Resources, April 2016

NSF Updates Polices and Procedures

The National Science Foundation released an updated Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), which went into effect Jan. 25, 2016. Faculty who submit proposals to NSF should especially review the section on Clarifications and Significant Changes to the Grant Proposal Guide, as they relate to proposal development and submission. The full guide is available online.

New IRB Protocol Submission System Launched

University of Idaho researchers will have a new way to submit and manage Institutional Research Board (IRB) protocols beginning Friday, April 22. The Office of Research and Economic Development is launching the first module of the Vandals Electronic Research Administration System, or VERAS.

This first transition to VERAS is part of a long-term project to combine all pieces of research administration into one system. Additional modules will be added gradually over the next two years.

The VERAS module for IRB replaces the protocol portal. All information from the portal will be moved into the new system, except for applications that are more than three months old and have never been fully submitted (still showing as “In Progress”). If you have incomplete IRB applications in the portal that you wish to keep the data for, please complete them at your earliest convenience.

Users will sign in to VERAS using their UI credentials. Some users may receive a message that they need to request an account, in which case they should select the option to request one, and an ORED staff member will respond within 24 hours.

A survey is included at the end of the new form within VERAS, and feedback on the system is encouraged. Send comments or questions to IRB coordinator Jennifer Walker at jwalker@uidaho.edu or 208-885-6340, or Office of Sponsored Programs associate director Heather Nelson at hnelseon@uidaho.edu or 208-885-6680.