New Features and Fixes
New features added to Electronic Submission and defects fixed are listed below:
Features
In preparation for the transition of K (Career Development Award) applications to electronic application submission for the receipt date of Feb. 12, 2009, the following items are being implemented (additional K validations will follow in future release):
- Generate an error if a cover letter is not attached for mentored K applications
- Provide a warning for a K application if an indirect cost rate is provided and not equal to 8
- Provide an error if change of PD/PI is submitted on
any K application Provide the ability to process applications that include
the PHS398 Career Development Supplemental form (see sample
of new K form - PDF, 36 KB).
The following business rules (validations) apply to this supplemental
form:
- An Introduction must be included when Application Type is Resubmission or Revision
- The Introduction for a Resubmission is limited to three pages
- The Introduction for a Revision is limited to one page
- Provide warning if Candidate Information section attachments 2-5 and Research Plan attachments 10-13 together are greater than 25 pages and less than or equal to 32 pages
- Provide an error if Candidate Information section attachments 2-5 and Research Plan attachments 10-13 together are not less than or equal to 32 pages
- Provide error if a Mentoring Plan attachment is provided for a mentored K application
- Provide an error if a Mentoring Plan has not been included for a K05 or K24 application
- Provide an error if the Statements by Mentor, Co-Mentors, Consultants, Contributors attachment has not been included for mentored Ks
- Provide an error if the Preliminary Studies/Progress Report attachment has not been included for Renewal and Revision applications
- Provide an error if the Protection of Human Subjects attachment has not been included and Human Subjects is Yes
- Provide an error if the Inclusion of Women and Minorities attachment has not been included and Human Subjects is Yes and Exemption is not E4
- Provide an error if the Targeted/Planned Enrollment Table attachment has not been included and Human Subjects is Yes and Exemption is not E4
- Provide an error if the Inclusion of Children attachment has not been included and Human Subjects is Yes and Exemption is not E4
- Provide an error if the Vertebrate Animals attachment has not been included and Vertebrate Animals is Yes
- Provide warning on any K application other than K99 where citizenship of “Non-U.S. Citizen with temporary U.S. visa” is checked
Features
- Added validations for Career Development awards (Ks) in preparation for its 2009 transition to electronic submission.
Fixes
- Fixed 'Prior application not awarded' message being erroneously given on Phase II Small Business (SBIR/STTR) application even when the prior application was awarded.
Features
- Enhanced troubleshooting tools for eRA Helpdesk to expedite service for customers
- Added functionality for Veterans Affairs partners.
- Budget end dates need to be in range of project period for detailed and modular budgets
- Cumulative Total Direct Cost cannot be greater than 99,999,999.99
- Cumulative Indirect Costs cannot be greater than 99,999,999.99
- Limit Project Narrative for DP2 applications to 1 page
- Change error message text for required Project Narrative on DP2
- Require exactly one 'Other Attachment' on R&R Other Project Information form for DP2
- Add validation on Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval date
- Add validation on Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) approval date
- Remove rule logging to opmn.log file
Fixes
- Fixed bug where project end date could be earlier then project start date
- Corrected warning message when Employee Identification Number was more than 12 characters
- Corrected inappropriate error message for exceeding number of resubmissions permitted for R01 A2 applications
- Provide appropriate error message when the number of resubmissions permitted for R36 A2 applications is exceeded
The validations documents associated with this release will be posted on the eSubmission Web site on June 13.
Features & Fixes
Validations
- Change error message text for required Project Narrative on DP1 to match message given for other mechanisms
- Support for new combined UH2/UH3 mechanism
- Exempt from 25-page Research Plan limit
- Provide warning if Renewal is submitted
- Remove warning provided when G11 applicants submit with a multiple PI
- Correction to calculation for direct cost less consortium for first subaward period when start dates do not match project budget
- "Other Agencies" excluded from validation for other Project Info-Bibliography and References Cited attachment
- "Other Agencies" excluded from validation for use of Co-PD/PI in Senior/Key Person form
- Exactly two attachments in "Other" field of Other Project Information form are required for DP1 applications
- Incorrect warning no longer displayed for R01 and R25 application Renewals
- Correction to 25 page research plan validation for STTR Fast Track applications
- Commercialization Plan required for SBIR Fast Track applications
- Correction to processing for applications with encrypted PDF attachments
The validations documents associated with this release will be posted on the eSubmission Web site on April 11.
Processing
- Remove support for ebXML Web services that have been replaced with standard Web services
- Update the eRA Exchange Client / Reference implementation to support new standard Web services developed in February release. The Client is used for internal testing, as well as, a reference implementation for external trading partners.
