Category

REDCap

Oct 27
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REDCap Service Updates

By News, REDCap

UPDATE 3: October 28, 2026 8:43 PM CST

REDCap Emergency Maintenance – Performance Testing and New Public Survey Feature

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Dear CRI Community,

We want to provide a brief update on REDCap. The system remains available on the local network only while maintenance continues. “Local network” includes the University of Chicago campus and UChicago Medicine hospital networks, as well as VPN connections.

Public surveys:

  • Public surveys are available to anyone on the local network, including users connected through VPN.
  • Public surveys remain unavailable off campus without VPN.
  • As of today, reCAPTCHA is required and already enabled on all public surveys, regardless of network or VPN connection. Participants will be asked to complete a brief verification step before beginning the survey. No action is needed to enable this feature, but study teams may wish to let participants know to expect this step.

CRI and BSD IS are now testing the performance issues as part of our work to restore full service.

In the meantime, please continue to follow the downtime approach your project or unit has put in place. As a reminder, alternative data capture options include exporting your instruments and storing them securely in UChicago Box, moving to manual data capture for public facing surveys, or using an alternative electronic tool after confirming with your local security team that it is appropriate for your data. Clinical trials and other regulated studies should check with their IRB and, where applicable, their sponsor before changing data collection methods.

We appreciate your continued patience as we complete this work carefully and will send another update tomorrow.

Please contact cri@cri.uchicago.edu with any questions.

Julie A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, RN
Administrative Director
Center for Research Informatics

UPDATE 2: October 27, 2026 6:28 PM CST

REDCap Emergency Maintenance – Continued Local Network Access and Downtime Guidance

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Dear CRI Community,

As a follow-up to our earlier announcement, REDCap remains available on the local network only while maintenance continues. Access is available on the University of Chicago campus and UChicago Medicine hospital networks, or through VPN. Public surveys and off-campus access without VPN remain unavailable.

We have received a number of questions about alternative solutions and downtime procedures. Each project or unit should develop a downtime approach together with its leadership, based on the needs of the project. Alternative data capture options include:

  • Export and secure your instruments. Project instruments can be exported and stored securely in UChicago Box, so your team has them available as a reference.
  • Move to manual data capture for public facing surveys. Projects can collect data on exported instruments and enter it into REDCap once full service is restored. Please store completed forms securely, in line with your project’s data management plan.
  • Use an alternative electronic tool. Some projects may be able to use Qualtrics or Microsoft Forms. If you move in this direction, contact your local security team before collecting any data, to confirm that the tool is appropriate for the security level of the data it will capture. Please also plan how data collected in another tool will be brought back into REDCap once service is restored, so your project’s records remain complete and consistent.

Clinical trials and other regulated studies: Before changing your data collection methods, please check with your IRB and, where applicable, your study sponsor to confirm that the change is consistent with your approved protocol.

Thank you for your patience during this disruption. CRI and BSD IS are working diligently to restore full service as soon as possible, and we will send another update tomorrow.

Please contact cri@cri.uchicago.edu with any questions.

Julie A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, RN
Administrative Director
Center for Research Informatics

UPDATE 1: October 27, 2026 10:07 AM CST

REDCap Emergency Maintenance – Off-Campus Access Restricted

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Dear CRI Community,

REDCap is currently experiencing system performance issues. To stabilize the system, REDCap remains online for local (on-campus) traffic only. “On campus” includes the full University of Chicago campus and UChicago Medicine hospital networks.

Who is affected:

  • Public survey links – participants will be unable to access or submit public surveys at this time
  • Users attempting to access REDCap from off campus without a VPN connection

What continues to work:

  • Access for users on campus (University or hospital network) or connected through VPN
  • API connections originating from on campus
  • Mobile app (using VPN client)

CRI and BSD IS are working together to restore full service as quickly as possible. We will send updates as they become available.

If your study relies on public surveys with active participant outreach, please consider pausing distribution until service is restored.

Please contact cri@cri.uchicago.edu with any questions.

Thank you for your patience.

