VERA, Vanderbilt’s Electronic Research Administration software, will begin a phased soft launch Oct. 1 following several months of testing and training, including more than 10 weeks of training with research administrators and 15 pairs of faculty and staff.
VERA is a web-based application that will replace the desktop application Coeus and the web-based platform PEER. VERA can be accessed at vera.vanderbilt.edu, SPA’s website, or the VERA website. VERA uses single sign-on (SSO) and requires a VUnet ID and password to log in.
Below is a summary table of important soft launch dates with particular emphasis on how faculty will be impacted by this transition. Follow this link for a more detailed description of the phases of soft launch, including dates and system changes.
| Faculty Action | Current | After Soft Launch – Phase 1
(Oct 1-31) |
After Soft Launch – Phase 2
(Nov 1) |
| Approve Subcontract Draft (training video and instructions) | PEER | VERA | VERA |
| PI Assurance (training video and instructions) | PEER | PEER | VERA |
| COI Certification | PEER | PEER | No action needed by faculty; data automatically shared from annual COI disclosure |
| Proposal system-to-system submission to sponsors | SPA or PI is final approver in COEUS | SPA or PI is final approver in COEUS (no change) | SPA is final approver in VERA for NIH only (back-up available through ASSIST) |
In addition to the guidance here, please refer to school-specific communications, as some processes may be different for individual schools. Contact verahelp@vanderbilt.edu with any questions or concerns you may have.
Note that the VERA full launch, including support for VERA system-to-system submissions for all applicable sponsors, is planned for spring 2022. More information about the full launch, including important dates, will be shared as the fall semester progresses.