Integration of CERIF, ESB and cloud in the development of a national global research and administrative management system

Abstract

In the UK, no single supplier produced IT System has been identified which supports the management and administration of a University's research program from pre-award through to post award. The requirements of UK higher education research management and administration include program management, costing and pricing, application development and submission, contract and project administration, monitoring and reporting. UK universities commonly use a mixture of spreadsheets and databases, working alongside existing finance and administration systems to manage these activities. This paper presents the scope and design of a modular Research Management and Administration System for the UK higher education sector which allows for the management and administration of research projects from 'cradle to grave'. The system should embody best practice processes for research management and administration, whilst maintaining the capability [through open systems architecture] to interface with a University's existing systems such as Finance, HR and Student systems. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.