Skip to main content

​
Overview

As a research office manager, you oversee the complete lifecycle of research funding—from configuring grant calls to approving applications, monitoring project execution, and generating institutional reports. This guide covers your key responsibilities and workflows.

​
Main Responsibilities

Grant Call Management

Configure and publish funding opportunities, set eligibility criteria, and manage application deadlines.

Application Review

Review and approve grant applications from researchers in your management unit.

Project Oversight

Monitor active projects, track budgets, and ensure compliance with funding requirements.

Ethics Coordination

Support ethics committees and manage ethics review workflows.

Institutional Reporting

Generate reports on research activity, funding, and outcomes for leadership and external agencies.

Committee Management

Configure review committees, assign evaluators, and manage decision workflows.

​
Configuring Grant Calls

Grant calls (Convocatorias) define funding opportunities that researchers can apply for.
1

Create New Call

Navigate to CSP > Convocatorias > NewProvide basic information:
  • Call title and code
  • Funding agency/program
  • Application opening and closing dates
  • Management unit responsible
Location: sgi-webapp/src/app/module/csp/convocatoria/convocatoria-crear
2

Define Call Parameters

Configure detailed call settings across multiple tabs:Datos Generales:
  • Call type and purpose
  • Funding model (competitive, non-competitive)
  • Expected number of awards
  • Total funding available
Plazos:
  • Application deadline
  • Evaluation period
  • Resolution notification date
  • Project start date range
Entidades Convocantes:
  • Funding organizations
  • Program/scheme details
  • Contact information
3

Set Eligibility Requirements

Define who can apply:Requisitos IP (Principal Investigator):
  • Academic level required (PhD, Professor, etc.)
  • Maximum age or career stage
  • Previous funding restrictions
  • Institutional affiliation requirements
Requisitos Equipo (Team):
  • Minimum/maximum team size
  • Required expertise areas
  • Collaboration requirements
4

Configure Budget Rules

Set financial parameters:Budget Limits:
  • Minimum/maximum funding per project
  • Total call budget
  • Cost category restrictions
Elegibilidad:
  • Allowed expense types
  • Overhead rate
  • Co-funding requirements
  • Budget justification rules
Partidas Presupuestarias:
  • Define budget line categories
  • Set percentage limits by category
  • Configure virement rules
5

Attach Documentation

Add call documents:
  • Full call text
  • Application forms and templates
  • Eligibility guidelines
  • Evaluation criteria
  • Legal terms and conditions
These documents are visible to researchers when browsing calls.
6

Publish Call

Once configuration is complete:
  1. Review all settings
  2. Set call status to Published
  3. Researchers can now view and apply
You can save calls as drafts and publish them later. Researchers only see published calls.

​
Call Configuration Templates

Create templates for recurring call types:
  • Annual institutional grants
  • PhD fellowships
  • Equipment grants
  • Travel awards
Templates preserve:
  • Budget categories and limits
  • Eligibility criteria
  • Required documentation
  • Evaluation criteria

​
Approving Applications

Applications from your management unit require your review and approval.

​
Application Review Workflow

1

Access Pending Applications

Navigate to CSP > SolicitudesFilter by:
  • Your management unit
  • Status: Solicitada (submitted)
  • Call deadline approaching
  • Priority level
Set up notifications for new submissions to review them promptly.
2

Review Application Details

Evaluate each section:Administrative Check:
  • All required fields completed
  • Applicant meets eligibility criteria
  • Supporting documents attached
  • Budget properly formatted
Scientific Assessment:
  • Clear objectives and methodology
  • Appropriate team composition
  • Realistic timeline
  • Expected impact
Budget Review:
  • Costs properly categorized
  • Justification for major items
  • Compliant with call rules
  • Co-funding secured (if required)
3

Request Clarifications

If issues found:
  1. Change status to Alegaciones (clarifications requested)
  2. Add comments describing needed changes
  3. Set deadline for resubmission
  4. Researcher receives notification
Researcher can then:
  • View your comments
  • Make corrections
  • Resubmit for review
4

Approve or Reject

Make final decision:Approve (Admitida):
  • Application advances to evaluation
  • Assigned to reviewer pool
  • Researcher notified of acceptance
Reject (Denegada):
  • State clear reasons
  • Application archived
  • Researcher notified with explanation
Rejections should include specific reasons referencing call eligibility criteria.

