Completed Projects

Project Background

The Grants Management project was designed to improve whole-of-university pre and post-award administration and management of research funding, including grants and contract research. The project aims were to streamline processes, improve support for grant applications, and streamline post-award administration and management of research projects.

Project Achievements

The project delivered a comprehensive list of system requirements for the supported design and delivery of the new Research Management System. Updating and digitising the Funding Application Coversheet to streamline applications and approvals is underway.

Project Status

The outcomes of the Grants Management project have been fundamental to the development of the Research Management System (RMS) and this project is now continuing as a component of this larger RMS project.

For further information on the RMS project contact:  Project Manager, Jaya Ganasan on email j.ganasan@uq.edu.au

Project Background

The goal of the HDR Candidature Management Portal project was to improve systems and processes to enable online application and processing of core HDR candidature forms and approvals by:

• streamlining application and approval processes for HDR advisors and candidates,
• significantly reducing the number of paper forms requiring printing, processing and filing across the University (up to 36,000 annually), and
• improving monitoring, governance and reporting of candidature management processes.

Project Achievements

The project designed and delivered the HDR Candidature Management Portal.

Project Status

The HDR Candidature Management Portal project now continues as the HDR Candidature Management System which has operationalised these early achievements and continues to enhance the functionality of systems and processes supporting HDR candidature at UQ.

For further information on the HDR Candidature Management Portal project, contact Project Manager, Sam Ferguson on email s.ferguson@uq.edu.au

Project Background

The Human Ethics project was designed to streamline application and review processes, improve integration with other aspects of the research lifecycle, and deliver more efficient and effective reviewing of human ethics applications.

 The aims of the project were to improve UQ research ethics' services by:

• ensuring consistent quality of reviewing and compliance,
• streamlining application processes for researchers,
• aligning with human ethics best practice, and
• improving monitoring and reporting of the ethical conduct of research. 

Project Achievements

After working in partnership with the NHMRC on the national pilot, the Human Ethics project ensured UQ was the first Australian university to implement the new NHMRC Human Research Ethics Application Form (HREA). Many thanks are directed to UQ researchers who participated in the pilot providing valuable feedback to the NHMRC in developing this important initiative.

The Human Ethics project also implemented a faculty-based structure for the review of both staff and student low and negligible risk (LNR) human research. The new framework delivers six faculty-based LNR subcommittees to support UQ schools and institutes with each appointed as a subcommittee of one of UQ's two NHMRC-registered Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs). The Business, Economics and Law Faculty was the first to pilot the program, which commenced in January 2017, with other faculties rolling-out in succession. All faculty-based LNR subcommittees are now established. The LNR procedure at UQ also utilises the HREA -  another national first.

The Human Ethics project has also developed draft guidelines for undertaking research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants.

Project Status

The outcomes of the Human Ethics project have also informed the development of the Research Management System (RMS) and this project is now continuing as a component of this larger RMS project. The recently revised national guidelines for undertaking research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants (Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders 2018) are being incorporated within a major review of research-related policy and procedures.

For further information on the Human Ethics project contact: Director of the Office of Research Ethics, Nicole Makoviney on email director.ethics@research.uq.edu.au

Project Background

The iDMP project was designed to provide a comprehensive research data lifecycle service to the UQ research community. The project aimed to position UQ as a reliable data provider and a leader in research data management by implementing an integrated and curated research data storage system at UQ and promoting a shift in culture to value research data.

The iDMP project also facilitates compliance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, the Research Data Management Policy, and the FAIR guiding principles.

Project Achievements

The project delivered on these aims by:

• metadata harvesting - collecting critical metadata about research projects and associated collaborators,
• shared storage allocation - auto provisioning of fit-for-purpose research storage, based on the metadata collected and managed by Information and Technology Services (ITS),
• development and deployment of the Research Data Manager (RDM) platform, and
• facilitating collaborations - research data can be easily shared within UQ, across campuses, and with national and international collaborators.

Project Status

The iDMP Project has now entered a new phase. It has:

• completed a phased rollout of the UQRDM to all UQ organisational units, and 
• implemented a Research Data Management Service.

The iDMP has currently expanded into two new projects - Digital Research Notebooks (DRN) and the Research Data Manager (UQRDM).

