Dear colleagues,

The Research Foundation will be completing scheduled system maintenance and several behind-the-scenes enhancements this weekend.

Maintenance window
Friday, February 6 at 6:00 p.m. through Sunday, February 8 at 6:00 p.m.

During this time, the following systems will be unavailable:
Research Portal, COI, eReq, ePAS, ePTF, EWS, Cyber Recruiter, and Timesheet.

What you need to do

  • Please log out of all Research Foundation systems before 6:00 p.m. Friday
  • Close all browser windows
  • Save any in-progress work (COI users: select “Save and submit later”)

Project number update – action required

Beginning Monday, February 9, 2026, please use the updated project number shown in the Research Portal when entering numbers on any forms or transactions.

Project numbers will now include an additional letter in the suffix.

  • The main project number (prefix) is not changing
  • The numeric portion of the suffix remains the same
  • Be sure to include the new letter when entering the number

This applies to reimbursements, Advance Travel Authorizations, Visa statements, consultant forms, PCard forms, and any other manual entries requiring RF project numbers.

A crosswalk file is available to help you quickly match old project numbers to the new format:
👉 https://www.odu.edu/sites/default/files/2026/documents/ProjectNo_Crosswalk-KB 20250205.xlsx

What else is changing

Other updates are internal improvements to reporting, award tracking, and system performance. No additional action is required from faculty.

All systems are expected to be fully available again by 6:00 p.m. Sunday, 2/8/2026.

Thank you for your patience as we make these improvements.

Quick FAQ

What changed?
A letter was added to the suffix of each project number.

Did my funds or account change?
No. This is a numbering enhancement only.

Where do I find my correct number?
In the Research Portal or the crosswalk file found here: 
👉 https://www.odu.edu/sites/default/files/2026/documents/ProjectNo_Crosswalk-KB 20250205.xlsx

What do the letters and numbers at the end mean?
The suffix simply tells you how the funding is organized — for example, whether it represents a regular award, a specific project year, or a task under a master agreement. It helps separate funding for tracking while keeping everything connected to your main award.

You can view the full guide and suffix reference here:
👉 https://www.odu.edu/odu-research-foundation/updated-sponsored-project-numbers

What if I use the old number by mistake?
Your transaction may be delayed. Please use the updated number going forward.

Still need help?
Contact the Research Foundation team at rfhelpdesk@odu.edu.