Systems use to support research contracts management

Research contract management is a critical function for all research-active universities, relating to drafting, negotiating and administering legally-binding agreements between research performing institutions and a wide range of individuals and organisations, including project funders, collaborative partners, sub-contractors, service providers and users, regarding a variety of different research-related activities. Contracts management is therefore a foundation for constructive collaboration, achievement of strategic institutional research aims, and effective income growth.

This poster, shared at the CRIS2024 conference in Vienna, presents findings from a Research Contracts Benchmarking project, involving 24 universities in the UK (19) and Australia (5), with annual research incomes from under £2m to over £500m. The universities completed a survey in mid-2023 and a public report was published in February 2024.

The study shows that, since 2018 adoption of Research Information Management Systems (RIMS), Current Research Information Systems (CRIS) and dedicated contract management software has increased significantly, with 15 out of 24 institutions reporting implementation of these solutions. Adoption of these systems can help to provide a clearer journey for the Principal Investigator, from contract initiation to completion, whilst providing consistent document storage, improved transparency and a store for negotiation notes.