePRFs.
17. What can a School Administrators do in ResearchUVA?
School Administrators can see all Proposal, Award, Project and NFA information for all Organization codes (ORGs) assigned to them in the ResearchUVA security model. Usually this role has all ORGs for their school. They can also start and approve ePRFs. If the school administrator is a School signatory, he/she can send an e-PRF forward for review.
18. What can Department Chairs do in ResearchUVA?
Department Chairs can see all Proposal, Award, Project and NFA information for all Organization codes (ORGs) assigned to them in the ResearchUVA security model. While Department Chairs can start, approve and send ePRFs for review, people in this role typically use the system to approve ePRFs.
19. What can School Deans do in ResearchUVA?
School Deans can see all Proposal, Award, Project and NFA information for all Organization codes assigned to them in the ResearchUVA security model. Usually this role has all organizations for their school. While School Deans can start, approve and send ePRFs for review, people in this role typically use the system to approve ePRFs.
20. What is the role of the School Signatory in ResearchUVA?
A School Signatory is responsible for obtaining all necessary signatures on an e-PRF, as well as completing the School review and approval of the proposal.
21. What can Principal Investigators (PIs) do in ResearchUVA?
Principal Investigators can see all Proposal, Award, Project and NFA information for which he/she is responsible and named on in the integrated system or any proposal they own. While PIs can start, approve and send ePRFs for review, people in this role typically use the system to approve ePRFs. While PIs can send an e-PRF forward for review, usually the School signatory would do this.
22. Where can I see all the ePRFs that list me as the Administrative Contact?
See all the ePRFs where you are listed as the Administrative Contact in the Mine tab in the Processing Queue.
The Proposal Tab
23. What organization should be listed for the Proposal and Award Organizations?
Both the proposal organization and the award organization are automatically set based on the PI’s home ORG in Oracle, but either of these units can be changed based on the unit that will be managing the proposal and award. Typically, the proposal and award organizations are the same for one proposal, but in limited circumstances, the two might differ (e.g., one unit is assisting with proposal submission while another unit will manage the resulting award).
24. How does the Activity Types section work?
In the Activity Types section, you must make at least one selection from Organized Research, Other Sponsored Activity, and Instruction, and at least one selection from Basic, Applied, or Development. You are not required to select from Computational, Clinical Research, and Clinical Trial but should select as applicable. We are working on a guidelines document with more information on these definitions.
25. I don’t see Clinical Trial available as an option. What’s going on?
As a Clinical Trial falls into the category of Other Sponsored Activity, you will only have the option to select this if you select Other Sponsored Activity. This is one of the many ways we have designed the form to support accurate data entry. Should you select Clinical Trial, you will also be required to indicate whether it is a Sponsor-Initiated Trial or an Investigator-Initiated Trial.
The Sponsor Tab
26. What is an After-the-Fact proposal?
If a proposal will not need to be submitted to a sponsor (e.g., sponsor has already agreed to fund a proposal), you should answer “yes” to this question. Note that if this is an after-the-fact proposal, the deadline will be automatically set at five (5) business days from the submission to OSP for final review.
27. What is a target deadline?
A target deadline should be used when you are working to meet a deadline that is earlier than the sponsor deadline or if the sponsor truly has no hard deadline you need to work towards.
28. What do I need to enter for Sponsor?
Use the Sponsor box to lookup existing sponsors from the Customer table. If you don't find the sponsor you need, choose Create New Sponsor. Enter the legal entity name for the sponsor. The OSP Electronic Research Administration team will then review, vet, setup new customers in Oracle, and then update the form using the name in the Oracle record. Confirming the legal entity name, with supporting government-issued documentation, prior to entry on the form, will expedite the process.
While you are not required to fill in Sponsor’s Contact information, we encourage you to consider whether OSP will need this information to move forward effectively. If this is a situation where a proposal will follow a traditional federal submission process (e.g., be submitted through Grants.gov), sponsor contact information may not be necessary. However, if you have a draft agreement from an industry sponsor and you would like OSP to begin negotiating the agreement, providing the sponsor’s contact information is critical.
The Personnel Tab
29. How do I add more Senior / Key Personnel to the ePRF?
For the first individual you need to add (in addition to the PI), you’ll type their name or computing ID into the box that is available. For each additional individual, click the green plus (+) sign and a new line will appear.
If you enter an individual’s name or computing id and they do not appear in the results, then the individual does not currently show up in our personnel data feeds. If the individual is a graduate student and the ePRF is for a proposal where they are specifically named (such as a fellowship), then the individual will need to be added manually to the ResearchUVA database. Contact [email protected] to request that they be added. A proposal that does not require the naming of graduate students does not require naming in the ePRF either, and therefore there is no need to request any additions to ResearchUVA. If you experience any additional issues with finding personnel in the ePRF, please contact [email protected].
