Help for E-Prop and U-Approve

While the E-Prop and U-Approve platforms are fairly intuitive, the additional information below may be helpful. 

In addition to the itemized navigation under each platform below, use the find feature (Ctrl-F) to search for specific words, like “reject” or “save."  

Access Tips

Browser Recommendations

FireFox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer seem to be most effective.  Mac users may have better success with FireFox than Safari.  See more information regarding mobile devices.  

Login

If having trouble logging in:

  1. Be sure the NetID is correct.  If not, use the link on the E-Prop login page.
  2. Try to login to UM’s Onestop to be sure the NetID password is not expired.  There’s also a Password Reset option there.

Mobile Device Access

Some mobile devices only display a partial message.  You may need to tap the message to view it completely.

The default browser on Android devices may encounter security certificate issues when accessing E-Prop.  Using the browser FireFox will allow access and downloading/viewing of attachments.  

E-Prop

Contact your ORSP departmentally-assigned pre-award point of contact with questions/comments about E-Prop. Required attachments include a budget, budget narrative, and scope of work, all of which may be in draft (close-to-final) form.

Autofill Information Incorrect

The PI (or Prepared By user) can correct the autofill if a department pulled from Banner is incorrect.  This will correct the data in E-Prop.  The next time the person’s information is autofilled, it will pull from E-Prop.  The information in Banner is not changed. 

Check Data

  • Click CHECK DATA to ensure that all the required fields have been entered into the checklist.
  • If corrections are required, a popup message will appear for a section of the checklist.  The background of the required fields will turn red to make it easier to find the required field.
  • Once all the required fields have been entered, the SUBMIT button will be enabled.

Cloning

Once PI enters information, saves, and submits a checklist, it can be used as a “template” for future checklists. 

Under “Checklist,” select “Clone” and enter the proposal number of the original checklist.  Make all changes necessary and proceed as usual. 

Proposal Type

LOI/Prep > See additional information to determine if E-PROP is required for institutional review and approval.  If yes and there is no sponsor deadline, use 01/01/2099 for the Sponsor Submission Deadline and select N/A as the Deadline Type

Additional funding > Modification/revision that involves additional funding.  

New > New checklist / new money being requested

Routing

See Submit below

Save

Click Save to save your current progress.  Save often:  Timeout is one hour

Once the checklist has been saved, only the PI, Additional Editor, and Prepared By user have the capability to edit.  (The co-PI does not.)

Searching

Enter search criteria as appropriate.  Text searches return all items containing that text.  Anytime search conditions are changed, the FIND button must be clicked to view results.

Search Results Default to Current Fiscal Year.  If you know a checklist should be in there but isn’t, be sure to double check the input information, and realize that Search defaults to the current fiscal year. 

Access Limited to Authorized Reviewers.  A user can only search E-Prop for proposals/checklists for which s/he was authorized to open and review (Prepared By, PI, Additional Editor, Approver, or part of the Procedural Information default routing queue).  

While most of the group fields under the Routing Queue search section are self-explanatory, the "Other" field refers to the routing done automatically for Procedural Information to meet compliance (IRB, IACUC, etc.) or institutional internal controls.  

Some departments may want an administrative assistant to be able to search proposal information.  This individual will need to be added as an Additional Editor. If not added prior to submission, contact the SPS to add when the checklist gets to him/her for review and approval. Note that proposal information is also available via the InfoGriz Reports.

Example:  Chair “Smith” routinely forwards E-Prop approvals to Dr. “Jones” to review and approve.   Chair Smith is able to search of the checklists approved under her name.  Should Dr. Jones also wish to be able to search those proposals, she will either need to be routinely added as an Additional Editor prior to submittal or the SPS needs to add her as an Additional Editor when the checklist arrives at ORSP for review and approval. 

Copy into Excel.  When a search is complete, it is possible to copy those cells and paste into excel for further manipulation.

Submission Deadline Searching: If both dates are entered, a search between the dates is done.  If the first date is entered, the search results include anything greater than or equal to the date entered.  If the second date is entered, the search results include anything less than or equal to the date entered.

Status Definitions

In Progress > When checklist is submitted for approval, E-Prop automatically changes status to “In Progress.”

