RAPResearch Assessment Portal
About the platform

Research supervision, from proposal to approval, in one place.

The Research Assessment Portal (RAP) is a secure online platform for managing postgraduate and undergraduate research supervision. It replaces scattered e-mails, paper forms and untracked file versions with one clear, accountable workflow for students, supervisors and administrators.

Explore the features Why RAP?
  1. 1
    Topic proposalStudents propose topics, or a supervisor assigns one
  2. 2
    Stage submissionsChapters submitted as unalterable versions
  3. 3
    Supervisor reviewFeedback, corrections and team decisions
  4. 4
    Final approvalA complete, auditable record of every step
Why RAP?

Every stage, decision and comment, recorded and easy to find.

Research supervision involves many steps: proposing and approving topics, submitting chapters, reviewing drafts, requesting corrections and signing off final work. When that process lives in inboxes and shared folders, deadlines slip, feedback gets lost and nobody is sure which version is current.

RAP brings every stage into one place. Each submission, decision and comment is recorded, time-stamped and easy to find.

Without a shared platform

  • Feedback scattered across e-mail threads
  • Unclear which draft is the latest
  • Deadlines and decisions hard to track

With RAP

  • One timeline per project, visible to the right people
  • Every submission kept as a fixed, numbered version
  • Clear status, notifications and accountability
What RAP does

Built for everyone involved in research

Each role gets the tools it needs, and sees only the records it is entitled to.

For students

  • Propose one to three research topics, or receive a topic assigned by their supervisor.
  • Submit chapters and stage work as documents that cannot be altered after submission, and resubmit corrected versions.
  • Follow their progress through each stage of their research workflow.
  • Receive clear feedback, discuss work with their supervisors and get notified of every decision.

For supervisors

  • See all supervisees and their current stage at a glance.
  • Review submissions, preview documents in the browser and record decisions: approve, request corrections or require resubmission.
  • Work as a supervisory team of up to three supervisors, with a designated lead and configurable rules for who has to approve.
  • Assign, edit or reset research topics where the institution allows it.
  • Hold confidential supervisor-only discussions.

For administrators

  • Manage student and supervisor accounts individually or through CSV import and export.
  • Assign supervisors, one at a time or to many students at once.
  • Configure the academic structure, programmes and research workflows, such as five-chapter theses, merged-chapter theses and article-based formats.
  • Decide institutional policies, including approval rules and what users may edit on their profiles.
  • Generate reports and exports, and review a full audit log.
Built on trust and accountability

Secure by design, transparent by default

Research records matter. RAP protects them and keeps a clear account of how every decision was made.

Secure access

Role-based permissions ensure users only see the records they're entitled to. Accounts are protected by sign-in lockout, password policies and secure invitation and reset links.

Private, protected files

Documents are stored privately and checked on upload. They can only be opened by authorised members of a project.

A complete record

Submissions are kept as unalterable versions. The project timeline shows every decision with who made it and when. Sensitive actions are recorded in an audit log.

Careful safeguards

Destructive actions, such as deleting accounts or resetting a topic, require explicit double confirmation.

Accessible and easy to use

Comfortable on any device, for every user

RAP is designed to work comfortably on desktops, tablets and phones. It has searchable drop-down lists, clear status labels and helpful guidance at each step.

It's built with accessibility in mind, so that everyone involved in research supervision can use it with confidence.

Desktop, tablet & phoneSearchable listsClear status labelsStep-by-step guidanceAccessible design

Our goal

RAP exists to make research supervision transparent, timely and fair.

For students

Students should always know where they stand.

For supervisors

Supervisors should spend their time on feedback rather than paperwork.

For institutions

Institutions should have a reliable record of every step towards a completed research project.

Questions or support?

For support or enquiries about the Research Assessment Portal, please contact the Research Office.

Contact the Research Office

Bringing RAP to your institution? See packages and pricing.