The Budget Tab
30. Why are the Activity Types displayed on this page?
While the Activity Types are entered on the Proposal tab, they are displayed here (along with whether the project will be on- or off-grounds) as the completion of these items has directly impacted which F&A rate gets automatically populated.
31. The F&A rate listed is wrong. What should I do?
The F&A rate should be accurate based on the items listed above. However, we recognize that there are exceptional situations where a waiver may be granted, or where a sponsor limits F&A recovery as an eligibility criteria. In these instances, you can overwrite this field.
32. Where do I enter my budget lines? I don’t see any Budget Periods.
You must enter the period of performance on the Proposal tab for budget periods to show. If there are budget periods, you will be able to enter budget lines; further, the budget lines will automatically populate for you.
33. I entered the wrong period of performance, and need to add budget periods. How do I do this?
If you select the green plus (+) button, you can add more years.
When you complete this page, you’ll receive a message that indicates the dates do not match and gives you the option to change the period of performance and save the form.
34. Why is salary information for Key/Senior Personnel displayed here?
As personnel salaries make up the most significant portion of most proposal budgets, and given the importance of the integrity of Institutional Base Salary (IBS) connected to effort commitments, this salary information is displayed to ensure everyone has access to both the salary and the appointment type. This information pulls directly from Oracle.
If salaries change during the course of completing the ePRF, the data will need to be refreshed by removing and re-adding each person with incorrect information. Adding them back to the ePRF will pull-in updated salary data, and then effort percentages will need to be added again as well.
The Compliance Tab
35. I don’t know the answers to the questions under the Compliance tab. What should I do?
As an administrator completing the ePRF, we understand there are certain questions here you might not know how to answer (e.g., it may be obvious to you that there are animals involved in the project, but may be less obvious if the express purpose of the project is the development of new IP). We advise you confirm answers to any questions you are unsure about with the PI prior to submitting for institutional review.
The Science Tab
36. Do I need to upload a copy of the full proposal on this tab in all instances?
No, you don’t! If a copy of the full proposal is available for institutional review in an external sponsor system (e.g., NSF’s FastLane), you can check the box next to the comment “Check here if the full proposal has been uploaded to an external sponsor system.” Of course, do make sure all relevant parties have access to this system.
The Documents Tab
37. Where do I upload documents?
You have the option to upload documents in their relevant tabs or to upload everything in one place, in the Documents tab. Required documents are shown in blue, bolded headers or outlines. Documents that OSP does not require are shown in black (or gray) unbolded headers or outlines.
- In the Budget tab, you can upload a Combined Budget & Budget Justification (as one document) or the Budget and Budget Justification as two separate documents. You will also need to upload Subrecipient Commitment Packages.
- In the Science tab, you can upload a copy of the full proposal.
38. Where do I upload my Budget Justification?
On the Budget tab, you have two options:
- Upload a Combined Budget & Budget Justification (as one document); or
- Upload the Budget and Budget Justification (as two separate documents). If you choose this option, you must upload both documents.
39. If someone doesn’t approve my ePRF electronically, where do I upload the Approval documentation?
Any PRF approvals should be uploaded in the Documents tab. Acceptable approval documents are either a completed PRF signature page or an email approval from a PI, Co-I, Department Chair, and/or School Dean. Use the Other section in the Documents tab to upload things like IRB approvals.
40. Where do I upload my Subaward information?
If you answer ‘yes’ to the question 'Project includes subawards or subcontracts external to UVA?' an upload box will appear. This where you should upload your subaward documentation. Enter as many uploads as you have subawards.
41. Why do I need to upload certain documents in the system if they are already provided in the sponsor’s system?
It’s important we maintain complete proposal data in ResearchUVA, not only for reporting purposes, but to also to help us manage our awards and the complete lifecycles of UVA’s sponsored programs. Of course, we limit this wherever possible, and this should generally be limited to the budget, justification, and a Statement of Work (SOW) or Abstract.
Reviews & Approvals
42. I think my ePRF is complete but I can’t submit it for Review. What’s going on?
In addition to entering all the information required in the ePRF, you must also have at least one electronic approval (or an uploaded approval document) before you can send the proposal for Review.
43. How do I let a PI or Department Chair know they have something to review?
Click the Review button and make sure the information in the proposal is correct.
Go to the bottom of the review page and find the "Email Approvers" button.
