MN-GEMS Project
MN-GEMS (Minnesota Grants Electronic Management System) is the University of Minnesota's new grants management tool that will bring the UMN's proposal submission and award process in line with other top-25 research universities. MN-GEMS will replace the existing EGMS platform and will significantly improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and expand capabilities in all aspects of grants management.
MN-GEMS is on track to go live April 29.
Test Environment Available
Log into the MN-GEMS test site . You must be logged into UMN's split-tunnel VPN to access.
MN-GEMS Training
Access MN-GEMS Training materials and learn about opportunities for in-person and virtual training for research staff, investigators, and others who work in grant administration.
Open Lab Sessions
Open Lab sessions are held every Monday morning from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. The purpose of the Open Lab is to ask questions about the MN-GEMS system. This is not a formal training session and registration is not required. You can find Zoom links for upcoming Open Lab sessions on the MN-GEMS Training page.
Launch Timeline
Please see these important dates and details related to the MN-GEMS launch.
April 15 by 5:00 p.m.
- Last day to submit preaward/advance account requests for set up in EFS until after go-live.
- Any new preaward/advance account requests received after 5:00 p.m. on April 15 will not be processed until after April 29.
April 19 by 3:00 p.m. - HARD DEADLINE
- Last day to submit proposals to SPA for processing that will become a converted record in MN-GEMS. This includes a fully approved PRF upon which SPA can take action.
- Last day to complete MTARFs in EGMS for submission to SPA.
April 19 after 3:00 p.m. to April 28
Proposals:
- Manual proposal submission process.
- Complete manual PRF Word document and route for appropriate signatures (electronic signatures are acceptable).
- Complete proposal submission documents.
- Send email to proposal@umn.edu with all appropriate information.
UFRA:
- Manual MTARF completion process.
- Complete manual MTARF Word document and route for PI signature (electronic signatures are acceptable).
- Send email to UFRA@umn.edu with all appropriate information and attachments.
April 22 by 5:00 p.m.
- Last day SPA can activate a new award or modify an active award in EFS until after go-live.
April 29 by 9:00 a.m.
- MN-GEMS will go-live
Will there be MN-GEMS training?
Yes. Both before and after the system goes live, we will offer in-depth training sessions to investigators, unit heads, collegiate research associate deans, and all of the staff who will use the system. Training will be available in a variety of formats, both on-line and in-person. Visit the MN-GEMS Training page for more information.
Will there be any downtime during the transition to MN-GEMS?
We anticipate that there will be some downtime related to the transition to MN-GEMS, but our SPA staff and grants administrators across the University will still be able to process proposals and awards using manual processes. See the Launch Timeline for more information.
I have a proposal due to the sponsor May 1 and it would be due to SPA April 29. How should I submit it to SPA since MN-GEMS will not be live until April 29?
We encourage trying to get the proposal submitted to SPA using the manual process by April 26.
Will all proposals need to be entered in MN-GEMS starting April 29, 2024?
Yes.
Will EGMS still be used after MN-GEMS goes live?
No. Once MN-GEMS goes live, EGMS will be discontinued.
Will the proposal routing form (PRF) from EGMS still be used in MN-GEMS?
No. The PRF will no longer be used, but the same information (plus more) will be captured in MN-GEMS.
Can my budget in EGMS be imported into MN-GEMS?
No. There is no functionality to have budgets created in EGMS imported into MN-GEMS. But once you have created a Funding Proposal in MN-GEMS, you can clone them.
Do users login using their x500 into MN-GEMS?
The user will navigate to a link and login using their x500 and their DUO authentication, similar to using other UMN system logins.
Will SPA still need three business days for review of proposals?
Yes.
Will rebudgeting across projects be required in MN-GEMS?
We plan on only processing Sponsor approved rebudgets within MN-GEMS. These are activities that will require an official award modification that would generate a new NOGA.
Will PeopleSoft Financials still be used in MN-GEMS?
Yes. The UMN financial system will remain PeopleSoft Financials with no changes to current reporting out of EFS.
If nothing changes from proposal budget to award budget, does the dept person need to reconcile the budget in MN-GEMS at award time?
If SPA has all the information necessary for the award to be set up, then there would not be a need for additional information from the Dept. Any missing or unclear information can result in a delay in award initiation.
Will REPA be filed in MN-GEMS?
No. REPA remains separate from proposal preparation and will continue in the system as it currently exists.
Is there a way for a PI to indicate a different administering department than their home department on a proposal in MN-GEMS?
Yes. There is a field that indicates administering department. This auto populates to the PI's dept but can be changed at time of proposal. We will also want to make sure the correct deptid is used at the time of award since this impacts the chartstring as well as the F&A recovery.
Do all subaward documents need to be completed prior to submission to SPA?
Subaward documents are considered part of a complete proposal by SPA. MN-GEMS has only limited validations around subawards (a subaward budget was added but the subaward question in the FP didn't include a subrecipient.) If those documents have not been received prior to submission to SPA, then the only way to get them added to a FP is by sending them to the SPA GCO/Specialist since the FP will be frozen unless it is sent back with clarifications requested.
