Research Administration Management Portal (RAMP) allows researchers to spend more time doing their vital research and less time managing logistics and compliance. Before RAMP, researchers and administrators were mired in mounds of paperwork and dealt with disparate and different legacy systems.
In 2020, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued because George Mason University needed to build and invest in its foundational research infrastructure by providing a modern, unified application to streamline the workload of researchers and administrators. The HURON Research Suite, developed by HURON, Inc., referred to as RAMP at George Mason, was chosen because it is used by over 50% of the R1 universities and provides better access, efficiency, and experience for faculty and administrators.
To avoid scope creep and upgrade issues in the future, RAMP was not customized but instead configured to meet George Mason’s needs. Information Technology Services (ITS) worked with other offices to deploy the modules needed. The benefits of RAMP include system validations that reduce work and increase compliance, integrated modules that allow for more efficient and automated processes, improved data capture that results in more robust reporting capabilities, and reduced risk for the university. The project team engaged subject matter experts (SMEs) from other offices to help configure each module.
RAMP consists of seven HURON modules: Grants; Agreements; Safety; Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment; Institutional Review Board (IRB); Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC); and Payroll Certification. All the modules, except the Payroll Certification module, are in production.
Grants and agreements were the first two modules to be deployed. These modules keep track of everything related to research, historical and present—federal, non-federal, businesses, and people. These modules have streamlined how the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) works, allowing administrators to effectively and efficiently manage grants and agreements for research projects from start to end.
The Safety module ensures that research staff complete training not only for everyone’s safety but also for compliance with regulations. The team had to integrate the Safety module with MasonLeaps and CITI to track research staff training.
The Conflict of Interest (COI) and Conflict of Commitment module was implemented and is George Mason’s official electronic system for COI disclosures, waivers, and management plans. Faculty and staff completed their disclosures in the RAMP system, allowing the university to ensure compliance with important policies and procedures.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) module is only necessary if human subjects are involved. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is only needed if animal subjects are involved. Both modules ensure protection processes for the subjects and compliance by streamlining protocol processes.
The Payroll Certification allows the Principal Investigator (PI), and administrators to approve and authorize payroll and employee compensation, help strengthen effort reporting, and certifications for research studies.
ITS integrated RAMP with MicroStrategy and Banner, DocuSign, Microsoft, and Single Sign-On (SSO). According to Francesca Brunner-Kennedy, Business Intelligence Report Developer, Business Intelligence Services, Enterprise Data Integration Services, “We are loading RAMP data into our data mart, so we could develop the reporting required by OSP. DocuSign is needed to capture signatures required for compliance, as well as other required information.
ITS continues to support RAMP by offering executive sponsorship support, legacy system support and migration, data integration with Banner, HR employee data feeds—both HR Employee and Financial data feeds, financial data feeds, training integration with MasonLEAPS (Cornerstone) and CITI to track research staff training, videos, study guides, quick reference guides, training material, DocuSign integration, email integration, single sign-on (SSO), project management, data reporting, ITS Support, and TDX support.
Mike Laskofski, Associate Vice President of Research Services from OSP, noted in the Extraordinary Achievement Award nomination he submitted, “We have faced many challenges with the project, but each time an unexpected issue has come up, the ITS team has been part of the discussions and strategies for creating solutions. We have regular check-in meetings, and deliverables are met consistently.” Dr. Madison and Charlie Spann are on the steering committee. ITS meets weekly with sponsors and Huron, as well as senior leadership and software developers, to ensure no issues. Maribeth Luftglass, the RAMP project manager, applauds Enterprise Data Integration Services, Business Intelligence Services, Data Warehouse Services, Enterprise Collaboration, IT Service Management, and Project Management for their initiative and ongoing support. ITS has demonstrated excellence in technical and customer support.
RAMP helps support the foundational research infrastructure needed to attract and retain top talent and research funding from all sectors. RAMP tools and reporting have made a huge impact on research administration and reporting requirements, allowing the university to meet those needs and excel as an R1 university and the destination for innovative and impactful research. In April, George Mason RAMPed up research and was once again announced as a 2025 Carnegie Research 1 institute.