For further information on iDMP project, contact Project Manager, Jenny Johnston on email rdm-team@uq.edu.au

About HDR CMS

In 2015 the UQ Graduate School identified the need to for new systems (digital workflows) to improve services to HDR candidates and their advisors, including the capacity to make self-service requests and undertake real-time monitoring of their candidature. The result is the HDR CMS, an online system that gives HDR candidates and their advisors direct access to key candidature information and the ability to apply for, update, and track candidature-related requests online.

The digital workflows facilitate more efficient and effective processing, recording and reporting of candidature information and status, giving students and advisors greater control of their candidature.

The HDR CMS is designed to enhance the HDR candidate experience and reduce inefficiencies and administrative burdens and can be accessed via my.UQ. It has been created to be an online one-stop shop for HDR candidates.

The benefits of HDR CMS

Prior to the delivery of the HDR CMS, HDR candidates collectively completed tens of thousands of paper-based requests. By moving these processes online, UQ has:

• Streamlined submission and approval processes for advisors and candidates,
• Significantly reduced the number of paper forms requiring printing, processing and filing across the University (more than 30, 000 annually),
• Improved monitoring, governance and reporting of candidature management processes,
• Streamlined administrative processes for candidates and staff, and
• Enhanced information and support for candidates and advisors.

Project Achievements

During the course of the Project, the management of HDR candidates moved from a predominantly paper-based system to an online system with automated workflows and a user-friendly dashboard allowing candidates and advisors to have self-service access to monitor candidature and lodge requests. The thesis examinations process has also moved from an email and paper-based system to the new HDR CMS platform, with examiners invited to examine via UniTask.

This Project has transformed 20 paper-based forms (adding up to more than 30,000 submissions a year) into online processes, which has increased efficiency for administrative staff, and improved visibility of request progress and candidature status for HDR students, advisors, and Post Graduate Coordinators (PGC’s).

The CMS system has now transitioned to a business-as-usual model of operation. As part of this model, user interface and functionality improvements will continue to be developed and deployed.

Project Background

UQ eSpace is the official source of publication and research output data for the University, with the information collected used in integrated systems at UQ for reporting at the level of individual researchers, organisational units and whole of University, and for corporate reporting such as the Excellence in Research for Australia. Previously it has been challenging to use UQ eSpace to effectively capture an accurate representation of the products of research that fall outside the scope of traditional outputs, including exhibitions, live performances, recordings, and other creative works. This limited the reporting of the full scope of individual researchers' outputs and UQ’s research activity. The NTRO Project was funded but the RMBT Program with in-kind contributions by the UQ Library.

The benefits of UQ eSpace NTROs

The collection of information about Non-Traditional Research Outputs (NTROs) benefits UQ researchers by:

• Providing researchers in all disciplines with infrastructure to capture information about the diverse outputs of research, which will better support the individual academic portfolios of all researchers across all disciplines,
• Informing planning at the organisational unit and University level,
• Allowing comprehensive reporting to government initiatives like the Excellence Research Australia (ERA), and
• Promoting the University’s breadth of research activity by exposure to the world through the institutional repository.

Project Achievements

The NTRO Project has delivered robust infrastructure within UQ eSpace to support the comprehensive collection and description of all types of NTROs. This includes a metadata schema to support decision-making about the scope and ‘quality’ of a work, as well as user-friendly forms for data entry by researchers. A UQ Library guide has also been developed to provide information on each NTRO type and support self-deposit of NTRO records.

There are 5 NTRO types now available in UQ eSpace. These are:

• CW1 – Original Creative Works
• CW2 – Live Performance of Creative Works
• CW3 – Recorded or Rendered Creative Works
• CW4 – Curated or Produced Substantial Public Exhibitions and Events
• CW5 - Research Report for an External Body

An NTRO record requires a Research Statement of up to 2,000 characters (viewable within UQ only), and a public statement of up to 100 words. Additional form fields allow researchers to provide information including significance of the work, quality indicators, and funder or sponsor details. Files demonstrating evidence of the NTRO, and any supplementary documentation, are uploaded to the NTRO record.

Project Status

Now that the Project has transitioned to business-as-usual it is managed by the UQ Library. Further information regarding submission of NTRO information to UQ eSpace is available here.

Project Background

The Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID®) is a persistent digital identifier that uniquely distinguishes academic authors and contributors. Properly integrated, ORCID flows through key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submissions, and supports automated linkages between scholars and their research activities throughout their scholarly career.

