Cal Poly Research Transformation Update from the Office of Research

I am writing to share a progress update following our April meeting with the University Research Advisory Committee (URAC). The discussion was positive and reinforced that the work underway is moving in the right direction. We continue to value URAC’s partnership as we refine processes and ensure our efforts align with the needs of the research community. Below is a summary of key updates and discussion points.

Communications Workgroup

We continue to make progress on our intranet site, which will serve as a central hub for Office of Research information, updates, and guidance materials. This site is designed to make finding key resources and navigating research processes significantly easier.

We have invited URAC members to review the site and provide feedback. Our Office and workstreams both have strong interest in improving access to information, and we will continue refining the site to support that goal.

Roles and Responsibilities

We shared an updated Roles and Responsibilities Matrix, which outlines responsibilities across the research lifecycle. This matrix reflects input from Office of Research leadership, staff, and workgroups, and will continue to evolve.

URAC discussion emphasized the importance of making this information clear and manageable for faculty. In response, we are prioritizing the development of user-friendly guides and workflows that translate these roles into practical steps.

This work is closely connected with other workstreams, including contracting and policies and procedures, to ensure a cohesive and consistent approach.

Proposal Budget Workgroup

The return to Excel based budget development continues to improve collaboration and communication with faculty. At the same time, we recognize that we can strengthen the current tool.

The workgroup will distribute a campus survey to gather input on budget development needs, tools, and pain points. This feedback will guide improvements to templates, processes, and system use, with a focus on reducing administrative burden and improving accuracy.

Contracting Transformation

The Contracting workgroup shared a finalized workflow that introduces clearer structure and accountability. The process includes distinct paths for agreements that require negotiation and those that do not with an aim to streamline processing.

Key areas of focus include:

• Creating a more streamlined and transparent process for faculty
• Establishing a single point of entry for agreements
• Clarifying roles across contracting, compliance, and post award functions

URAC members expressed strong support for this direction and emphasized the importance of clear timelines. We are in alignment here as we are developing service level agreements and tracking mechanisms to set and monitor expectations for turnaround times.

Metrics and Reporting

We are continuing to build our approach to metrics and reporting, with a current focus on strengthening pre award data and reporting capabilities. We’ve made progress in expanding reporting through existing systems, and we are working to better understand system capabilities and limitations. We will engage faculty and research staff as this work evolves to ensure metrics are meaningful and support decision making.

Policies and Procedures

This workgroup is focused on developing clearer, more user-friendly guidance for the research community. This includes creating workflows, how-to-guides, and scenario-based resources that will be accessible through the intranet site. The goal is to make expectations and processes easier to understand and navigate.

Training and Change Management

We are using feedback from our internal Office of Research training needs assessment to begin shaping a more structured and sustainable training approach. This work will support both staff and the broader research community as we implement new processes and tools.

Closing

Across these discussions, there is growing alignment between workstreams and a clearer view of how each effort contributes to a more efficient and supportive research environment. We are encouraged by the continued engagement and constructive feedback from URAC.

Thank you for your continued partnership. We will continue to share updates as this work progresses, and we welcome your feedback.

And if this message was forwarded to you, and you would like to receive future updates directly, please sign up for our Research Listserv by sending an email with the subject “sub researchlistserv” to sympa@calpoly.edu.