RA Fundamentals Job Aid - Toolbox: Post-Award Tools


Overview

Research administration is a field that is both wide and deep, especially at a large public university such as UC San Diego. Finding the tools that you need when you need them is imperative, but that is often easier said than done, especially with a system as vast as Blink.
 
The tools are aligned with the UC San Diego Sponsored Projects Lifecycle. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but is rather a curated list of links to assist fund managers who are new to UC San Diego and/or research administration by giving them the tools needed for proposal development and fund management.

The Sponsored Projects Lifecycle

 

Most awards, by default, will be set up with one project one task in the new financial system. The SPF Award accountant has the ability to create additional projects or tasks for the reasons on this table. Additional tasks and projects for purposes other than the above maybe be requested and justified by the Fund Manager via a Services and Support request. 

The Business Analytics Hub (BAH) houses a centralized list of analytics and reports that use data from sources such as Oracle Financial Cloud, (OFC), UCPath, etc.  

The new feature launched within the BAH called the “Commonly Used Reports” feature. This feature can be reached by clicking on the “Budget & Finance” tab.  


Go to the “Administration Panoramas” and then click on “Commonly Used Reports”. Once launched it will show most commonly used reports in the BAH as a one stop shop. 



The “RA Dashboard Activity Dashboard” can be reached from Research tab of the BAH.  The RA Dashboard has reports that will help you find quick answers to many of your questions about status, who your contracts and grants officer is, etc.  


Managing Awards

Category

Name/Link

Description

Managing Awards: ResearchResearch: Managing AwardsLinks to information about award management before, during and after your project.
Managing Awards: Finance Finance: Managing Sponsored Projects Funds Get information on tools and forms to help you manage sponsored project funds. 

Managing Awards: SPF

(formerly OPAFS)

Sponsored Projects Finance (SPF)SPF provides financial support in the areas of financial management, cost accounting and control, and accountability.

Managing Awards: SPF

(formerly OPAFS)

SPF STaRT Tool
The Streamlined Training and Resource Tool (STaRT) focuses on Post Award Financial Management topics. It is a comprehensive online tool providing knowledge in support of the University's research mission.

Managing Awards: PPM User Guide

KBA: PPM User Guide
This article provides a brief overview of the purpose and scope of the Project Portfolio Management (PPM) User Guide
Managing Awards: Reports Business Analytics Hub Reports formerly accessed in Financial Link can now be found here. New reports are continually being added. 
Managing Awards: Research Research Administration Activity Dashboard This Dashboard contains multiple reports and is intended to answer various business questions in one place while providing direct links to individual records. 
Managing Awards: FinanceElectronic Certification of Effort and Reporting Tool (ECERT)
Find links to information and guidelines for using ECERT for effort reporting of federally-sponsored projects.
Managing Awards: FinanceComposite Benefit Rates (CBRs)
Composite benefit rates are developed in order to cover the costs of fringe benefits offered by the university.

 

Invoicing, Reporting to Agency, Closeout

Category

Name/Link

Description

Reporting and Closeout: SPF
SPF STaRT Tool
Use the Streamlined Training and Resource Tool (STaRT) to assist with reporting and closeout.
Reporting: SPARCMManaging Sponsored Project Funds: SPARCMThe SPARCM system is an AR and Cash Management tool that allows SPF to create invoices and manage Financial Expense Reports (FERs) as well as sponsor reports on sponsored project funds.
Managing Awards: Reports

Business Analytics Hub

 

Reports formerly accessed in Financial Link can now be found here. New reports are continually being added. Historical data until the cutover (6/30/2020) can still be accessed in Financial Link.

 

Training 

Category

Name/Link

Description

Managing Awards: UCPath Training
UCPath Bootcamp TrainingReview of Bootcamp training sessions.
Managing Awards: UCPath Training Hub

UCPath Training Hub

Access to UCPath simulation exercises, training presentations, job aids, etc.
Managing Awards: UCPath Review and Reinforcement

Review and Reinforcement

Provides direct access to information regarding UCPath- F1, F2, F3 and Bootcamp.
Managing Awards: Budget, Finance, Logistics, Payment, Procurement & Travel

Budget & Finance


BFS Homepage with links to guidance and tools for their various systems, processes and tools.



Managing Awards: Budget & Finance Support 

Finance Administration Resources: Get Started 

Four tips to help you get started and stay current with the news and resources of key financial activities.  
 
Managing Awards: Finance Administration Resources & Training

Budget & Finance: Get Help

Budget & Finance Support office hours, training, tools, and communications for the financial information system.
Managing Awards: Budget & Finance Support

Finance Resources & Training: Calendar & Schedules

Register for a Fund Management training class.
Managing Awards: Budget & Finance Support 

Finance Office Hours Support 

Finance office hours are informal sessions where personnel from Business and Financial Services and department volunteers are available to assist users who have access to our financial systems.  
 
Managing Awards: Budget & Finance Support 

1-on-1 Financial Reporting Support Sessions 

Sign up for a one-on-one zoom session with a member of the UC San Diego Business Intelligence & Financial Reporting Team who is dedicated to getting you the answers you need.
Managing Awards: Finance Administration Support and Resources 

 

 

The Finance Help Line is a support line staffed by knowledgeable representatives. 
Managing Awards: Finance Training

Budget & Finance Training Courses

Budget and financial information systems training courses
Managing Awards: Services & Support/Finance

Budget & Finance Services and Support


Get finance systems help as well as answers to your question in the Knowledge Base and Community of Practice



Managing Awards: Oracle Training
 

Navigating Budget, Costs and Balances within Oracle PPM

A video that demonstrates how to view the budget, costs, and remaining balance on an award.
Managing Awards: Vocabulary (Data Glossary) 

BI & Financial Reporting: Get Started 

Reporting One-on-One Sessions sign up where BI & Financial Reporting team can answer questions about financial reporting and dashboards/panoramas.
 
Preparation Checklists: New Hire Onboarding; Responsibilities: Proposal Preparation; New Award, Closeout; and New Faculty

Preparation Checklists

View and print Preparation Checklists for new Research Administrators/Fund Managers.
Managing Awards: Oracle BI and Financial ReportingConsumer Space StationThe Consumer Space Station is the centralized location for updates related to Oracle BI & Financial Reporting. Schedule a 1:1 ORBIT session here.
Managing Awards: Oracle Training

Budget & Finance Support

Financial Information System (FIS) training resources.
Managing Awards: Service Now (SNOW) in the Services & Support Portal

Services & Support Knowledge Base

Go here to find Knowledge Base Articles (KBAs) that answer questions on common business processes and system issues. The Knowledge Base includes many step-by-step guides on new processes and procedures.

 

Note: the information contained in this job aid is accurate and up-to-date to the best of our knowledge on the date of publication. However, due to the ongoing Enterprise Systems Renewal (ESR) at UCSD, information on Blink and internal systems are subject to change without notice. We advise you to check Blink regularly for updates and changes.