This project has scaled-up UQ’s ORCID integration and implementation including, appropriate policy development, infrastructure improvements, and promotion to enable ORCID integration. ORCID is currently the best available authority source for external identifiers for UQ research staff and Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates. 80% of UQ researchers now have an authenticated ORCID.

The benefits of ORCID

The project has linked with a number of other systems enhancements as part of the RMBT Program and has assisted UQ in:

• Helping protect researcher identity and intellectual property,
• Providing UQ researchers with seamless ORCID integration, preparing them for a future where ORCID is expected to be integrated with Australian Research Council (ARC) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) application systems,
• Promoting UQ researchers and UQ research with high levels of UQ researcher coverage in the ORCID registry,
• Streamlining the collection of research outputs of UQ researchers and HDR candidates and unambiguously link these to their UQ identity/profile, and
• Tracking career progression of UQ HDR graduates.

Project Achievements

ORCID usage is now firmly embedded within the UQ research community. Liaison Librarians are taking the lead in continuing to ensure that academic staff are well informed about the benefits and opportunities of a fully curated, linked ORCID, as well as how to use their ORCID to ensure they always receive credit for their academic outputs.

The use of ORCID has also significantly streamlined ingestion of publications into UQ eSpace. By using their ORCID at the time of publishing, publications can automatically be linked to a researcher’s profile. This has resulted in more complete capture of publication information in UQ eSpace, which has flow-on effects for compliance reporting and completeness of information used in other UQ systems, and also translates into a significant time saving for researchers.

The application of ORCID is now being considered in other RMBT projects.

Project Status

Now that the ORCID Project has transitioned to business-as-usual it is managed by the UQ Library. Further guidance on setting up and linking an ORCID is available on the UQ ORCID Guide, or by contacting your Liaison Librarian.

Project Background

Measurement of research engagement and impact is a relatively novel concept to institutions nationally and globally, with the first Australian Engagement and Impact Assessment occurring in 2018. The emerging need for a tool to enable researchers and UQ to track and manage engagement and impact resulted in a pilot study using software called Impact Tracker. The pilot project has trialled the system in the School of Economics and the TC Beirne School of Law to examine how or whether it may be implemented more widely across UQ. 

The potential benefits of Impact Tracker

• Impact Tracker can be used to capture information about engagement activities and impacts resulting from research undertaken at UQ,
• The information captured provides a knowledgebase of research impacts and may inform planning and comprehensive reporting (e.g. for ARC’s Engagement and Impact),
• Evidence of impact captured within Impact Tracker may be used to support individual academic portfolios,
• Data captured within Impact Tracker may assist in identifying end-user collaborators and allow more extensive promotion of UQ’s breadth of research quality and impact.

Project Achievements

The Impact Tracker pilot project has:

• Provided UQ researchers with a tool to capture and track evidence of research impact and engagement,
• Created self-help documentation and training materials to support researchers using Impact Tracker,
• Produced a report outlining key recommendations for broader implementation of the system within the UQ research ecosystem.  

Further guidance on setting up and tracking impact and engagement activities using Impact Tracker is available on the Impact Tracker website or Library Guide, or by contacting your Liaison Librarian.

Project Status and next steps

The Impact Tracker pilot project has concluded. The Impact Tracker system will be managed by the Research Performance team in the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) moving forward.

Project Background

Recording and managing background and project-generated IP is essential to ensure a consistent approach to handling background IP and rights to use, and for clarity of IP ownership. When industry partners and funding bodies are involved, it becomes even more critical to appropriately record and manage IP.

This feasibility study has considered existing systems and approaches to recording and managing IP across the UQ research community and has made recommendations on the best UQ-wide approach.

The benefits of the Recording & Managing IP feasibility study

The Recording and Managing IP feasibility study has considered and made recommendations regarding:

• The suitability of a centralised platform for recording all relevant information on IP owned or used by UQ,
• Methods to easily establish ‘chain of title’ on IP and identifying any encumbrances to achieve greater efficiency in research commercialisation, and
• Mitigation of risks associated with infringing IP rights of others or not sufficiently protecting UQ’s IP rights.

