February 16, 2023, starting at 8:00 pm - University Systems will be performing maintenance on a number of administrative systems, including RAIS. This maintenance may result in a 60-90 minute scheduled outage of RAIS. We strongly suggest that you avoid making changes to your application during this window of time to avoid losing any unsaved changes. 

UVic Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) - Effective May 15, 2022, you must be enrolled in UVic Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in order to log in to VPN (Virtual Private Network) and any other services that require VPN, such as the RAIS (Research Administration System).

You can enroll today by following instructions on https://www.uvic.ca/mfa.

Please contact the UVic Computer Help Desk at 250-721-7687 or helpdesk@uvic.ca if you have any questions or concerns.

From March 16, 2021, researchers will be able to access a new RAIS module to submit Research Application Summary Forms (RASF) with their research funding applications for UVic approval.

The new module includes a research funding page that provides researchers with a summary of budget for each award from the UVic’s financial application tool FAST.

As of June 30, 2020, your off-campus access to the Research Administration Information System (RAIS) online platform will require access via Virtual Private Network (VPN). If your personal computer or laptop is not connected to VPN, you will be taken to a white screen, that does not include any instructions. You will need to have VPN installed and connected on your machine, before accessing RAIS.  

For faculty and staff using UVic-managed devices that are supported by Desktop Support Services (DSS), VPN is already configured and ready for use. 

For graduate students, research assistants or anyone needing to configure VPN on a personal computer or laptop, information for the installation and use of the VPN software is available on the University Systems website (https://www.uvic.ca/systems/services/internettelephone/remoteaccess/). 

NOTE: VPN connection to access RAIS will also be required when using an insecure Internet connection on campus, or when using a wireless Internet connection (WiFi) on campus.

UVic's Virtual Private Network ( VPN ) provides a secure connection back to the campus network.  VPN servers employ security measures to ensure that any data sent on the Internet will not be intercepted.

As this is a UVic Systems requirements, we ask that you please contact the Computer Help Desk at helpdesk@uvic.ca or 250-721-7687 for more information or assistance with installation/connection.

• Support for electronic sign-off of the RASF and submission to Office of Research Services.
• Ability to track the status of the RASF, submit required changes, and monitor approvals.
• Repository for documents.

Faculty and students log into the system with valid Netlink IDs.

• We would like to make the transition to the submission of all RASFs made through the RAIS platform by April 30.
• There will be no change to the process and the workflow will allow for approvals as was required in the past.
• You will continue to have grants facilitation support both at the university-level by the Office of Research Services and at the faculty-level. In fact, a number of faculty research facilitators have provided feedback on the development of the module.
• Internal deadlines will be maintained to meet funding competition deadlines.

RAIS includes two types of applications: RASF and record.

• RASF applications
  • Initiated and completed by the Principal Investigator (PI).
  • Provide a workflow for signatories and ORS approval.
  • RASF applications are not available for historic data.
• Record applications
  • Initiated and completed by the Office of Research Services (ORS).
  • Provide summarized information of the award process.
  • All historic data (2015-2020) represented in RAIS as record applications.
  • Travel grants are completed by ORS as record applications. A future module will provide an online application for travel grants.

• A one-stop integrated online system for submission of ethics application forms, supporting and tracking the review processes and document storage

• Enables researchers, ORS staff and research accounting to connect ethics approvals with research accounts for efficiency, compliance and funding release on ethics approvals

• Compliant with Tri-Agency (federal) requirements

• Supports application preparation, electronic sign-off in departments and submission to Office of Research Services
• Tracks the status of ethics applications, submission of required changes, and monitors expiry dates of protocols
• Researchers can view the status of their applications and monitor the progress of review and approval process
• Provides a repository for documents, including applications, certifications and renewals

Faculty and students log into the system with valid Netlink IDs. Faculty who supervise a student must grant access to an identified ethics application for a specific student. Students (and department staff) will not be able to access the identified ethics application without the faculty member/their supervisor.

• Supervisor logs into the system to initiate an online ethics application.
• Supervisor grants access to the identified application form to a specific student (and departmental secretary if needed).
• Student (and supervisor) completes the ethics application form (reflecting the student's thesis, project, capstone project, or dissertation), uploads appendices and documents comprising the ethics package. 
• Supervisor electronically forwards the ethics application to the department chair, director or dean for academic sign off within the system.
• Chair, director, or dean completes sign off of the application within the online system thereby directly submitting the application to the research ethics office. 
• Supervisor and student will receive notifications from the ethics office. Either will be able to submit revised ethics materials online and access the online application for reference. 

The system (and resulting research ethics certificate of approval) will recognize and designate the faculty member who is the student's supervisor as the "principal investigator" and the student as the "principal applicant". These designations are for research ethics compliance purposes (only faculty are permitted to hold research accounts).