​
Batch Application Processing

For calls with many applications:
  1. Export Applications
    • Download application list to Excel
    • Review offline with team
    • Track decisions in spreadsheet
  2. Bulk Status Updates
    • Import decision results
    • Update multiple applications at once
    • Send batch notifications
  3. Generate Review Reports
    • Summary statistics
    • Applications by department
    • Funding requested vs. available
    • Approval rates

​
Overseeing Project Portfolios

Monitor active projects across your management unit.

Project Dashboard

View all active projects with key metrics: budget burn rate, deliverable status, and upcoming deadlines.

Budget Monitoring

Track financial execution across projects and identify over/under-spending.

Milestone Tracking

Monitor progress on scientific and administrative milestones.

Risk Assessment

Identify projects at risk due to delays, budget issues, or team changes.

​
Project Portfolio Reports

Generate reports showing:
  • Total active projects
  • Projects by phase (startup, execution, closeout)
  • Projects approaching end date
  • Projects requiring extensions
Use filters:
  • By funding source
  • By principal investigator
  • By department
  • By budget size
Analyze financial performance:
  • Total allocated vs. spent
  • Spending by category
  • Under-execution risks
  • Budget transfers needed
  • Uncommitted funds
Export to Excel for detailed analysis.
Track deliverable submissions:
  • Reports due this month
  • Overdue reports
  • Upcoming scientific reviews
  • External evaluations pending
Send reminders to PIs for overdue items.
Understand researcher participation:
  • Active researchers by project
  • Researcher dedication levels
  • Team diversity metrics
  • Training and development

​
Managing Ethics Committees

Support ethics committee operations and workflows.

​
Ethics Committee Setup

For each ethics committee (CEISH, CEEA, CBE):
  1. Define Committee Structure:
    • Committee name and type
    • Active period
    • Meeting frequency
    • Quorum requirements
  2. Assign Members:
    • Chair
    • Secretary (manages administrative tasks)
    • Voting members
    • Expert consultants
    • Support staff
  3. Set Review Procedures:
    • Full board review vs. expedited
    • Criteria for each review type
    • Decision-making process
    • Appeal procedures
Plan committee meetings:
  1. Navigate to ETI > Comité > Convocatorias
  2. Create new meeting:
    • Date and time
    • Location or video conferencing link
    • Submission deadline (e.g., 2 weeks before)
    • Maximum agenda items
  3. System automatically assigns submitted memorias
Researchers see the next meeting date when submitting, helping them plan accordingly.
Distribute review workload:Primary Reviewer:
  • Assigned based on expertise
  • Prepares detailed evaluation
  • Presents at committee meeting
Secondary Reviewer:
  • Provides independent assessment
  • Checks primary reviewer’s analysis
  • Required for complex protocols
Conflict of Interest:
  • System flags potential conflicts
  • Members recuse themselves
  • Alternative reviewers assigned

​
Managing Ethics Reviews

1

Review Submissions

Access pending memorias:
  • View submission queue
  • Check completeness
  • Assign to appropriate committee
  • Schedule for next meeting
2

Prepare Meeting Agenda

Create agenda:
  • List all items for review
  • Assign presentation time
  • Distribute materials to members
  • Include previous meeting minutes
3

Conduct Meeting

During committee session:
  • Record attendance
  • Review each submission
  • Document discussion
  • Record decisions and votes
  • Note required modifications
4

Communicate Decisions

After meeting:
  • Generate decision letters
  • Send to researchers
  • Request modifications if needed
  • Set follow-up deadlines
  • Archive meeting records

​
Ethics Reporting

Generate reports on:
  • Number of submissions received
  • Average review time
  • Approval/rejection rates
  • Types of research reviewed
  • Serious adverse events reported
Monitor approved protocols:
  • Active protocols requiring annual review
  • Protocols approaching completion
  • Amendments requested
  • Adverse events reported
  • Protocol violations

​
Generating Institutional Reports

Create reports for leadership, funding agencies, and external stakeholders.

