Researach: Interanl Approval Form (IAF) Roles

Internal Approval Form (IAF) Roles described 

Administrative Organizational Representative (AOR): This role is at the college or unit level and is usually a college research administrator. An AOR must have a SIMS person profile and a SIMS user account with access to their affiliated unit. This role assigns IAF access for all other approval roles (AOR, DRA, DH, RD, CD) within the college or unit. AORs have the ability to create, start workflow, recall from workflow, final approval, submit, and revise a submitted IAF.

Department Research Administrator (DRA): This role is at the department or subunit level and is a department research administrator. A DRA must have a SIMS person profile and a SIMS user account with access to their affiliated unit. DRA’s have the ability to create, start workflow and recall an IAF from workflow.

Data Processor (DP): This is not a role administered by an AOR but the user must have a SIMS person profile and a SIMS user account with access to their affiliated unit. Contact ORIS for setup. DP’s have the ability to create an IAF and submit it to the unit AOR/DRA for release into workflow.

Department Heads (DH): This role is at the department, subunit, or institute level. A DH must have a SIMS person profile. DH’s have the ability to view all disclosure information for investigators in their department. Submitting department DHs have the ability to view all attachments. DHs must approve for any IAF where their department is the submitting unit or have investigators assigned to their unit.  On the IAF Approvals tab, the Role will display as "Investigator Department Head Approval" which identifies their approval of the investigator's project.

Research Dean (RD): This role is at the college or unit level. A RD must have a SIMS person profile. RDs have the ability to view all IAF disclosure information for investigators in their unit. RD’s must approve for any IAF when required (see IAF Escalation Rules).  On the IAF Approvals tab, the Role will display as "Investigator Research Dean Approval" which identifies their approval of the investigator's project.

College Dean (CD): This role is at the college or unit level. A CD must have a SIMS person profile. CDs have the ability to view all IAF disclosure information for investigators in their unit. CD’s must approve for any IAF when required (see IAF Escalation Rules).  On the IAF Approvals tab, the Role will display as "Investigator College Dean Approval" which identifies their approval of the investigator's project.

Investigator (INV,PI): An investigator is any person entered as personnel on an IAF. Investigator must have a SIMS person profile. DH must approve IAFs for any investigator in their unit. Investigator marked as the primary PI on an IAF has the ability to modify all IAF information with the exception of the Budget and Waiver tabs. An investigator on an IAF must give an approval.

Delegates: All IAF users have the ability to add a delegate. A delegate will have the same access level as the delegating users, unless specified otherwise. Exceptions:

• A delegate cannot submit an IAF
• A delegate cannot approve for an investigator

Compliance Approvers (CA): Compliance approvers have the responsibility to approve IAFs with a Conflict of Interest, Export Review, and Animal, Human, Biosafety, and Radioactive protocols. Compliance approvers are based on unit configuration and have the ability to view all IAFs.

CFR, Negotiator Access (GEN), Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Office (SIRO) staff: These users have the ability to view all IAFs. 

CPO: Central Processing Office. CPO's consist of Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), Office of Research Affairs (ORA), Applied Research Laboratory (ARL). Note that this is not considered a user role.

For more information, please contact simsadmin@psu.edu

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