ROLA FAQ
General
- I can't log into the system with my User ID and password. Who do I contact?
- I have not received a speed code. What is holding that up?
- Can a person have access to ROLA before their start date?
ROLA Proposals
- My department/unit is not in the select list when I try to fill in the ROLA proposal form.
- How do I get back to my saved proposals?
- I've submitted a ROLA proposal. Can I edit it?
- Can an administrative officer (AO) approve a ROLA Proposal?
- Can a grad student or AO fill out a ROLA Proposal form on behalf of a researcher?
- Can I delete my ROLA proposal?
- My ROLA proposal was returned. What should I do now?
- An error message displayed in the application window. When I try to continue or click on a button, I get a message "Session expired...". Why?
- How long will the electronic approval take?
- I viewed my ROLA proposal and it contains information I did not enter.
- I don't want to submit my ROLA proposal electronically. I prefer to get signatures on paper. How do I do that?
Approval Authority
- I can't view the approval authority as expected for my role(s).
- A researcher has notified me that they have submitted a ROLA Proposal. As a dean, I log in but do not see the ROLA proposal in my list. Why?
- There is nothing in my worklist, but I’ve been told I have proposals to approve. Where do I go?
- Why is a ROLA Proposal still showing Pending Approval? Who is next to approve?
General
Q: I can't log into the system with my User ID and password. Who do I contact?
A: Your Western Identity is your key to central services at Western and consists of your User ID and password. Please ensure you are using the correct Western User ID that has been assigned to you by Western Technology Services. These are the same credentials used with myHR and Western email accounts ending with @uwo.ca. If you receive an error message indicating there is no such User ID, please contact the Computer Accounts Office for specific support. For more information about your Western Identity, please contact Western Technology Services and/or visit their webpage.
If you are still encountering difficulties after you have verified your Western Identity, please contact rolahelp@uwo.ca for further assistance.
Q: I have not received my Speed Code. What is holding that up?
A: It is possible that the award has a start date in the future. Research Finance cannot activate a project before the official start date. Please check your award agreement and/or notice of award for the start date of the grant.
Another possibility is that there may be an outstanding certification requirement. Please check the Certification tab on the Award Profile to see if Western Research is waiting for further information on applicable certifications regarding human, animal or biohazardous research activity associated with your research project. If yes, please enter the protocol number using the Certification Update menu or send it to certifications@uwo.ca. If a protocol number has been provided, please follow up with certifications@uwo.ca for support and next steps.
Q: Can a person have access to ROLA before their start date?
A: Since the ROLA grants management system is part of Western’s Peoplesoft Financial System, a person must have a profile in Western Financials before receiving access specific to the ROLA system.
The Financial Services policy is to provide access to active employees only. They would be pleased to assist new staff employees in obtaining access to Western Financials, if appropriate to your responsibilities.
Please note: This will not impact faculty researchers and scholars from submitting an application to external funding agencies and sponsors. Faculty research offices can connect with Western Research to obtain necessary approvals via email and follow up with the internal ROLA approvals after the official appointment start date.
ROLA Proposals
Q: My department/unit is not in the select list when I try to fill in the ROLA proposal form.
A: Departments in the ROLA system are based on research-eligible faculty appointments through Western HR. You may verify eligibility for a department/unit in the Profile Review component under Authorization and Access in the left-hand menu. Select the Department tab to see if it is listed as a unit eligible to hold a grant at Western. Contact your department administrator if you believe there is an error.
Q: How do I get back to my saved proposals?
A: Log in to Western Financials and select the ROLA and Research Financials homepage from the drop-down menu in the upper left corner of your screen under the purple header. Next, choose the ROLA tile and from the left-hand menu select Proposals, then Maintain Proposal. Enter your User ID in the appropriate search field and click the search button at the bottom. Your list of proposals will be returned in the search results, with the most recent at the bottom of the list.
Back To Top
Q: I've submitted a ROLA proposal. Can I edit it?
A: No. Once submitted, a Proposal may not be edited. A Proposal may be Returned to PI by the next person in the Approval queue, or you may contact the ROLA Helpdesk at rolahelp@uwo.ca (x83136) to reset your ROLA Proposal back to Draft status.
Back To Top
Q: Can an administrative officer (AO) approve a ROLA proposal?
A: An individual holding an administrative role in ROLA may have the authorization to review a proposal but does not have the authority to approve.