- Allow system-to-system processing for Federal partner data (specifically 5161 data) via the eRA exchange.
Features
- Provided standard WSDL-based Web services for applicant system-to-system users
- Person Info Request - retrieves user profile
- Person Info Update - update a user profile
- Validation Response - retrieve a list of NIH validation (errors and/or warnings) messages resulting from the processing of an electronic grant application
- Previously only in ebXML format
- NIH System-to-System Web Services
Documentation
- Implemented new business rule checks (validations) for the DP2 activity
code
- Return an error on the 424 RR Cover for a resubmission, revision, or renewal
- Exempt DP2 from any validations on the Federal Identifier on the 424 RR Cover Return an error if the number of years between the project start and project end is not 5
- Give a warning if PI is not new investigator
- Return an error if the application is from a foreign applicant organization
- Return errors on 424 RR Cover if value of Total Estimated Project Funding is greater than 1.5 million, if Total Federal and non-Federal Funds is greater than 1.5 million, and/or if Estimated Program Income isn't zero
- Return an error for any attachments on Other Project Information except for Abstract or Project Narrative
- Return an error if any senior/key persons are included other than the PD/PI
- Return error if an Additional Senior Key Persons attachment, Additional Biosketch attachment, or Additional Current and Pending Support attachment is included with the Senior/Key Person component
- Return an error if the Current and Pending Support attachment is not included on the Senior/Key Person component
- Limit the biosketch
submitted with the Senior/Key Person component to 2 pages
- Implemented new business rule checks for the S10 activity code to standardize on the use of the Project Narrative attachment for the Public Health Relevance Statement
- Limit the Project Narrative to one (1) page
- Change text of message on requiring S10 Project Narrative attachment to "The Public Health Relevance Statement (labeled 'Project Narrative' in Other Project Information, item 7) must be included."
- Return an error if there is not at least one (1) attachment included
as an 'Other
Attachment'
- New functionality for page limitations on Research Plan for X01
- Add opportunity ID to check on changed/corrected
Fixes
- Implemented additional business rule change
- Change error text for rule on DUNS on budget pages to "The project budget must contain the DUNS number for the applicant organization on the 424 RR Budget Page. This number should not appear on a Subaward budget; i.e., a Subaward budget must have a different DUNS number entered."
- Modify logic for validating 8 character Human Subject Assurance
Number
- Changed the grant application image bookmark for the Resource Sharing Plan component from 'SharingData and Model Organism' to 'Resource Sharing Plan'
Features
- Status query Web Service for applicant system-to-system users: NIH is
offering its Query for Status of grant application as a standard Web Service.
This service was previously only offered in ebXML format. This service
will allow system-to-system retrieval of grant application/grant status
information throughout the grant lifecycle. (http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/system_webserv.htm#services).
- Notifications for Food & Drug Administration electronic applications:
Email notifications for electronic application processing have been set
up for FDA in preparation for their electronic submissions of R01 applications
through Grants.Gov and eRA beginning in December/January.
- S10 validations: Give error message if Project Narrative or Abstract on Other Project Information Page is not attached.
- Introduction validation: Provide error on a new or renewal application if an Introduction is attached.
- DP1 validations: Remove validations that check Commons account citizenship information.
Fixes
- Corrections to $250k and $500k subtotal direct cost calculations: The validations on $250k and $500k subtotal direct costs are dependent on calculating the total indirect costs for subaward budget periods that match the project budget period. For the purposes of doing this calculation, the system will match-up subaward periods with project budget periods based on start date and/or end date. The default if dates don't match will be that subaward budget periods get numbered consecutively starting with 1. This change will address calculation errors that arose when the subaward was not active for all periods of the project budget.
Features
- Created extensive business rule validations to accommodate four new
grant mechanisms (SC1, SC2, SC3 and U34) to be submitted electronically.
- Updated text of email notifications sent by NIH during the electronic
submission process to reflect changes made to eRA Commons Status screens.
- Provided error if the abstract or public health relevance statement
(labeled “Project Summary/Abstract” and “Project
Narrative” on the Other Project Information component) is not included.
- Added ability to collect the area of science from Pioneer Award (DP1)
and New Innovator (DP2) applications and store the information in the
IMPAC II database for further electronic processing.
- Set the groundwork for automatic feed from Automated Guide System (AGS) to IMPAC II to provide RFA/PA entries and other associated announcement information (e.g., Opt-In/Opt-Out).
Fixes
- Corrections to interface used to download electronic applications from Grants.gov to NIH.