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Research

Research Management & Accountability

Managing Research Funds & Accountability

The Research Oversight and Compliance Office in the Office of the Vice-President, Research maintains a Research Management & Accountability website which includes information on Roles and Responsibilities, Accessing Research Funds, Accountability & Compliance and more information related to best practices in the responsible use of research funding.

The Guide to Financial Management is the University of Toronto’s key resource for financial administrators, staff and faculty on how to handle financial related matters at the University of Toronto.


Financial Reporting:

Most sponsors require regular financial and project updates through formal reports. Reporting requirements for a particular award will be confirmed upon finalization of the award and will be summarized in the Funded Research Digest (FReD). See also the Financial Services guide on Reporting to Sponsors and Donors.

The University also requires that all principal investigators complete and sign an Financial Accountability Report annually. This report lists the researcher’s responsibilities.


Research Financial Management at UTSC

Your department’s financial/business officer is the first point of contact for matters related to your research funding.

UTSC Financial Services, Accounting assists your departmental financial/business officer in the following

  • Preparing forms & forwarding requests for Principal Investigator Fund Centres necessary to house your funding structure
  • Requesting MROL access if not included in a PI FC creation (eliminates form creation at UTSC)
  • Making corrections to expenses misapplied to an incorrect Fund Centre or Fund.
  • Reconciling accounts
  • Interpreting the Guide to Financial Management
  • Directing your queries to those most able to assist you
  • Posting all transactions against your funds

UTSC Financial Services, Procurement assists with your purchases as listed on the UTSC Financial Services website: http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~financial/purchasing.html


Research-Related Policies


University of Toronto:

The University of Toronto has a range of policies that govern how researchers conduct their work. The most important ones likely to affect you are listed on the Vice-President, Research-Related Policies website and include, but are not limited to, conflict of interest, ethical conduct in research, inventions (intellectual property), copyright and publications. Please note that your signature on the RIS Application Attachment form confirms your awareness and adherence to all U of T policies.

Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research:

Canada’s research granting agencies —the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada— are committed to fostering and maintaining an environment that supports and promotes the responsible conduct of research.

On December 5, 2011, they officially launched the new Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research. This new framework is an umbrella document that describes the Tri-Council policies and requirements related to applying for and managing Tri-Council funds, performing research and disseminating results. It also outlines the process that institutions and the Tri-Council follow in the event of an allegation of a breach of agency policy.

This new Framework replaces the previous integrity policy and related documents, including the Tri-Agency Policy Statement: Integrity in Research and Scholarship (TCPS-I, 1994), the Framework for Tri-Council Review of Institutional Policies Dealing with Integrity in Research (1996) and the Tri-Agency Process for Addressing Allegations of Non-compliance with Tri-Agency Policies (2010).

It is important to note that:

  1. Effective December 5, applicants, grantees and awards holders are required to comply with the new Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research and all the policies contained within it.
  2. To ensure full accountability and transparency for the proper use of public funds in supporting research, the Tri-Council now requires all researchers applying for funding to provide a Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information, allowing the Tri-Council (subject to applicable laws, including the Privacy Act, and in cases of a serious breach of agency policy) to publicly disclose:
    • the name of the researcher;
    • the nature of the breach;
    • the name of the institution where the researcher was employed at the time of the breach; and
    • the name of the institution where the researcher is currently employed.
  3. A Panel on Responsible Conduct of Research will be created by the Tri-Council and will be responsible for ensuring a coherent and uniform approach to promoting the responsible conduct of research and addressing allegations of breaches of Tri-Council policies. The Panel will be responsible for governing and implementing the new Framework, with support from the new Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research (previously the Secretariat on Research Ethics).

Integrity and accountability in research are essential values important to Canadians, given the significant investments made by the federal government in research, and the important contributions these activities make to our society. These values are also important to the University of Toronto as demonstrated in our commitment to the highest standards of excellence, transparency and accountability in research. Therefore, please familiarize yourself with the new framework.


My Research On Line (MROL)

My Research On Line (MROL) is a web-based service available to all principal investigators and co-investigators with research awards administered by the University of Toronto. It is an important tool to assist you to comply with the monthly review and online sign-off requirement for each of your funds. Administrative support staff may also use this service to view PI accounts. Researchers can view the status of their research applications, ethical reviews, or research Funds administered by the University. Principal investigators may view their Funded Research Digests (FReDs), the balance of their research funds, and the details of expenses that have been charged to their funds. Accounting information related to FIS research accounts is refreshed daily.

How to get a MROL Account:

Most researchers have been set up for this service. If you have a grant at the U of T and have not yet been set up - please consult with your Business Officer who will contact UTSC Financial Services.

Business Officers/Financial Administrators can get MROL access as well by contacting UTSC Financial Services.

The personal user name (userid) that you need for MROL access is created on the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) when you are set up on the payroll. You must first activate your userid at the link on the Campus Business Connect page on the University of Toronto (St. George) website at: http://www.ams.utoronto.ca/Services/Campus_Business_Connect.htm

The password that you create for accessing your pay and the userid created by HRIS are the same for MROL access. For your convenience the Campus Business Connect page also provides a link to reset your password.

Your Responsibilities:

Researchers have financial responsibility for projects under their signing authority and must review expenses on a monthly basis. MROL provides an on-line button enabling you to mark your account(s) as “reviewed by PI”.

At your convenience, you can find the answers to other questions such as the following.

How much is my total award?
  • See your current and future award installments on your Funded Research Digest (FReD)
  • View the sponsor’s terms and conditions for your award on your FReD
Who do I contact if I have a question about -Your FReD identifies the UT administrators for my research funding?
  • Your FReD identifies the UT administrators for your research fund.
How much money do I have left to spend?
  • View your account balances
  • Review your monthly expenditures
  • Ensure your students are being paid
  • Track purchase orders
  • See award end dates (last day to spend!)
What is the status of my application for research funding?
  • View summary information on all of your applications for research funding administered by UofT
Has my ethics review protocol have been reviewed?
  • See the current status of all ethics review protocols for research involving humans, animals, or biohazardous material
What funding did I get in each of the last 5 years?
  • Run reports showing your funding history on an annual basis, as a PI or Co-PI

MROL Availability:

My Research On Line is easily accessible via the web from anywhere in the world. All reports show live data, except for the financial reports which are one day old.

Normal hours of Availability:

Monday – Thursday: 7:30 AM to midnight EST
Friday: 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM EST
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST


Help and support using MROL:

  • Contact your financial/business officer if you notice an incorrect entry on your reports.
  • Contact the Research Systems Support Coordinator for forgotten passwords, help logging in, guidance on how to use the electronic review button, and help with navigating through reports.

UShop

UShop provides researchers with an online shopping system, enabling them to purchase research supplies from online catalogues of popular UofT vendors. UShop provides specially negotiated discounts with the convenience of charging purchases directly to a Principal Investigator’s research fund. See the Procurement Services website for more information about UShop.

At UTSC please contact Susan Dyson at 416-287-7015 or dyson@utsc.utoronto.ca to register.