e-Val (now 'Researchfish')

December 2012: Interim Report on the MRC Research Outcomes and Outputs Collection via Researchfish 2012

Elizabeth Beckett, Research Services, has written the following Interim Report on MRC Research Outcomes and Outputs Collection via Researchfish (217kb).
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Further Update on MRC Data Collection (deadline: 30 Nov 2012)

The MRC’s fourth data gathering period using the Researchfish outcomes system is currently underway. As reported previously, the deadline for completion of returns via the system is 30 November 2012.

All MRC-funded principal investigators, programme leaders and fellows are required to provide information about outputs arising from their work annually during the period of the award and normally for at least 5 years after the award has terminated.

MRC has advised that it will suspend current grants if data are not submitted by the due date and bar researchers from applying for MRC funding if data are not submitted.

MRC is providing information updates to Research Services which will show the progress of submissions across the University. This data will be communicated to relevant Departmental Administrators.

Further information from the MRC about the exercise can be found on the MRC website.

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Submission deadline for 2012 data: 30 November 2012

Update for Departments with MRC funding

Research Services were advised on 5 October 2012  that the submission period for data to be entered into Researchfish is underway. Submissions close on 30 November 2012.

Research Services has no access to Researchfish at this stage so we are not able to generate a list of reports due. All researchers from whom reports are sought should have been emailed directly from MRC/Researchfish.

The launch email to researchers is as below.

Dear [RESEARCHER],

All MRC-funded principal investigators, programme leaders and fellows that have held MRC funding since 2006 are required to provide information about outputs arising from their work annually during the period of the award and normally for at least 5 years after the award has terminated. The MRC uses Researchfish (https://www.researchfish.com/) an online system to capture this information.
The deadline for updating Researchfish and submitting your 2012 data to the MRC is the 30th of November 2012. The ability to submit data to the MRC has now been switched on in Researchfish. You should complete entry of your output data as soon as possible.

The MRC would like to ask that this year researchers submit their output data as early as possible. Information submitted by mid November will be published in the new beta version of the RCUK Gateway to Research, a publicly available website which will display information about research council grants and their outputs. It is hoped that the Gateway to Research will include a strong representation from MRC funded outputs from the outset.

Many thanks in advance for your assistance in feeding back the outputs, outcomes and impacts from MRC funded research.

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Update on Researchfish (20 July 2012)

Dr Glenn Swafford, Director, Research Services, has provided the following interim update in relation to the MRC e-Val system (for online reporting of grant outcomes, impacts and outputs):

  1. The commercial provider that partnered with MRC to develop e-Val has gone on to develop a reporting system that can be used by other funders.
  2. That new system ("Researchfish") allows researchers to record outputs once and report this information to multiple funding agencies across the public and charitable sectors.
  3. Researchfish has now gone live. MRC grant holders or recent grant holders should have received an email with details on how to access the new system, and the current version of e-Val will no longer be accessible. Researchers will be able to download, edit and amend all of the outputs that they have previously entered into MRC e-Val, and these will be associated with the relevant MRC awards. Researchers can add to/update these as and when they wish.
  4. MRC will maintain the beginning of December as the date by which researchers will be asked to sign off that the information in Researchfish is complete and accurate ("Submission date"). There will be more communications about this closer to the date.
  5. MRC has provided guidance on final Academic Reports in relation to e-Val/Researchfish.
  6. MRC also has provided a more general update on e-Val/Researchfish.
  7. Researchfish has built an interface for administrators to keep track of reports due etc, which it hopes to launch in September 2012. There is one annual charge (£1,000) for admin access to Researchfish, which will be met centrally. This functionality will be shown in a webinar on 9 August 2012 – to book, please go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/666268112.
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Sources of advice

  • Researchers can raise any questions regarding the system via an online help centre which can be accessed via the top of any Researchfish page.
  • There are general webinars for PIs which may be of interest to researchers and research administrators – see https://www.researchfish.com/contact/webinar.
  • If you would like any help with Researchfish sections dealing with IP and commercialisation please contact Isis Innovation. Isis colleagues can also provide information on existing patent filings such as progress status, filing numbers and dates as well as details of licences and commercial interactions that are already in the public domain. Please direct your questions to either:
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