Enter the names of the individuals who need to approve the ePRF. Individuals who will have appropriate access to the request will automatically be in the lookup for selection. At least the PI must approve the request. If desired, enter a message to the approvers in the Additional Info box and this will be included in the approval request email.
The individuals appearing in the approval lookup have relevant approval roles related to the affiliated organizations on the form. Anyone with a Center Director role will also appear. In order for a Center Director to approve, they must be sent a request via the Email Approvers button.
Request that they review for accuracy and completeness.
Approvers should:
- make edits, as necessary
- review certifications and prior approvals (if necessary)
- select the “Approve Form” button
44. My PI or Department Chair doesn't appear in the Approval lookup. What’s going on?
Only individuals within your organization will be able to access the PRF via ResearchUVA. For others (i.e. collaborative PIs or department chairs), you may need to get approvals by printing and sending the Review Page to them to sign outside of the system. Any approvals received outside of ResearchUVA can be uploaded into the Approvals area of the Documents tab in the ePRF.
If they still have an issue, you may need to check their access – you can contact [email protected] with questions.
45. What do I do if someone cannot or does not want to access the ePRF to provide approval?
Any PRF approvals should be uploaded in the Documents tab. Acceptable approval documents are either a completed PRF signature page or an email approval from a PI, Co-I, Department Chair, and/or School Dean. Use the Other section in the Documents tab to upload things like IRB approvals.
46. What is the difference between administrative review and final review?
Use the Administrative Review function to ask for institutional review of proposals that are complete except for the Science documentation. Submitting for administrative review can help speed the Final Review/Submission process, if the institutional signatory has had the opportunity to review all the administrative content ahead of time. Additionally, while it’s likely the final technical proposal will be submitted close to the deadline, it should be reasonable for the administrative items to be completed further in advance of the proposal submission, which provides more time for a complete review of the elements of the proposal that are more compliance-focused.
47. What is needed for administrative review?
All relevant administrative documents are required for administrative review – i.e., everything but the science. Depending on specific sponsor guidelines, this may vary from proposal to proposal, but will always include a complete ePRF, budget, budget justification, and internal approvals. When a proposal is sent for administrative review, any administrative items must be available for review in the sponsor-required format (e.g., an R&R budget form, the National Science Foundation’s FastLane system).
48. When I route my proposal for review, is there anything else I need to do?
We are working to include workflow and notification functionality in ResearchUVA in the future. For now, you will need to contact your relevant administrator to let them know it’s ready for review.
49. How does OSP provide feedback on my proposal?
Your OSP contact will email to let you know when they have completed the review of your proposal. Their feedback will be captured in the Discussion section of the ePRF. We are working to include workflow and notification functionality in the future.
50. How do I respond to feedback from OSP on my proposal?
Respond to feedback in the Discussion section and send an email to your OSP contact to advise them when you are done. If you have questions about the feedback, you can also call your OSP contact to discuss the issue in person.
51. What is OSP going to do with the data gathered in the proposal review and submission process?
Routing UVA proposals electronically is going to offer us unprecedented efficiency and intelligence within our research enterprise. For the first time in UVA’s history, we will have complete transparency into our entire proposal review and submission process and will be able to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the way we manage this process at UVA. We’ll also be able to evaluate metrics on this critical business function (e.g., timing of proposal submission for institutional review compared to sponsor deadline, number of reviews needed, and time to review).
52. How quickly will OSP review and provide feedback on my proposal?
When you submit an ePRF for administrative or final review, you can expect some level of feedback from OSP within three business days, depending on the deadline for the proposal. When you submit an ePRF for final review and there is no hard deadline, you can expect feedback from OSP within five business days.
53. Does the move to the ePRF affect the overall process of proposal review and submission?
Moving to an ePRF will benefit us all by improving the process of proposal review and submission. Routing UVA proposals electronically is going to offer us unprecedented efficiency and intelligence within our research enterprise. For the first time in UVA’s history, we will have complete transparency into our entire proposal review and submission process and will be able to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the way we manage sponsored programs at UVA.
54. What if I submit a proposal for review accidentally?
Once an ePRF has been submitted for an Administrative or Final Review a new button “Recall Review Request” will display. See image below.
If an ePRF was advertently sent forward for review, this functionality will allow users who can edit the ePRF to recall it, allowing it to be worked on further. Note that users will not be prompted further asking “are you sure?”, once the button is pushed the ePRF will change state and be recalled.
In the example below, you will see a new review state of "Final Review Recalled”.
We ask that you please communicate with the reviewer prior to doing the recall to minimize confusion, as no system notification will take place.