Julie A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, RN
Administrative Director
Center for Research Informatics

Oct 07
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An Update on REDCap Support for BSD and PSOM

By News, REDCap

MEMORANDUM

To: BSD and PSOM REDCap Project Owners, Principal Investigators, and Research Staff

From: Julie Johnson, PhD and Yoav Gilad, PhD — Center for Research Informatics

Date: October 2, 2026

Re: An Update on REDCap Support for BSD and PSOM

We’re writing to share an update about how the Center for Research Informatics (CRI) will support REDCap for the Biological Sciences Division (BSD) and the Pritzker School of Medicine (PSOM) going forward. We know any change to how a well-loved tool is funded can raise questions, so we wanted to walk you through what’s changing, why, and just as important, what stays the same: our commitment to keeping REDCap reliable, secure, and growing alongside your research.

Who This Affects

This change applies to REDCap projects owned within BSD and PSOM. If you work in another University division or at UCM, the doesn’t affect you — those areas have operated under a REDCap recharge model for the past five years, so BSD and PSOM are simply joining a financial structure that’s already well established elsewhere.

Why We’re Making This Change

The CRI operates as part of the University’s federal recharge operations, which means the rates we charge — and how we charge them — are governed by federal cost-accounting rules meant to keep things fair and consistent across all users. As part of this framework, the CRI will no longer receive full subsidization for BSD and PSOM REDCap projects. At the same time, REDCap Central is preparing to migrate to REDCap+ (Plus), an evolving suite of powerful new features and services that extend the capabilities of REDCap. This new platform carries an associated subscription fee charged by the REDCap Consortium at Vanderbilt University of all institutions moving to this new platform.

Rather than let these changes catch anyone by surprise, we wanted to introduce a modest, predictable fee now — one that lets us keep investing in REDCap for you while staying within federal compliance requirements.

We’re also using this moment to grow, not just to charge. We’re adding support staff dedicated to expanding REDCap’s features as we move to REDCap+, and we’ll continue providing 21 CFR Part 11–compliant services for the projects that need them. And honestly, we like to think of the fee as a gentle nudge toward good data stewardship — a small incentive for all of us to be thoughtful about the projects we keep active and the resources we use.

What the Fee Looks Like

•       $125 per project, per year

•       Billed in quarterly increments ($31.25 per quarter)

•       Applies to each REDCap project owned by a BSD or PSOM creator

A New Step When Moving to Production

As part of this transition — and as a requirement of federal recharge operations — every project will need a valid funding source on file before it can move from Development to Production. When you submit a production request, you’ll be asked to complete a brief survey to gather required administrative data including a Chart of Accounts (COA) or POETAF string, along with your PI’s or your Department Chair’s information.

We know this is a new part of the process, so we’re building it right into the existing production request workflow. And if you’re ever unsure what to enter, our team is happy to help you sort it out before you submit.

There’s nothing you need to do today. We’ll share full instructions, examples, and support resources well before Go Live, and we’ll be right alongside you as the new workflow rolls out.

Timeline

•       Today – December 2026: Log into REDCap and close out completed projects. We’ll share additional guidance and walk through the updated production-request workflow ahead of Go Live.

•       January 1, 2027: The recharge model takes effect (FY27 Q3).

•       End of Q3 (March 2027): We’ll issue the first quarterly invoices, covering projects that are live in Production status as of January 1, 2027.

•       Ongoing: Invoices will be issued quarterly thereafter, at $31.25 per project per quarter.

We’re Here to Help

Change like this is never entirely simple, and we’re grateful for your patience and partnership as we work through it together. We invite you to share your questions, comments, and concerns through our REDCap Recharge Model Feedback Survey: https://redcap.link/recharge_model

Your feedback will help us better understand what information and support our REDCap community needs as we move forward. Your feedback will help us develop additional guidance and a comprehensive future set of FAQs.

Thank you for everything you do for research at BSD and PSOM, and for continuing to trust REDCap — and us — with it.

With gratitude,

The Center for Research Informatics

May 05
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Successful REDCap Transition to Okta

By News, REDCap

Friday, May 15th 8:00PM CST: REDCap has been successfully transitioned to the Okta/CNetID login method. Going forward, please use your CNetID and password through Okta authentication when accessing REDCap. If you are experiencing any problems logging in or notice anything unexpected, please contact REDCap Support at redcap@uchicago.edu so we can address it promptly. Thank you for your patience and support during this transition.