Project Achievements

The Recording & Managing IP feasibility study has concluded:

• UQ does not require a standalone IP register. Through the documenting and consultation processes, the study compiled a list of the information to record and suggested how it could be stored and managed using existing systems or systems in development.
• MyResearch is the best solution for capturing necessary background and pre-existing IP related information. IP is a key consideration in research and consultancy agreements, and MyResearch will enable IP information to be recorded in that context. The study also concluded that the Human Capital Management System (HCMS) may provide an effective solution for storing IP-related information that pertains to individuals, e.g. existing IP a new staff member brings with them to UQ which could be captured during the induction process.
• UQ does not require an external dedicated system to record and manage UQ background and pre-existing IP-related information. However, individual organisational units such as QAAFI may have specific requirements that would be met by a dedicated IP register. These organisational units should consider pursuing the option of a standalone system that meets their particular needs.

Project Status and next steps

The Recording & Managing IP feasibility study has concluded. The Research Partnership team has met the MyResearch Project Manager to confirm the inclusion of standard questions regarding IP (pre-existing, background, and IP arising) within the project initiation component of MyResearch. The Research Partnership team is also in discussion with the Human Capital Management System team to investigate whether this system will be suitable to record and store IP-related information from researchers into their individual profiles. At a minimum, it has been agreed that the induction process would be a suitable time for capturing background IP brought to the university by new staff.

The Research portfolio completed a review of Research policies to align with the objectives of the UQ Governance and Management Framework Policy [1.00.01]. This body of work was endorsed by the Research Committee in October 2018 and further endorsed by the Vice-Chancellor's Committee in February 2019. 

The focus of the review was on the PPL documents housed within 4.10 Research Management and Administration and 4.20 Research Conduct and Integrity. The policy review assessed the current state of these policies and procedures and considered recommendations for revision, deletion, demotion, creation and consolidation of documents. The aim of the project was a robust, concise and ever evolving policy and procedure suite that supports UQ researchers.

Policies and procedures were open for consultation and promoted through existing channels such as the Research Bulletin, UQ R&I Newsletter, and UQRAN.

Management of Research policies and procedures was handed over to the Operations Team at the end of 2020 and is now in BAU.

For further information on the work carried out in the Research policy review see the following link. 

Project Background

The UQRDM system is a robust, world-leading system designed and developed here at UQ. UQRDM has pioneered and adopted the highest standards of excellence in research data management. It provides, for the first time, the means for all UQ researchers and their collaborators to ensure their research data is managed in line with best practice.

UQRDM provides the UQ research community with a collaborative, safe and secure large-scale storage facility to practice good stewardship of research data. UQRDM facilitates collaboration across the entire UQ research community, external research institutions, and industry partners.

The benefits of UQRDM

UQRDM provides UQ with an integrated data management system covering the entire research data lifecycle. It offers seamless provisioning of easily accessible, secure and sharable data storage in real-time, and enables publication of datasets into UQ eSpace. UQRDM facilitates linking publication records and datasets, and provides a mechanism for the storage and retrieval of archived data.

UQRDM ensures that research data:

• remains accurate, authentic, reliable and complete,
• retains integrity and improves the reproducibility of research,
• is secure, minimising the risk of data loss,
• can be reused, enabled by collecting critical metadata early,
• can be shared with internal and external stakeholders,
• is available in accordance with  Australian code for the responsible conduct of research, and
• meets requirements of funders, journals and regulatory bodies.

Project Achievements

The datasets feature supports publication of research datasets to UQ eSpace. This feature completes the integrated data management plan (iDMP), which ensures that UQ research data is captured from project initiation through to publication. UQ researchers can use UQRDM to collaborate effectively and meet their data management obligations to funders, journals and regulatory bodies.

Human and animal ethics records are now integrated with central UQ systems, ensuring researchers enjoy a light-touch and streamlined workflow to achieve their research data management obligations.

The ongoing HDR Enhancement project connects into UQRDM to deliver integration of thesis examination processes and submission to UQ eSpace. This functionality is expected to streamline and further support HDR students during their postgraduate studies.

The completed Digital Research Notebooks (DRN) service has been successfully integrated into UQRDM – see DRN closing report for further details.

Users now enjoy enhanced functionality with storage level displays available through the UQRDM dashboard and the delivery of workflows to archive, delete and extend records with semi-automated functionality.

Project Status and next steps

UQRDM has now transitioned to business-as-usual under the leadership of the DVCR. Further guidance on how to use UQRDM to store and manage research data for research projects is available by using the following link to the user guide. 

Project Background

The DRN project provides electronic laboratory notebook functionality to UQ researchers and higher degree by research (HDR) students through integration with UQ’s Research Data Manager system (RDM).

