Research Administration and Compliance Systems (RACS)

This group has experience in pioneering projects that advance an institution’s research mission, and with diverse professional backgrounds, each team member brings a unique perspective with fresh ideas.

RACS is dedicated to fostering a collaborative environment; we aim to refine the experiences of UCSF's research members by streamlining workflows and systems, improving transparency in processes, and ensuring that existing data being collected is utilized to its maximum potential.

Project Status: Complete

Understanding the processes and experience of those within the research mission is critical to designing new processes and systems that address the needs of researchers and their daily activities. With this goal in mind, input was collected through the Spring of 2023 from a broad array of researchers and research team members, and their shared experience was used to define common themes and identify specific problems.

The opportunities identified will inform research IT strategic initiatives for the coming years.

Project Status: Complete

An integration of the iRIS and OnCore systems that sees to the creation of new protocols within OnCore, or a link to an existing OnCore protocol, upon final approval by the IRB. This change aids compliance efforts by ensuring up-to-date IRB information can be found within OnCore, such as the latest versions of protocols and consent forms. It also removes the tedious, duplicative work of entering protocol information in two systems.

Project Status: Ongoing

This homegrown solution was developed by LARC and includes web-based protocol management and tracking. The primary components are EH&S Use Authorizations (radiation, biological, controlled substances), IACUC protocol management, and LARC animal acquisition and tracking. It also contains tools for inventory tracking, reporting, training, and inspections.

As the liaison between the technical team and customers, RCIS has designed and operationalized a new support model for managing intake and prioritization of customer tickets and enhancement requests.

Project Status: In-Progress

A drug accountability system, Vestigo is used by Investigational Drug Services (IDS) to manage the receipt and dispensing of clinical trial medications and controlled substances. It helps IDS Pharmacists ensure study drugs are used correctly and maintains records on storage conditions, drug destruction or disposal, and study monitor activity.

Providing support to IDS, RCIS has mapped system processes, engaged in troubleshooting integration issues, and coordinated the transition to Single Sign-On (SSO) for system access.

Project Status: First Release in Production

The Office of Research Integrated Metrics Dashboard provides the Clinical Trials Operations Office (CTO) a metrics platform, integrating data from various HRPP, ICD, and OCTA supporting research functions to deliver high-level analysis to executive leadership for data-driven decision making to the audience of Office of Sponsored Research, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Research and Clinical Trials Operations (CTO).

Once it's published, the dashboard will support the UCSF goal of improving clinical trial activation times to <120 days (NCI-TAM) and <90 days (I-TAM).

Project Status: In-Progress

Working alongside the Office of International Research Support Operations (IRSO), we aim to adopt a data-centric approach to pinpoint global activities involving UCSF members. By analyzing data from our research compliance systems, stemming from information related to research projects and funding, we'll identify areas where our systems can be enhanced to include geographic or jurisdictional data. Simultaneously, we'll uncover patterns in the current data to help recognize activities.

When launched, the resulting products will aid compliance efforts around international activities, and promote the work being done to interested parties beyond the walls of our institution.

Project Status: In-Progress

A Strategic Funds project from the Office of Research, RCS intends to provide a one-stop shop that directs faculty to the appropriate subject matter expert (SME) for their inquiries. By decreasing the time and resources spent onboarding, new faculty can start their research work faster. As a result, the speed at which grants can be submitted increases, along with the publication of results.

RCIS developed a potential pilot of the program, with a future launch date.

Project Status: In-Progress

This multi-year initiative seeks to foster unity within the UCSF community. The endeavor will introduce a new portal for seamless access to UCSF intranet content and electronic assets. RCIS's contribution to this project lies in developing tools for Echo that focus on improving the experience of the research community, leveraging existing systems and their data to deliver quality-of-life improvements tailored to the individual user.

We continue to seek feedback from the research community as we iterate on our existing creations and introduce new innovations with unique use cases.