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System Overview
IRMA is a cutting edge web based integrated research management system which allows the comprehensive management of an organisation's research.
IRMA currently consists of nine integrated modules.
- Contracts and Grants
- Research Outputs (publications, patents, performances, art objects)
- Animal Ethics
- Human Ethics
- rDNA Ethics/Biosecurity
- Commercialisation
- Higher Degree Research Students (HDR)
- Framework
- ERA
In addition the system has a full suite of tools to allow the user to manage the system's set up, appearance and access. These tools include:
- User driven reporting from all modules
- Comprehensive security control
- Document management
- Step by step tracking of processes with progress steps
- User configured workflow with automated generation of email and alerts
- Full diary management
- Links to external digital repository software
- User configured forms
- User configured on-line help
- User configured picklists
- Soft coding of field names to allow rapid customisation
All modules access a common list of staff, students and external collaborators.
This allows for comprehensive analysis of internal performance and external collaboration.
All modules access a common set of fields which embody the organisation's structure and the re-organisation tool is an extremely powerful means of coping with the inevitable changes in the user's structure ranging from the minor to the most comprehensive overhaul.
The system complies with the Australian requirement for the Excellence in Research in Australia (ERA) frame work and this sub-system gives users in all countries a comprehensive overview of researchers' performance with grants, research outputs and HDR supervision.
One of the key roles of a research management system is to ensure as much as possible that:
- standard processes are followed
- the progress of these processes is transparent
- and the necessary information is available to all involved parties
Through the use of the progress steps in IRMA all of these goals are attainable. In addition, IRMA's capacity to hold relevant documents electronically means that all parties may be sure that they are dealing with the same object. University Office's customers have used these two types of functionality to great effect particularly when dealing with geographically dispersed researchers and business groups encountered in campuses with a number of locations.