Below are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help our REDCap user community navigate this transition:

1. What is Okta?
Okta is the University’s secure identity and access management platform. It provides single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, allowing users to access multiple applications, now including REDCap, using one set of credentials (your CNetID).
2. What is a CNetID?
A CNetID is your University-issued username used to access central University systems and services. It will now be the standard login credential for REDCap as well.
3. What is changing?
Login access to REDCap will no longer utilize BSDAD or UCHAD active directory credentials. Instead, users will log in using their University CNetID through Okta authentication.
4. Why is the REDCap login method changing? 
REDCap login method is moving to CNetID login via the University’s Okta platform to ensure a more secure, centralized, and consistent login experience, as well as to align with University-wide identity standards.
5. Who is affected by this change?
All University of Chicago and Medical Center REDCap users, including external account collaborators, will be affected. Survey participants will not be impacted (as survey links do not require logging in).
6. How do I log in to REDCap after this change?
Users can continue to access REDCap through the login page: https://redcap.uchicago.edu/. Users will be redirected to the University’s Okta login screen, where they will log in using their CNetID to gain access to REDCap.
7. Where can I look up my CNetID?
Navigate to the WhoAmI website https://cnet.uchicago.edu/WhoAmI/, select Name from the Search on dropdown, enter your first and last names, and hit enter.
8. Do I need to take any additional steps before or after the transition?
No, all existing active user accounts (BSDAD, UCHAD, external collaborator) were mapped to their corresponding CNetID ahead of this transition.
9. What if I have login issues after the transition?
Contact REDCap support at redcap@uchicago.edu with any initial issues. If we determine the issue is not related to the Okta transition (such as a disabled CNetID or an expired password), we will redirect you to the appropriate service desk (UCMIT Service Now Portal or BSDIS Service Desk) for additional account assistance, as REDCap Support does not own or manage CNetID accounts or passwords.
10. I tried logging in but received the message “User is not assigned to this application.”
Contact REDCap support at redcap@uchicago.edu with your CNetID or UCMED account to be assigned Okta REDCap login permission.
11. I am able to log in with my CNetID, but I no longer see My Projects.
Contact REDCap support at redcap@uchicago.edu with your previous account (BSDAD or UCHAD) and your CNetID so that we can transition your projects asap.
12. Is the external collaborator account request process changing?
No, all new account requests for external collaborators should still be submitted through the BSDIS Service Desk’s Collaborator Account Request website: https://collab.bsd.uchicago.edu/. Please contact the BSDIS Service Desk at bsdis@bsd.uchicago.edu or 773-834-4000 for help with new account requests.
13. Where can I stay updated on this transition?
We encourage you to stay informed by visiting this same page for further communications regarding this transition.
Mar 05
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REDCap Downtime and Upgrade

By News, REDCap

Event: REDCap Scheduled Downtime and Upgrade

Date/Time: Friday, March 13th, 2026, 5PM

Website: https://redcap.uchicago.edu

Reason: REDCap will be upgraded to the latest version to introduce new functionality and apply critical security enhancements.

Who Is Affected: All University of Chicago REDCap users, including non-UChicago external collaborators, mobile app users, API users, and survey participants.

Impact: REDCap will be unavailable starting at 5PM for approximately 2–4 hours. Unavailability is defined as:

  • Survey emails (manual and automated) and Alerts & Notifications will be halted until the upgrade is complete.
  • Survey links will be inaccessible and will display a REDCap is offline message when clicked on.
  • API activity will be halted until the upgrade is complete.

Updates: A message will be posted on the REDCap login page confirming the upgrade’s completion, along with details of the newest features and improvements.

Questions? Please email REDCap Support.

