THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH

RESEARCH INVESTIGATOR HANDBOOK

3. OBTAINING REGULATORY COMMITTEE APPROVALS

3.2 What is Research Online?

• How do I find the Research Online web application?
• How do I obtain a username and password?
• How do I change my password?
• Who should I contact with problems or questions?
• What platform and browsers work the best?
• Are there security concerns?

Research Online is a useful web application that research investigators can use for multiple functions including the following:

•	Online Summary Sheet that provides details on any one of your projects that have a UCSF Authorization of Protocol Approval. Details include the dates of approval and expiration, contact information, locations, materials, and animals, drugs or devices used. This summary sheet can be downloaded as a PDF document to your computer. Contracts and Grants will accept this summary sheet as indication of an approval/authorization, as long as the sheet indicates the approval or authorization number for your project.
•	Status Check of where your applications are within the committee approval process.
•	Listing of all of your current, pending, or expired authorizations and protocol approvals.
•	Online posting of notices of recruitment for CHR-approved clinical trials to the publicly available web site Clinical Trials Seeking Volunteers.
•	Online submission of inventory data for chemicals, radioisotope and controlled substances to fulfill your inventory requirements. As a PI, you or your designated contact person can input inventory data online.
•	Online training modules to fulfill your training requirements. You can also access a list of the training you have completed for the Office of Research committees.

You will be notified when additional online applications become available through Research Online.

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How do I find the Research Online web application?

Research Online is a secure web site that can be located either by an internet browser or from several other web sites, most of which are owned by the UCSF Office of Research.

1.	Internet browser: Open an internet browser and type this address in the address box: https://www.researchonline.ucsf.edu The ‘https’ prefix must be included if the URL is typed into a browser address box.
2.	Office of Research: Click on the Research Online button to be taken to the Research Online login page. A web link to the Office of Research home page is also located on the UCSF home page by clicking on the ‘Office of Research’ link or by selecting the ‘Research, Office of’ item in the shortcuts selection list.
3.	Other sites with a ‘Research Online’ button include: Human Research Protection Program Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Laboratory Animal Resource Center Office of Environmental Health and Safety

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How do I obtain a username and password?

Research Online is a password protected web application that requires you to have a username and password for access. If you are currently listed on a UCSF Authorization or Protocol, you have been entered into the database and have been assigned a username.

You can obtain your username and password by either of the options listed below:

1.	Call the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 476-1300 during normal UCSF business hours. Inform the operator that you are requesting a username and password, or
2.	Go to the login page of Research Online and click on the ‘Request a Username and Password’ link. This link will take you to a page requesting your contact information. You will receive a reply by email within a few days.

If you are new to the University or have not been listed on a UCSF Authorization or Protocol, you are not in the database and you will need to perform option 2 to obtain your username and password. The OEH&S operator cannot add you to the system over the phone; it must be done using option 2.

It’s usually best to call first. If you are in the system you can get your username and password over the phone. If not, you must fill out the request form online.

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How do I change my password?

Any time you request a username and password, by phone or through the application, we reset your password to a default value. The next time you access the Research Online web application using this default password you will be asked to change it.

Also, you can change your password at any time by logging into the system, selecting the ‘Options’ tab and then the ‘Change Password’ option. You will be taken to a page where you enter your current password and the new one you would like to use.

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Who should I contact with problems or questions?

If you are using the Research Online web application you can select the ‘Comments/Problems’ link at any time to send an email to our software development team. Use this function for reporting application errors or suggesting enhancements. Be as specific as possible when describing any problems you encounter.

For safety related questions please contact your Departmental Safety Advisor (DSA).

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What platform and browsers work the best?

Research Online was designed to work with all browsers but unfortunately, not all browsers work the same. For PC users, you will get the best results with Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 or later. If you use Netscape Navigator, make sure you have version 4.0 or later.

For Mac users we recommend the latest version possible for both Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. At a minimum, use Internet Explorer 5.1 or Netscape Navigator 6.2.

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Are there security concerns?

Research Online uses the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt data transmissions. This prevents others from viewing your data while being transmitted between our server and your computer.

Research Online does store a cookie on your machine but does not store any personal information in it. It is used only to identify you to the UCSF server as you navigate through the web pages. In order to function properly, your browser must allow cookies (at least from this site). The later versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator allow you to accept cookies from individual sites. If this is not available you will need to set your browser security settings to allow cookies from all sites.