Q: Can a grad student or AO fill out a ROLA proposal form on behalf of a researcher?
A: Yes, an AO can create, save a ROLA Proposal, and submit it to the PI. But a graduate student will not be able to enter the budget information or submit it to the PI unless the PI has extended access to them. The final submit process can only be completed by the PI. A Proposal that is submitted by anyone other than the PI will generate an email notification to the PI to complete the process and electronically "Sign" the proposal in the system.
Q: Can I delete my ROLA proposal?
A: No, you cannot delete a ROLA Proposal once it has been saved to the system. Please contact the ROLA Helpdesk at rolahelp@uwo.ca or x83136 if you have a proposal you would like to have removed.
Q: My ROLA proposal was returned. What should I do now?
A: As a PI, you can edit this ROLA proposal and resubmit it for electronic approvals again. The approval authority that returned your ROLA proposal should have included comments or an explanation upon return of your ROLA proposal. Please ensure you resubmit the ROLA proposal after your edits have been made. On resubmission, the approval process will start from the beginning.
Q: An error message was displayed in the application window. When I tried to continue or clicked on a button, I got a message "Session expired..." Why?
A: The session is closed after an error occurs. Please contact rolahelp@uwo.ca with the error message. Log in and try again. If possible, please try to clear your browser cache. Should the same error occur again, the ROLA Helpdesk can assist with troubleshooting the issue.
Q: How long will electronic approval take?
A: The appropriate approval authorities will be automatically notified by the ROLA grants management system that a ROLA Proposal is queued for their approval in sequential order of authority (i.e., the department level approval must occur before the faculty level approval can be completed).
Individuals in the approval queue will be prompted via email to log into the ROLA system and approve the ROLA Proposal when it is ready for their review and action. The length of time for this process is dependent on the timing of the submission, the availability of those in the approval queue and any specific processes or requirements within each faculty/department. Please ensure you provide your department and faculty research offices with the necessary information related to your grant application, contract or agreement to approve your ROLA Proposal.
Q: I viewed my draft ROLA Proposal and it contains information I did not enter.
A: ROLA Proposals can be edited by authorized users or a Research Administrator (e.g., to correct a mistake). The "Last modified by" information on the General Info Tab in your Proposal shows the Username of the individual who last modified it and when. If you have any concerns, please contact rolahelp@uwo.ca.
Q: I don't want to submit my request electronically. I prefer to get signatures on paper.
A: While some Sponsors will require hard copy signatures on their application forms, all internal approvals at Western now utilize the ROLA system for the purposes of reviewing and endorsing grant applications, contracts, agreements and/or similar documents as it pertains to research and/or related activities. Please review Western’s institutional signature process for more information. If you require assistance on how to use ROLA system, please do not hesitate to contact the ROLA Helpdesk at rolahelp@uwo.ca or x83136.
Approval Authority
Q: I can't view the approval authority as expected for my role(s).
A: Either there are no ROLA Proposals ready to be approved at your level, or your role is "Not active". In this case, you are considered a PI and will have access to your information based on your security profile. Contact the ROLA Helpdesk at rolahelp@uwo.ca for assistance.
Q: A researcher notified me that they have submitted a request. As a Dean, I log in but do not see the request in my list. Why?
A: A department chair-level approval is required before it can be approved by the Dean. As soon as the Proposal is submitted, you will be able to view it; however, only once the appropriate Chair in the department has approved the ROLA Proposal can you see the active Approve button on the screen. You will receive an email notification of the action required.
Q: There is nothing in my worklist, but I’ve been told I have proposals to approve. Where do I go?
A: Log into Western Financials and select the “ROLA and Research Financials” menu from the drop-down list on the upper left of the screen just below the purple header. You will see a tile called Approve Proposals displaying a green circle with a white checkmark. There should be a counter for the number of proposals requiring your attention. Select this tile to display the full list of pending proposals queued for your action. You can also select the ROLA tile and navigate to Proposals, then select Approve Proposals from the left-hand menu.
Q: Why is a ROLA Proposal still showing Pending Approval? Who is next to approve?
A: Log into Western Financials and select the “ROLA and Research Financials” menu from the drop-down list on the upper left of the screen just below the purple header. Next, choose the ROLA tile and from the left-hand menu, select Proposals, then Approval Status Review. Enter the proposal ID or any other identifying information in the search fields and click search. The approval queue will be displayed, showing who is next in line to review/approve/return the proposal. .
