The following guidance has been developed for administrative staff supporting the Researchfish submission process and dashboard management:

Researchfish FAQs for Administrators

1) Creating a Researchfish administrative account

Please ask your Department Manager to contact the Research Office to request an account for you. The account creation process is in two stages:

  1. You will receive an invitation email from Researchfish containing a link via which you can create an account. When you have done this, please notify the RO.
  2. You will receive a second invitation email from Researchfish. It is essential you click the link contained in this to obtain access to your Department’s awards.

2) Checking outstanding department returns

The Researchfish webiste has guidance for dashboard users

3) Awards appearing on the Dashboard but not in the PI’s account

The PI has not accepted the invitation to add the award to their account. If they cannot find the original email, a new invitation can be requested by following going to Invitation Help in the Help and Support section of the Researchfish website. Dashboard users can submit request on behalf of their PIs.

4) PIs with awards on the Dashboard but no Researchfish account

Researchfish users must receive an invitation in order to create an account. If the PI cannot find the original invitation email, a new invitation can be requested by going to Invitation Help in the Help and Support section of the Researchfish website. Dashboard users can submit request on behalf of their PIs

5) PIs with multiple Researchfish accounts

PIs should have a single account for all awards held in Researchfish. If multiple accounts have been created in error, these can be merged into a single account by contacting Researchfish directly. Live Chat is recommended during the Submission Period.

6) PI awards not appearing in their account or on the Dashboard

Only certain funders use the Researchfish system (a full list of funders is available on the Researchfish site) and funders that use Researchfish do not necessarily add all awards to the system. If an award does not appear on the Dashboard, the Research Office can confirm whether or not the award has been added by the funder.

NB. Awards made to other institutions with Imperial academics acting as Co-Is will only appear in the accounts of the PI at the lead institution.

7) PIs has completed a return but some awards still require submission

Once a PI has added outcomes to their awards, the submission process must be completed. Each funder requires a separate submission, so the process may have to be followed multiple times.

8) PIs absent during the submission period

Funders may grant a one year exemption from completing a Researchfish return for PIs who are unable to complete a return. Common reasons for exemptions include: 

  • Parental leave
  • Long term sick leave
  • Fieldwork where no internet access will be available.

If this applies to a PI in your department, please notify the Research Office who will request a one year exemption from the funder. NB. Exemptions will only be applied if the PI is unable to complete for the full duration of the submission period.

9) Awards with no further outcomes

Funders typically require Researchfish submissions to be completed for up to five submission periods following the end of an award. If there are no new outcomes to report, the PI must still go through the submission process to avoid incurring sanctions.

In some cases, it may be possible to close an award in Researchfish if no further outcomes are expected. If the following criteria are met, the Research Office can request the closure of an award for you: 

  • PI does not expect any further outcomes AND 
  • Five submission windows have been completed since the funding end date; AND 
  • The PI has no other awards from that Funder requiring a submission.

10) Incorrect PIs listed on department Dashboard

Please notify the Research Office as soon as possible providing as much detail as you can such us:

  • If the PI has left College, where are they now based?
  • If the PI is a member of a different College department, which department should they be associated with?

The Research Office can amend award details in Researchfish or request response code changes from Funders as applicable.

11) Adding outcomes to another PI's award

The award PI can add other researchers to the award as ‘Team Members’. Guidance on how to do this is available on the Researchfish website. Team Members can add outcomes to an award but the final Submission Process can only be completed by the PI themselves.

12) Optimising submission

Researchfish has published Tips to Optimise your Researchfish Submission. NB Confidential or sensitive information, especially any containing identifiable personal data should not be added. Specific funder guidance can be found at:

13) Funders use of submitted data

A guidance document on this is available from Researchfish.