Jul 18
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REDCap Scheduled Downtime

By News, REDCap

Event: REDCap Scheduled Downtime
Date/Time: Friday, July 25th, 2025, 5PM-6PM CST
Reason: The application will be down for scheduled maintenance.
Who Is Affected: All University of Chicago REDCap users, including non-UChicago external collaborators, mobile app users, API users, survey participants.
Impact: REDCap will be unavailable during this downtime. Unavailability is defined as:

  • Survey links will be inaccessible and will display a ‘REDCap is offline’ message when clicked on.
  • Survey emails and Alerts & Notifications will be halted until the maintenance is complete.
  • API activity will be halted until the maintenance is complete.
  • Mobile app users are strongly encouraged to sync any data on their devices back to their REDCap project before the maintenance begins. Although not recommended, offline data collection may continue in the app during the maintenance, however the online sync process will not be available until the maintenance is complete.

Updates: A message will be posted on this page confirming the maintenance completion and system availability.
Questions? Please email REDCap Support.

Jun 15
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REDCap Page Loading Issue

By News, REDCap

Monday June 16th 8:00AM CST – REDCap may continue to experience sporadic page loading issues whereby a page may stop working or keep processing with no completion, including this login page. If you continue to encounter this issue, 1) disable all your browser extensions, 2) open an incognito window, 3) log into and work in REDCap via the incognito window. If this does not solve the issue, please contact REDCap Support and include the browser version, page URL, and the error time. Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation!

Nov 09
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REDCap Upgrade Complete and Service Restored

By News, REDCap

Saturday 11/9/24 7:00AM CST: REDCap is back online and available for use. Please view the new features and functionality here. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this outage caused and appreciate your patience while we restored service. Please contact REDCap Support with any further questions. Thank you.

Event: REDCap Scheduled Downtime and Upgrade

Date/Time: Wednesday, November 6th, 2024, 5PM-7PM CST

Website: https://redcap.uchicago.edu

Reason: The REDCap application will be upgraded to a newer version of the software.

Who Is Affected: All University of Chicago REDCap users, including non-UChicago external collaborators, mobile app users, API users, survey participants.

Impact: REDCap will be unavailable during this downtime. Unavailability is defined as:

  • Survey emails and Alerts & Notifications will be halted until the upgrade is complete.
  • Survey links will be inaccessible and will display a ‘REDCap is offline’ message when clicked on.
  • API activity will be halted until the upgrade is complete.
  • Mobile app users are strongly encouraged to sync any data on their devices back to their REDCap project before the upgrade begins. Although not recommended, offline data collection may continue in the app during the upgrade, however the online sync process will not be available until the upgrade is complete.

Updates: A message will be posted on the REDCap login page confirming the upgrade’s completion, along with details of the newest features and improvements.

Questions? Please email REDCap Support.

Oct 16
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REDCap Email Improvements

By News, REDCap

The following is a summary of improvements being made on Wednesday, October 16th, 2024 for the handling of outgoing REDCap email messages.  There will be no application downtime needed for these improvements, as they will happen on REDCap’s back-end email message handling setup.

All University and UCMC REDCap users including external collaborators who send email messages within REDCap will be affected. This includes email messages sent as part of:

  • Survey Invitations (both manual and automated, and reminders)
  • Alerts & Notifications
  • Survey Confirmations

The need for these improvements comes from email providers blocking emails whose ‘From:’ address does not match the domain name of the REDCap server (e.g., sending an email from user@uchospitals.edu from the server https://redcap.uchicago.edu). The following email address domains are now permitted to send email messages from our REDCap server, therefore, no blocked messages should occur going forward:

  • uchicago.edu
  • uchospitals.edu
  • uchicagomedicine.org
  • bsd.uchicago.edu
  • (department).bsd.uchicago.edu
  • dacc.uchicago.edu
  • radonc.uchicago.edu
  • ingalls.org
  • chapinhall.org

All other email address domains (not in the list above) will have no-reply-redcap@uchicago.edu as the ‘From:’ address (although the message will still have the ‘Reply-To’ value as the sender). This piece will mostly affect, for example, multi-site studies where external collaborators (e.g., Rush, Mayo, etc) are sending email messages from within UChicago REDCap projects.

Lastly, as a general rule to improve email delivery to inboxes, please refrain from sending email messages from external email accounts (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) and instead always use an institutional email address.

Questions? Issues? Please email REDCap Support.