Sent on behalf of the Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation
Dear AMS users,
The Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation (VPRI) is pleased to announce that the renewed My Research Applications & Agreements (MRA) system is now live as of Monday, August 30th.
Please also note that all Administrative Management Systems (AMS) – including AMS SAP GUI, Employee Self-Service/Manager Self-Service, Expense Reimbursement Direct Deposit, Capital Projects and Invoice Workflow are now available.
MRA is the University of Toronto (U of T) online system for researchers to secure the institutional review and approval of their research funding applications, The MRA Renewal Initiative is part of the U of T Enterprise Modernization Program – a project that is set to upgrade the administrative management systems and transform the future for more than 33,000 staff and faculty.
More information about the MRA Renewal Initiative can be found on the project webpage.
What is changing?
MRA has been rebuilt in a new technology to modernize the user interface and improve the overall user experience for the research and innovation community. These are some of the changes that applicants can look forward to:
- Streamlined navigation and user-experience through a modernized, user-centric design
- A simplified online form
- Improved validations that check the MRA and show users which fields are incomplete before submitting
- Tools that allow applicants and approvers to more easily track their application status
- Enhanced features for filtering, searching, and grouping applications
- Functionality to link MRAs to other funding applications and non-funded agreements
- Enhanced tools for applicants to work on applications together with their designated assistants
- Built-in assistance with help videos (coming soon) and Help Desk contact form
These changes were made in response to the feedback we heard from the research & innovation community through end-user consultations.
Training Opportunities
The VPRI will be hosting information and training sessions for MRA users. These sessions will include a brief overview of MRA and the application process, key changes introduced as part of the renewal, and step-by-step instructions on creating and submitting an MRA in the renewed system.
Two sessions will be offered during the initial, post-launch period:
- Thursday, September 2nd at 1-2 p.m. (Click here to register)
- Wednesday, September 8th at 10-11 a.m. (Click here to register)
Please register for only one of these sessions.
Other Resources
Please visit the My Research Applications & Agreements (MRA) webpage to access important user documentation, tip sheets, and video aids to support you in using the renewed MRA.
Questions?
If you have technical inquiries about using MRA, please contact the RAISE Help Desk at raise@utoronto.ca | (416) 946-5000.
If you have questions about the MRA Renewal Initiative and training opportunities, please contact Safa Faidi, Services Engagement Coordinator, at Safa.Faidi@utoronto.ca