For users to receive emails from the system, do they have to use their UMN email address?
MN-GEMS does not have the ability to send emails to external emails outside of the UMN system. Anyone with an x500 will be able to receive an email out of MN-GEMS. If the employees prefer using their external emails, they could set up their UMN emails to auto forward those emails to their preferred emails, but they will have to log in to MN-GEMS using their x500.
Is there a way to designate a backup/alternate in MN-GEMS?
Unfortunately, MN-GEMS does not have "alternates" like EGMS does. We are having to centrally manage all the identified department head/chair alternates as additional approvers manually within the system. The other way to manage department research administrators on projects is to add multiple people as administrators with either view or edit access. They will have access to adding comments, sending emails, and making edits if given rights.
Can we use departmental emails in MN-GEMS?
MN-GEMS does not allow for departmental X500 accounts because we are bound by the PeopleSoft HR feed. This goes back to the alternates issue. We are currently setting up the "college approvers" and their alternates as well as the dept head/chair and alternates. These must be real people x500, no departmental emails.
Is MN-GEMS affiliated with the University's GEMS Informatics platform?
No. MN-GEMS has a similar-sounding name, but it is not affiliated with the GEMS Informatics platform.
Project Updates
April 19, 2024
MN-GEMS Project Update - Launch Preparation, Test Environment Available
Email to UMN research community from April Coon, SPA Director/MN-GEMS Champion.
April 5, 2024
MN-GEMS Project Update - Launch Timeline and Training Opportunities
Email to UMN research community from April Coon, SPA Director/MN-GEMS Champion.
April 3, 2024
Launch Timeline and Details Announced
A complete timeline and details related to MN-GEMS launch preparation is now available. This information includes key dates to be aware of and information about the manual proposal submission process that will be required during the week before MN-GEMS goes live. See the detailed Launch Timeline above for more information.
April 2, 2024
New Reference Guides and Open Lab Sessions Announced
Last week, three new MN-GEMS reference guides were posted on the MN-GEMS Training webpage for the following topics: Funding Proposal Creation, Ancillary Reviews, and the SF424.
Starting this week, SPA staff member Kristen Berning will host Open Lab sessions every Monday morning to answer questions about MN-GEMS. Open Lab hours are currently 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., but this time may be changed if the audience is larger and more time is desired. Zoom links and registration information for upcoming sessions will be posted on the MN-GEMS Training webpage as new sessions are scheduled.
March 21, 2024
MN-GEMS Training Page Launched
Today, the MN-GEMS project team launched a MN-GEMS Training webpage which includes a high-level MN-GEMS overview, glossary, and workflow. The page also includes all of the presentations and job aids developed for the recent SPA Symposium. More training materials and information about training opportunities will be added to the webpage over the next several weeks.
March 14, 2024
New Grants Management System Set to Go Live in April
Email to UMN leadership from Pamela Webb, Associate Vice President for Research
March 14, 2024
MN-GEMS Project Update
Email to UMN research community from April Coon, SPA Director/MN-GEMS Champion
March 13, 2024
16th SPA Symposium Unveils Modern Grants Management System
Over 400 research staff attended this year's SPA Symposium to learn more about MN-GEMS, the University’s new and improved grants management system, set to launch on April 29. Opening plenary remarks by Vice President for Research and Innovation Shashank Priya, Associate Vice President Pamela Webb, and SPA Director/MN-GEMS Champion April Coon expressed excitement about the new system's capabilities and gratitude for the support of the research community, and particularly the research administration staff, who have provided input and guidance through all phases of the MN-GEMS project.
March 1, 2024
SPA Symposium to Feature MN-GEMS Training
The SPA Symposium returns this year, but with a twist. Organizers will use the entire event to showcase the MN-GEMS grant management system, scheduled to go live in April 2024. The all-day event will be held March 6 at the McNamara Alumni Center and will focus almost exclusively on training. Attendance is limited to about 450 participants, primarily research administration staff, though there will be many future MN-GEMS training opportunities for all members of the research community in the coming months.
November 15, 2023
MN-GEMS Testing In Progress, Training Starts February 2024
Throughout the fall, teams have been working simultaneously on testing and finalizing development of the MN-GEMS application, which should be in its final form by the end of December/early next year. Training is currently scheduled to start in February 2024, with an anticipated "Go Live" date in April 2024.
July 24, 2023
MN-GEMS Development Phase Nearly Complete
The MN-GEMS project continues to advance toward a "Go Live" launch in spring 2024. Members of the MN-GEMS project team recently completed a three-day onsite workshop focused on technical design and development. The team anticipates completing the design and development phase by September 2023 with the goal of beginning testing in October 2023.
August 8, 2022
MN-GEMS Timeline Updated
The MN-GEMS project advanced to the detailed design and implementation phase. The project team is currently targeting April 2024 as the go-live date for the new software.
Background
Learn more about the background of the MN-GEMS project