RAO Seminar30 October 2019

Sapphire Update

Dr Nicholas JohnsonHead, Business Integration Taskforce

NHMRC’s Research Grants Management SystemRGMS has been NHMRC’s research grant management system

since October 2009

• 230 grant schemes

• ~50k applications

• >1k GRPs

• ~11k grants

• ~11k variations

• >43 k users

• >$6.7 billion in payments

• RGMS successfully supported our grant program, but it is ageing and is now

reaching the end of its life

• New capabilities are available that provide a better user experience

• Continuing to maintain RGMS is resource intensive and expensive.

• Approx. $20 million invested in RGMS development and support

Why are we replacing RGMS?

What is Sapphire?

• The Sapphire project has separate phases, featuring:

• small, frequent releases allowing regular delivery of Sapphire functionality

• separate work orders for vendors to build and test for each release

• releases that reflect NHMRC business priorities

Sapphire Releases

• Release 1 – IDM, Profile (read only) - Sept 2019

• Release 2 – IDM, Profile (editable), Apply, Development Grants pilot - Oct 2019

• Release 3 – Assign – Feb/Mar 2020 (provisional)

• Release 4 – Assess – Mar 2020 (provisional)

• Release 5 – Peer Review Meeting and Select - mid-2020 (provisional)

• Release 6 – Post-award – to be scheduled (provisional)

Sapphire Releases

GMSWGUAT

Development Grants Open(Sapphire)

Investigator Grants Open

(RGMS)

Timeline for pilot (apply)

Development Grants Close(Sapphire)

CREs Close(RGMS)

CREs Open(RGMS)

Sapphire Release 2

NovemberOctober December

Investigator Grants Close

(RGMS)

Sapphire Release 1

GM

SW

G

GM

SW

G

September January February

Synergy Grants

Potential Sapphirelaunch

GMSWGUAT

Development Grants Round 2020 - pilot• Development Grants selected as the pilot of Sapphire – medium-sized scheme

• NHMRC has put in place appropriate additional contingency plans.

– A round in RGMS that can be activated at any time

– Data frequently backed up

• Users profile information from RGMS was migrated into Sapphire in early October

– Applicants should check their data, which may be out of date now

• Applicants will be required to keep their profile up-to-date in both RGMS and in

Sapphire.

– We’re looking to see whether differences between RGMS and Sapphire can be

resolved automatically after the pilot

Development Grants Round 2020 - pilot

• Support for Applicants and RAOs is available via the Sapphire portal, including:

› how to videos

› Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

› access to the Sapphire Help Desk (sapphire.helpdesk@nhmrc.gov.au)

– NHMRC will continue to publish additional FAQs in response to enquiries

Sapphire Portal

FAQs

How do RAOs get access to Sapphire?

Research Administration Officers (RAOs) have been contacted by email regarding RAO

registration for Sapphire. If you require assistance with Sapphire access or the Sapphire

Institutional Account Access form, please contact the Sapphire Help Desk at

sapphire.helpdesk@nhmrc.gov.au.

FAQs

Are all Chief Investigators and Associate Investigators on an application required to have a Sapphire account?

Yes. Chief Investigators (CI) and Associate Investigators (AI) will need to complete the

Sapphire registration process to be added to the application Research Team.

FAQs

Are all Chief Investigators and Associate Investigators on an application required to have a Sapphire account?

Yes. Chief Investigators (CI) and Associate Investigators (AI) will need to complete the

Sapphire registration process to be added to the application Research Team.

Will RAOs need to keep a record of applicants’ consent to be named on an application?

No. Outcomes of the invitation and consent process are stored within Sapphire.

FAQs

Can a non-Chief Investigator prepare the application?

Yes. Any person with a Sapphire account can login to Sapphire and click ‘+ New

application’ to create an application.

Please note: only the CIA can certify and submit the application to a RAO.

Can an RAO edit or view an applicant’s profile?

Yes, by default, RAOs at a Primary Institution are able to view an applicant’s profile.

An applicant can allow their RAO to edit their Profile by selecting ‘Yes’ to the ‘RAO edit

access’ on the ‘About My Profile’ page.

FAQs

Can an RAO edit or view an applicant’s profile?

Yes, by default, RAOs at a Primary Institution are able to view an applicant’s profile.

An applicant can allow their RAO to edit their Profile by selecting ‘Yes’ to the ‘RAO edit

access’ on the ‘About My Profile’ page.

Can RAOs access or edit an application?By default, RAOs from the application’s nominated Administering Institution will be able

to view the application in Sapphire. Anyone with edit access to an application can

choose to provide a RAO with Edit access using the application share functionality.

FAQs

Will Development Grants applicants need to keep their profile up-to-date in both RGMS and Sapphire?

Yes. In addition to applicants applying for RGMS grant opportunities, all Development

Grants 2020 applicant are required to keep their RGMS profile up-to-date.

FAQs

Will Development Grants applicants need to keep their profile up-to-date in both RGMS and Sapphire?

Yes. In addition to applicants applying for RGMS grant opportunities, all Development

Grants 2020 applicant are required to keep their RGMS profile up-to-date.

These and other FAQs will on the website from today

FAQs

Feedback

How can I provide feedback?

• Via the Sapphire Landing Page

• NHMRC will survey you after close of applications in December

• Anytime by email to sapphire.helpdesk@nhmrc.gov.au

Thank you

Dr Nicholas Johnsonhelp@nhmrc.gov.au1800 500 983