​
Standard Report Types

Research Activity Summary

Overview of:
  • Total active projects
  • New grants awarded
  • Total funding managed
  • Publications produced
  • Research personnel

Financial Reports

Financial metrics:
  • Funding by source
  • Expenditure by category
  • Overhead recovered
  • Co-funding leveraged

Compliance Reports

Track compliance:
  • Ethics approvals obtained
  • Required reports submitted
  • Audit findings
  • Policy adherence

Impact Reports

Demonstrate impact:
  • Publications and citations
  • Patents filed/granted
  • Technology transfers
  • Training outcomes

​
Custom Report Builder

1

Select Data Sources

Choose what to include:
  • Projects (CSP module)
  • Publications (PRC module)
  • Intellectual property (PII module)
  • Ethics reviews (ETI module)
2

Apply Filters

Narrow scope:
  • Date range
  • Department/unit
  • Funding source
  • Project status
  • Researcher
3

Select Metrics

Choose what to measure:
  • Count of items
  • Sum of funding
  • Average values
  • Trends over time
  • Comparative analysis
4

Format Output

Generate report:
  • Excel spreadsheet
  • PDF document
  • Chart/graph visualization
  • Interactive dashboard

​
Scheduled Reports

Automate recurring reports:
Activity Summary:
  • New applications submitted
  • Applications approved/rejected
  • New projects started
  • Projects completed
  • Budget execution rate
Delivered to: Unit director, financial office
Performance Metrics:
  • Funding success rates
  • Average time to approval
  • Project portfolio health
  • Research output summary
Delivered to: Leadership team, deans
Comprehensive Analysis:
  • Year-over-year trends
  • Benchmark against goals
  • Researcher participation
  • Financial sustainability
  • Strategic recommendations
Delivered to: Executive leadership, governing board

​
Advanced Workflows

​
Multi-Stage Application Review

For competitive calls with external reviewers:

​
Project Extension Approval

1

PI Requests Extension

Researcher submits extension request including:
  • Justification for delay
  • New end date
  • Remaining activities
  • Budget implications
2

Manager Review

Evaluate request:
  • Check funding agency rules
  • Verify scientific justification
  • Assess budget status
  • Review project history
3

Agency Approval

If required:
  • Submit request to funding agency
  • Track approval status
  • Communicate decision to PI
4

Update System

Once approved:
  • Update project end date
  • Adjust milestones
  • Notify financial office
  • Update reporting schedule

​
Budget Modification Workflow

Managing budget reallocations:
Transfers within allowed limits (typically less than 10%):
  1. PI submits justification
  2. Manager approves in system
  3. Financial office notified
  4. Budget updated automatically
No external approval needed.
Transfers exceeding thresholds:
  1. PI submits detailed justification
  2. Manager reviews and endorses
  3. Submitted to funding agency
  4. Await approval
  5. Update budget upon approval
May require:
  • Written justification
  • Revised budget narrative
  • Updated work plan

​
Key Performance Indicators

Track unit performance:
MetricTargetPurpose
Application Approval TimeLess than 5 daysResponsiveness
Funding Success RateGreater than 30%Competitiveness
Budget Execution Rate85-95%Financial management
Report Submission ComplianceGreater than 95%Accountability
Ethics Review TimeLess than 30 daysEfficiency
Researcher SatisfactionGreater than 4.0/5Service quality
Review KPIs monthly and adjust processes to address underperformance.

​
Best Practices

  • Send deadline reminders 2 weeks in advance
  • Notify PIs of budget execution concerns early
  • Provide regular updates on application status
  • Hold office hours for researcher questions
  • Use templates for common documents
  • Create checklists for reviews
  • Document decision criteria
  • Maintain institutional memory
  • Offer grant writing workshops
  • Provide budget planning tools
  • Share success stories
  • Mentor early-career researchers
  • Collect feedback from researchers
  • Analyze bottlenecks
  • Benchmark against peer institutions
  • Update processes based on lessons learned

​
Common Challenges

Challenge: Applications submitted at deadline with errorsSolution:
  • Require draft submission 1 week early
  • Provide quick administrative check
  • Allow time for corrections
Challenge: Researchers don’t track budget adequatelySolution:
  • Require quarterly budget reviews
  • Set up automatic alerts at 75% spend
  • Provide budget management training
Challenge: Ethics reviews delayed due to incomplete submissionsSolution:
  • Create submission checklist
  • Require pre-submission consultation
  • Provide template documents

​
Tools and Resources

Report Templates

Pre-built Excel templates for common reports and data exports.

Process Checklists

Step-by-step guides for application review, project closeout, and audits.

Training Materials

Guides and videos for training researchers and new staff.

Policy Documents

Institutional policies on research administration, ethics, and compliance.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us