Published date: 21 January 2022

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Closing: 11 February 2022, 12pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Business transaction and personal business software package - 48400000

  • Miscellaneous software package and computer systems - 48900000

Location of contract

North East

Value of contract

£50,000 to £100,000

Procurement reference

BIP652877805

Published date

21 January 2022

Closing date

11 February 2022

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

1 May 2022

Contract end date

1 May 2027

Contract type

Supply contract

Procedure type

Open procedure

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

No

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

The Research Policy team in Research and Innovation Services support and champion the research ethics and integrity agenda across the University and would manage the implementation of a new ethics online system, as well as support the triaging of applications. The team has seen a significant expansion and restructure which has enabled the introduction of a dedicated leadership role supporting ethics and integrity and a Research Ethics and Integrity Manager has been appointed to this role. The team are responsible for ensuring that actions are taken to embed the commitments of the Concordat to Support Research Integrity into the University's research environment and culture by supporting Research Ethics Committee and the Faculty Research Ethics Directors and Departmental Ethics Leads. The team are responsible for ensuring that external approvals via the IRAS system are completed and maintained with appropriate university level authority; undertake institutional audits and support other audits (e.g., safeguarding, health and safety); they provide advice and guidance on using the current Ethics Online System.

A future ethics online approval system must be suitable for use and capable of providing a user-friendly interface for students and staff to make an application for ethical review and obtain ethical clearance for research projects; this should include single sign on via the institutional global address list. The system must be capable of providing a user-friendly system for research ethics committee members to review applications for ethical review and for research administrators to confirm review workflows and conduct audits of applications and review processes. The system must be capable of providing a communications portal allowing multiple information and communication flows between applicants, reviewers and administrators. The system should be flexible and scalable and allow the number of users to be defined by the university and reviewed within the contract period. The number of users is expected to be 3500 applicants per annum and around 150 reviewers per annum within the period.

Four levels of functionality are required: for the applicant to make an application for ethical review; for the review system used by research ethics committee members to review applications, make comments and specify required revisions or to approve applications; for the communication of outcomes of review to the applicant; for system administrators to intervene in an application e.g. review pre-check, return to applicant, or reviewer, terminate.

More information

Links

About the buyer

Contact name

Liam Blackie

Address

Sutherland Building
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST
UK

Telephone

01912273854

Email

liam.blackie@northumbria.ac.uk