General
55. What is the purpose of a PRF?
The PRF (Proposal Routing Form) is an internal UVA document containing critical financial and non-financial data about all proposed extramurally-funded activity. A PRF – when it contains accurate and complete information – functions like an executive summary that we use throughout the entire lifecycle of a sponsored program.
56. Why is the ePRF important?
Much of the information in the ePRF is the same as it’s always been. What’s changed is you’ll be using a ‘smart’ form to enter proposal information, helping us minimize errors and duplicative data entry. The move to the ePRF and electronic proposal routing also means fast and easy access to data we’ve never had access to before. For example, you’ll be able to login to ResearchUVA to check the real-time status of your proposals in the proposal-routing process, document business Considerations and decisions related to proposals directly in an enterprise system, and report on data elements such as committed effort or anticipated F&A recovery across proposals.
57. How is the information on the ePRF used by central administration?
Use of the ePRF and routing UVA proposals electronically is going to offer central administration, and ResearchUVA users, unprecedented efficiency and intelligence within our research enterprise. For the first time, we will have complete transparency into our entire proposal review and submission process and into award set-up. This transparency means we will be able to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the way we manage sponsored programs at UVA.
58. How does the ePRF connect to institutional reporting?
The move to the ePRF and electronic proposal routing means fast and easy access to data we’ve never had access to before. For example, you’ll be able to login to ResearchUVA to check the real-time status of your proposals in the proposal-routing process, document business considerations and decisions related to proposals directly in an enterprise system, and report on data elements such as committed effort or anticipated F&A recovery across proposals.
59. Will the ePRF help OSP set up my award faster?
The ePRF will enable us to solicit complete, quality data from ResearchUVA users at the start of the proposal routing and submission process. Complete and accurate data facilitates shared understanding of the proposal, as well as efficiency in processing and reporting. It also reduces rework later by the user and in OSP.
60. Why should the ePRF be important to me?
The move to the ePRF and electronic proposal routing means fast and easy access to data we’ve never had access to before. You can login to ResearchUVA to check the real-time status of your proposals in the proposal-routing process. You can document business considerations and decisions related to proposals directly in an enterprise system, and report on data elements such as committed effort or anticipated F&A recovery across proposals. You can also search both abstracts and hundreds of thousands of documents saved in the system to find information quickly and easily.
61. Should faculty be completing the ePRF?
While Faculty have the necessary system permissions to complete ePRFs, research administrators should be filling out these forms so that Faculty can focus on their research. Please contact your School Dean’s Office with any questions.
62. What happens if I make a mistake?
Mistakes happen! Work to fix the mistake on your own, or, if you need additional guidance, connect with your OSP grant administrator. If the issue is system-specific, contact [email protected].
63. Is the ePRF mandatory?
We cannot manage a research proposal portfolio of $1B annually using paper and PDFs. We need a reliable platform and set of processes that ensure we capture complete and accurate data at the proposal stage, facilitating downstream post-award efficiencies as well as data-driven decision-making at UVA. The creation of the ePRF and move to the electronic routing of proposals is a tactical part of a larger strategic University initiative to significantly grow UVA’s sponsored research base over the next several years.
64. How often will the ePRF change?
The ePRF will evolve as people use it but it’s important to remember we created it – working with representatives from schools, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and Organizational Excellence – to be easy to use and understand. We are working on adding other functionality (e.g., detailed budget information and approvals workflow and notifications) down the road. We’ll keep you updated on changes (to ePRF and beyond!) via Sprint Summaries, which can be found here.
65. I received an award but there was no formal proposal submitted through OSP. Do I need to complete an ePRF?
Yes, you must always complete an ePRF if you receive an award. The PRF is an internal UVA document containing critical financial and non-financial data about all proposed extramurally-funded activity. A PRF – when it contains accurate and complete information – functions like an executive summary that we use throughout the entire lifecycle of a sponsored program. Additionally, we must ensure we capture all “proposed” dollars connected to any “awarded” dollars we receive.
66. If I have questions on the ePRF, who should I contact?
Reach out to your OSP contact or send a note to [email protected].
67. Will you have rollovers that offer help and information?
Yes, we will be adding rollovers to the ResearchUVA PRF as we move forward.
68. What do the green checkboxes and red triangles mean?
If you see a green checkbox, it means you have completed the information required in that tab. If you see a red triangle, it means information is missing.
69. What does “error 500” mean?
Error 500 is an internal server error that indicates something went wrong on the web server and can be caused by many things. The most simple cause is the use of special characters in the abstract. First, look for characters such as < or > or <>. If you have used any of these characters in any text field, this could cause you to encounter a 500 error. If this is not the cause of your error, please contact [email protected] for further assistance.