Here’s a streamlined protocol you can follow next time you submit GRA support in the Research Foundation portal.
Protocol: Creating a GRA EPASS / Assignment in the Research Foundation Portal
0. Before you start
Have these items ready:
-
GRA’s full name and ODU email
-
Their home academic department/program (critical for routing)
-
Employee type: GR (Graduate Research Assistant)
-
Pay basis: semester or annual (you used semester basis)
-
Stipend for the semester (e.g., $11,000)
-
Hours per week: usually 20 hours
-
Funding project (RF project number)
-
Whether there is a tuition exemption, and if so:
-
Source (e.g., ODU Research Foundation)
-
Level (Master’s or Doctoral)
-
Important: You must know the student’s home department/program. The EPASS routes to that chair/dean for approval and cannot be changed later. If it’s wrong, the assignment must be deleted and recreated.
1. Start a new assignment
-
Log in to the Research Foundation portal. https://hera.odurf.odu.edu/RFPortal
-
Go to “Research Assignments”.
-
In the blue bar, click “Add Assignment”.
2. Add or select the GRA as an employee
-
Next to Employee ID, click “Select”.
-
Try typing the student’s name:
-
If found: select them.
-
If not found:
-
Click “Start a new employee” at the bottom.
-
Enter first name, last name, and email.
-
Save.
-
Then click “Select” again and choose the new employee.
-
-
3. Set employee type, department, and term
-
Set Employee Type to GR.
-
Choose Pay Basis:
-
For GRA by term, select Semester basis.
-
-
Select Employee Department from the dropdown: (eg 6093 Computer Science)
-
This must be the student’s home department/program (not your department if they’re different).
-
Do not proceed until you are sure this is correct; it controls the routing path.
-
-
Select the semester (e.g., Fall).
-
Click “Save and Next”.
If the wrong department is chosen at this step, it cannot be edited later. The EPASS must be deleted and recreated.
4. Enter salary and hours
-
In Annual/Term Salary, enter the semester stipend amount (since you selected semester basis).
-
Enter Hours per Week = 20.
5. Set tuition exemption (if applicable)
-
Locate the Tuition Exemption section.
-
Select the appropriate option (e.g., ODU RF Tuition Exemption).
-
Choose the degree level: Master’s or Doctoral (for your case: Doctoral).
-
Indicate if you are covering 100% of tuition or another percentage, as required.
(Note: this tuition entry is separate from salary and fringe.)
6. Add the payline
-
Scroll down to Payline and click “Add Payline”.
-
Select the correct project from the list.
-
For the payline details:
-
You can enter hours/week (e.g., 20) for the project.
-
Do not manually type the budget amount.
-
-
To calculate salary for that payline:
-
Click “Calc” next to Budget on the right.
-
The system will calculate the salary based on the previously entered stipend and hours.
-
-
Adjust any rounding (e.g., remove a $0.01 extra) if needed.
-
Click “Create” to finalize the payline.
(This covers salary only – no tuition, no fringe.)
7. Review, edit, and submit
-
Click “Save” to save the assignment.
-
To review or change details:
-
Go to the top and click “Edit Assignment” (green button).
-
Confirm:
-
Employee type = GR
-
Correct home department
-
Semester basis and semester
-
Stipend amount and 20 hours/week
-
Tuition exemption details
-
Correct project and calculated payline
-
-
-
When everything looks correct, click “Submit”.
-
The status will show pending chair approval, routed through the student’s home department.
8. If the department is wrong
-
The department cannot be edited in an existing assignment.
-
The RF staff must delete the assignment, and you must create a new one with the correct department.
-
If you are unsure of the student’s department:
-
Check the offer letter, the program catalog, or contact the Graduate School / program.
-
You can also coordinate with RF staff to help verify if needed.
-
9. New hire paperwork
-
RF will request new hire paperwork from the student if needed.
-
Remind the student to complete all HR documents promptly so the GRA appointment can be processed on time.