Not Approved > Once submitted, the checklist can only be edited if an approver does not approve it.  Should it need to be edited, the SPS can advise the PI to request an approver not approve.  If change is insignificant, the SPS can make it when the checklist reaches him/her.

  1. Checklist may be not approved at any point in routing queue and returned to PI for correction.  E-Prop automatically changes status to “Not Approved.” The PI can then open (view) the proposal, make necessary corrections, and then save and resubmit.  When resubmitted, the status will automatically change from “Not Approved” to “In Progress” as the routing begins. 
    • If the  Prepared By user wishes to change either the PI or Co-PI fields, enter a different  UM ID# and click the corresponding “Fill” button.  This will replace the information previously entered.
    • To remove the information in either the PI or Co-PI fields, enter an invalid UM ID (e.g., 790) or an invalid umontana alias (e.g., abc) and click the corresponding "Fill" button.
  2. If Not Approved and PI decides to not submit, it will remain in the PI’s (Not Approved) queue.  To remove it from this queue, contact the SPS to change status accordingly so that it is removed from the queue.  

Not Submitted > When checklist completes approval process, but proposal is not submitted to sponsor.   The SPS can change the status to “Not Submitted” when it’s the SPS’s turn to approve.

Not Reviewed > Checklist is saved but NOT submitted for routing and approval, and PI wants it off his/her Working On queue.  Only SPS can change status to “Not Reviewed.”

Submitted > Checklist has completed routing and approval process, including SPS approval, and the proposal is ready for submission to sponsor.  Only SPS can change status to “Submitted.” Because this status will drive the report on the number of proposals submitted in any given time frame, it is important that SPS change appropriately.

Submit

Click SUBMIT to begin the review and approval process. 

If a PI or Prepared By user adds blank line(s) under any approval section, the system will not allow submission.

Once submitted for routing and approval, the information cannot be changed unless rejected by an approver.

Approval is sequential and based on the e-mail groups in the ROUTING QUEUE (under the REVIEW AND APPROVALS section.) 

Proposals containing institutional or compliance requirements are automatically routed for approval:

  • VPR (or designee) > cost sharing, special F&A arrangements, and special approvals
  • Environmental Health Officer > use of hazardous materials
  • Compliance Officer > financial conflict of interest
  • Provost > curriculum changes or additions
  • Dean of SELL > continuing education credit
  • Associate Provost > credit offered through the Graduate School
  • Director of Technology Transfer > proprietary information

If approvers indicate they are not receiving notifications, have them:

  • check the validity of their umontana aliases;
  • confirm that E-Prop emails are not going into junk mail folders; if this is occurring, instruct folks to open an E-Prop message and under Junk, flag "Never Block Sender;"
  • log directly into E-Prop and check their “Awaiting My Approval” or “Rejected” sections on their E-Prop home page.

Tracking the Routing:  Users can open the Checklist at any time and monitor the routing progress by going to REVIEW AND APPROVALS.  The SPS can override the routing and redirect if necessary.   

Designee: If a department wishes to routinely designate someone to approve on behalf of a chair or dean, the chair/dean’s Outlook can be set up with a rule to automatically forward the emails sent from “eprop@umontana.edu."  When the message is opened in Outlook, go to Rules > Create Rule. This can also be done via the messaging server.  After logging in, choose "Options" then "Create an inbox rule."

Working On

When a Checklist is started and saved, but NOT submitted for routing and approval, and PI wants it off his/her Working On queue, contact SPS to change its status to “Not Reviewed.”

U-Approve

Contact your ORSP departmentally-assigned SPS with questions/comments about U-Approve.

ORSP Cost Transfer (non-payroll)

Refer to ORSP Cost Transfer Guidelines

To eliminate entry errors, you may copy/paste information from Banner into U-Approve using ctrl-C to copy and ctrl-V to paste.

If you enter into a non-required field by mistake and the system 1) either alerts you to incorrect entry or, upon deletion of the data in the field, 2) communicates that the field is now required, simply hit the UNDO button until the record is deleted.  You can then use the ADD button to add a new record.  

The SUBMIT button will be enabled once all the form data is entered and saved.  

Browser Compatibility

The browsers in green on this website are compatible with U-Approve.

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