Researcher's Complete Guide

How to submit publications, grants, IP disclosures, and manage your research outputs through the ORIC system.

Who is this guide for? Faculty members, research assistants, and anyone with the employee role who submits research outputs to ORIC for review and certification.

1. Overview of Your Capabilities

As a researcher, you can work with the following modules:

Important: You cannot edit submissions after they are locked for a reporting period. Make sure all information is complete and accurate before submission.

2. Universal Workflow Pattern

Most modules follow the same workflow pattern:

Draft Under Review Approved Locked

However, some modules have additional states or paths. See the detailed sections below.

3. Publications (ICT-2)

3.1 What are Publications?

Publications are research outputs submitted to ORIC for certification. This aligns with the ICT-2 Proforma requirements from HEC. Each publication is categorized as W, X, or Y based on the journal's recognized status.

3.2 Publication Workflow States

StateDescriptionCan Edit?
DraftYou are creating the publication entryYes - by you
Submitted to ORIC for reviewNo
Under ReviewORIC staff is reviewingNo
Needs RevisionORIC requested changesYes - by you
ApprovedORIC certified the publicationNo
LockedFrozen for reporting periodNo

3.3 Step-by-Step Publication Submission

Click "New Publication" to start. Fill in the following fields:

FieldRequired?Notes
TitleYesMaximum 500 characters
Publication DateYesDate of publication
Journal NameYesName of the journal/conference
Journal CategoryYesW, X, or Y - see category guide below
Paper URLOptionalLink to paper (must be valid URL)
DOIOptionalDigital Object Identifier
Volume/Issue/PagesOptionalJournal bibliographic details
DepartmentYesYour department (auto-filled from profile)
AuthorsYesAdd all author names
PDF AttachmentOptionalUpload the paper PDF (max 10MB, PDF only)
Journal Category Guide:
W Category: Recognized high-impact journals (Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index)
X Category: Recognized journals (Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Emerging Sources Citation Index)
Y Category: Other recognized journals

Click "Save as Draft" to continue later.

Once your draft is complete, click "Submit for Review". This sends your publication to ORIC staff.

Important: Once submitted, you cannot edit the publication. If ORIC requests revisions, you will be notified and can edit again.

After submission, you receive a confirmation notification. ORIC staff will be notified to begin review.

Your publication enters "Under Review" state. ORIC staff will:

  • Verify journal category (W/X/Y)
  • Check supporting documents
  • Validate bibliographic details

You can view the status on your dashboard. You will receive notifications when:

  • Review begins
  • Revision is requested
  • Publication is approved

If ORIC staff finds issues, they will request revisions. Your publication moves to "Needs Revision" state.

You will receive a notification with specific comments explaining what needs to be changed.

To respond:

  1. Open the publication from your dashboard
  2. Make the required changes
  3. Click "Submit" again to re-enter review
Note: You can only resubmit from the "Needs Revision" state. If you ignore the revision request, the publication stays in that state indefinitely.

When ORIC staff approves your publication, it moves to "Approved" state.

You will receive an approval notification.

Later, when the reporting period is locked for HEC submission, your publication moves to "Locked" state. This freezes the record for the reporting period.

Locked means: You cannot edit the publication. It is now part of the official ORIC record for HEC reporting. If you need to correct a locked publication, contact ORIC staff.

3.4 Publication Mandatory Fields Summary

FieldDraftSubmitApprove
TitleYesYesYes
Publication DateYesYesYes
Journal NameYesYesYes
Journal Category (W/X/Y)YesYesYes
DepartmentYesYesYes
AuthorsYesYesYes
Paper URLNoNoNo
DOINoNoNo
PDF AttachmentNoNoNo

3.5 Common Publication Scenarios

Scenario 1: I submitted a publication but realized the DOI is wrong. What do I do?
If status is "Submitted" or "Under Review" - you cannot edit. Contact ORIC staff to request the publication be sent back for revision.
Scenario 2: My publication is marked "Needs Revision" - what do I do?
Check your notifications for the revision comments. Open the publication, make the changes, and resubmit.
Scenario 3: Can I submit a publication without a PDF?
Yes, PDF is optional. However, ORIC may request it during review.

4. Grant Proposals (Annex-B)

4.1 What are Grant Proposals?

Grant proposals are funding applications submitted to funding agencies (HEC, international donors, industry). This aligns with Annex-B of the ICT-1 Proforma.

4.2 Grant Workflow States

Draft Under Review Approved Active Completed Closed

Additional paths: Rejected, Needs Revision, Locked (for reporting)

4.3 Step-by-Step Grant Submission

FieldRequired?Notes
Proposal TitleYesMaximum 500 characters
Thematic AreaOptionalResearch domain
PI DisplayOptionalPrincipal Investigator name
Funding ProgrammeYesSelect from available programmes
Submission DateOptionalWhen submitted to funding agency
Duration (Start/End)OptionalProject timeline
Amount (PKR Million)YesRequested amount
DepartmentYesFrom your profile
PartnersOptionalCollaborating institutions
AttachmentsOptionalProposal document, budget, etc.
Financial Precision: All amounts use DECIMAL(18,4) precision. Do not round - enter exact figures.

Click "Submit for Review". The proposal enters "Submitted" state.

The lifecycle_stage is automatically set to "submitted".

Note: Only you (as submitter) can submit your grant proposal. Once submitted, you cannot edit until ORIC requests revisions.

ORIC staff reviews your proposal. They may:

  • Begin review (moves to Under Review)
  • Request revisions (moves to Needs Revision)
  • Approve (moves to Approved)
  • Reject (moves to Rejected)

For approved grants, you can later:

  1. Activate - when the grant officially starts
  2. Mark Completed - when project deliverables are met
  3. Close - final closure

Once your grant is Active, you can:

  • Add Deliverables - milestones, tasks with due dates
  • Update Financials - amount released, overhead used
  • Upload Evidence - reports, invoices, contracts
Overhead Tracking: The system tracks overhead amounts separately from the total grant. Make sure to report both approved and released amounts.

4.4 Grant Mandatory Fields Summary

FieldDraftSubmitApprove
Proposal TitleYesYesYes
Funding ProgrammeYesYesYes
Amount (PKR Million)YesYesYes
DepartmentYesYesYes
Thematic AreaNoNoNo
PI DisplayNoNoNo
DurationNoNoNo
PartnersNoNoNo

5. IP Disclosures (Annex-C)

5.1 What are IP Disclosures?

IP Disclosures are formal disclosures of inventions, innovations for protection through patents, copyrights, or other IP mechanisms. This aligns with Annex-C of the ICT-1 Proforma.

5.2 IP Disclosure Workflow States

Draft Under Review Approved Filed Registered Commercialized Closed

5.3 Step-by-Step IP Disclosure

FieldRequired?Notes
SummaryYesBrief description of the invention (max 1000 chars)
TitleOptionalTitle of the invention
JurisdictionOptionalNational / International / Both
IP CategoryOptionalPatent, Copyright, Trademark, Industrial Design
Development StatusOptionalIdea, Prototype, Validation, Production

6. Capacity Building

Log workshops, training sessions, and faculty development activities you've attended or conducted.

FieldRequired?
Activity TypeYes
TitleYes
DescriptionOptional
Start/End DateOptional
Participants CountOptional
Budget (PKR)Optional

7. Your Dashboard

Access your personal dashboard to see:

8. Notification Preferences

You can customize how you receive notifications:

Go to Settings → Notification Preferences to configure.

9. Getting Help

If you encounter issues:


Related Documentation: Publication Business Flow | Grant Business Flow | Role Permissions | Reporting Periods