eSubmission News and Updates
NIH eSubmission Items of Interest — Oct. 16, 2007
eRA Commons Status Changes Coming Soon
NIH will be updating the eRA Commons Status software on October 26, 2007 with a new look and functionality. This new version of Status incorporates user-requested features that will provide additional tracking capabilities and better application organization for improved system performance:
- New search feature: Ability to search for and track electronically submitted applications from the Status screen using the Grants.gov tracking number. The Grants.gov tracking number will continue to be searchable throughout the lifecycle of the application/grant - even after the NIH assigns its own application ID (i.e., accession number or grant number).
- Reorganization of the application/grant data into two separate sections:
- Recent and pending electronic application submissions that require action to complete the submission process (e.g., checking errors/warnings, viewing assembled application), have been refused by a Signing Official or are within the two day assembled application viewing window
- List of applications/grants (both paper and electronic) that have been submitted successfully and are available for post-submission status (e.g., review assignments, review results, summary statements, Notice of Award). Also includes list of awarded grants for accessing other Commons features (e.g., Just in Time, eSNAP, Financial Status Report, Closeout)
- Recent and pending electronic application submissions that require action to complete the submission process (e.g., checking errors/warnings, viewing assembled application), have been refused by a Signing Official or are within the two day assembled application viewing window
- Grouping of multiple submission attempts for a single application. Provides a cleaner screen view and consolidated submission history.
This new strategy will change the look and feel of the Status screens; however, the underlying process remains the same. We realize the timing of these changes is not optimal given the proximity to major November receipt dates. We ask that you help us spread the word about this update, especially to those Principal Investigators that will be working with applications in the next few months. The eRA Commons Help Desk is available to assist with any questions. These are fairly significant changes to the Status workflow and we’d love to get your feedback. Please send general comments and suggestions to NIHElectronicSubmiss@mail.nih.gov.
We will send out a notice on or around October 26th and provide a link to detailed release notes; however, we felt these changes warranted an early “heads-up” since they impact the way you and your PIs will use eRA Commons Status. A similar email is being sent to our PI distribution list with the SO status screen information removed.
Additional Details for Signing Officials
- The ability to search by Grants.gov tracking number has been added to all the basic Status searches. The Grants.gov tracking number for an application is provided in the emails sent by eRA Commons during the submission process.
- Use any of the basic Status searches (except “Recent/Pending eSubmissions”) for post-submission status and to access other Commons features. You will no longer need to use a separate “eApplications” search to find applications/grants submitted electronically.
- Use the new “Recent/Pending eSubmissions” search option when tracking recent and pending electronic applications.
Additional Detail for Principal Investigators
- A new screen will appear when selecting the Status tab, rather than listing all applications/grants associated with your account. Use the options provided to select the specific application/grant or appropriate list based on your task.
- If multiple attempts are needed to complete the electronic submission process without errors, only the most recently processed submission will be listed. A new hyperlink, “Show All Prior Errors”, will be added to the application status line that will provide a listing of the current and all previous submission attempts and the associated Grants.gov tracking number, date of submission and errors/warnings.
- The Grants.gov tracking number for an application is provided in the emails sent by eRA Commons during the electronic submission process.
eRA Commons Team