The DRN project was approved by the Research Management Business Transformation (RMBT) Program Steering Committee (PSC) in September 2018 after being identified as a critical research system for UQ researchers.

The DRN project commenced in January 2019 and the DRN production system went live with legacy users from UQ Centre for Clinical Research in May 2019 – an approach that provided the opportunity to refine and address issues as they arose. The DRN system was made available to all UQ researchers in June 2019.

The benefits of DRN

The DRN project has realised the following benefits:

• Replacement of traditional hard copy laboratory notebooks with a digital solution that provides efficient storage and retrieval of documentation and reduction of administrative burden.
• Improved collaboration with internal and external researchers through integration with UQRDM and improved storage and security of research data for all researchers.
• Improved research data governance with date stamping and real time user changes to enable version control.

Project Achievements

Digital research notebooks enable UQ researchers to organise, store, curate and share all their projects' research or laboratory data including working documents, images, observations, and data in any format. During the early procurement planning phase, UQ anticipated there would be an initial take-up of 500 DRN notebooks by the end of implementation, but a stronger than expected take-up has led to a total of 2,012 new DRN notebooks with over 3,291 registered users. The completed Digital Research Notebooks (DRN) service has been successfully integrated into UQRDM.

Project Status and next steps

The DRN project has delivered digital research notebooks to all UQ researchers with datasets connection to UQ’s eSpace. DRN uptake continues to grow across UQ and with our external collaborators. The completion of the DRN project ensures that UQ is ready to meet new regulations and requirements to keep lab notes in a version-controlled, safe environment. Promotion of DRN to faculties and schools continues through Library training and outreach by the UQRDM team in the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research). Further information on how to request and use a digital notebook can be found through the following user guide.

Project background

In 2019, the Research Management Business Transformation Program (RMBT) launched a pilot Impact Tracker project that enables researchers and institutions to explain and provide evidence for the engagement and impact of research projects for the purpose of grant funding, rankings submissions and institutional reporting. Feedback from the pilot was that the system is effective and easy to use, but the process to recreate projects in VVIT after the same data has already been entered in UQRDM is time-consuming and a major barrier to uptake by researchers and professional staff. The Impact Tracker UQRDM Integration project addresses this issue and provides a solution that makes it easier for researchers to capture the impact of their work.

The benefits of Impact Tracker UQRDM integration

• The Impact Tracker system now allows for licences to be automatically issued and projects can be automatically populated from the user’s UQRDM account.
• The availability and ease of use of Impact Tracker has assisted in improving the interest and impact literacy of UQ staff.
• The system offers a framework for evidence collection best practice and allows for accurate institutional reporting, saving significant time in the summation of impact and engagement for specific projects and fields of research.

Project achievements

• Extension of the existing Vertigo Ventures Impact Tracker API to allow the creation of projects and management of project users by UQ systems
• Extension of the UQRDM create record and record management pages to allow the requesting of an Impact Tracker Project, as well as synchronisation of collaborators between UQRDM and IT projects.
• Outreach and change management to promote the new functionality to UQ Researchers (in process)
• Adjustment of best practice strategy to incorporate academic and professional staff
• Access and authentication processes have been updated and streamlined
• Training and information resources migrated to Systems Training Hub
• Increase of UQ users by over 60% in the first 6 weeks of implementation.

Project status and next steps

The enhanced Impact Tracker tool has now transitioned to business-as-usual under the leadership of the BAU owner with support from RMBT as required. The BAU owner, with support from the Research Systems team, will continue to liaise with Vertigo Ventures to advocate for system improvements as required. Guidance on how to use Impact Tracker can be found on the Impact Tracker Systems Training Hub. 

MyResearch Ethics, which became available on 27 January 2021, is the first stage of implementation of MyResearch. It uses digital workflows for tasks associated with obtaining ethics approval for human and animal research, such as:

• new applications and amendments
• ratification/registration
• exemptions, human ethics only
• applications not requiring full approval (ANRFA), animal ethics only
• adverse event reporting
• annual reporting.

Features include:

• tasks are efficiently progressed using digital workflows
• ability to log in at any time and check the status of your tasks
• a bespoke dashboard that shows your tasks and activities
• email notifications that tell you when a decision or outcome has been reached or when an annual report is due
• integrations with UQ human resource and records management systems.

Access to the MyResearch system is via a login screen available https://my-research.research.uq.edu.au