Custom-developed research grant management system for UP researchers

The Southern African Higher Education User Group (SA HEUG) Conference for PeopleSoft and Oracle Users in Higher Education was held at the University of Pretoria's Groenkloof Campus in July. Barry Hudson, Project Director of Enterprise Systems at the Department of Information Technology Services, and Ninette Mouton, Head of the Department of External Research Grants Management (RGM), presented the Pre-Award Grants Management System (PAGMS) at the event. The PAGMS was custom-developed for the University of Pretoria using the PeopleSoft system in a project headed by Hudson and developer Yashin Latif, PeopleSoft Consultant at Visions Consulting. The PAGMS was designed to track the entire pre-award grant application process, from identifying the suitable funding to the point at which a unique cost centre number is issued. The system benefits the researchers in following ways: it can assist them in searching for funding opportunities; they can request assistance with grant applications, receive assistance with follow-ups and updates on submitted applications, request and finalise research contracts, and access cost centre numbers; and the system can generate various external research funding reports.

The Department of Research and Innovation (DRI) will be able to improve research administration by assisting researchers in the use of the PAGMS. The system will also assist research administrators with the coordination of limited applications for specific funders where only one application is allowed per institution, and provide input for institutional audits required by external funders. Furthermore, the PAGMS will allow the DRI to generate research funding bulletins for each faculty containing the latest research funding opportunities.

The DRI is currently in the process of rolling out the system to faculties and will offer training through faculty roadshows and information sessions. From 2018, training on the PAGMS will be available as a UP priority course.

Please click here for additional information on the Pre-Award Grant Management System.