eSNAP (Electronic Streamlined Noncompeting Award Process)

Purpose

To enable grantees with most R series awards, such as R01s, and other awards with automatic carryover authority to electronically submit a streamlined noncompeting award process (SNAP) progress report.

Procedure

For grants covered by SNAP, grantees can send in their progress reports online if they are registered with the Electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons. Grantee institutions may delegate the authority to submit eSNAPs to PIs.

With eSNAP, PIs can send research accomplishments and significant changes throughout the year as well as include links to citations. Also, the institutional profile will store some of the required human subjects and animal assurances filed by their institutions.

For more information, go to Progress Reports and eSNAP questions and answers.

Grantees

• Register with the eRA Commons.
• Request eSNAP functionality from the Commons Help Desk by emailing commons@od.nih.gov or calling (toll free) 866-504-9552.
• Submit eSNAPs 45 days -- rather than 60 days for paper -- before the budget start date.
• Institutions may delegate the authority to submit an eSNAP progress report to a PI.

For information on completing and submitting eSNAPs as well as designating the authority to submit the eSNAP to a PI, see the eSNAP User Guide.

Principal Investigators

• Check to see that your institution is registered with the Commons. See List of Grantee Organizations Registered in eRA Commons or check with your institutional business official.
• Go to NIH's Progress Report Search site and use your institutional profile number to get a searchable list of progress reports from which you will select yours. After your business office registers with the eRA Commons, you will be able to access the list of progress reports that are due and pre-filled face pages.
• Follow the process established by your sponsored research office to submit the eSNAP. eSNAPs are due 45 days before the budget start date.
• Include citations by providing links to the online journal instead of sending a reprint.
• You don't need to provide institutional review board and institutional animal care and use committee approval dates. Your institution will provide this information; read more in Human Subjects Certifications: IRB or IEC SOP and Animals in Research SOP.
• NIH stores the data in your key personnel report in the eRA Commons so you can retrieve and update it when you wish.

See Submit Your Report Electronically in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.

Program Officers

• Review eSNAP applications for sufficient research progress. To view eSNAPs, click on the e-application button from the eRA grant folder or use the direct link from the program module.
• Sign the program officer worksheet verifying sufficient research progress and identifying any concerns or changes that may affect future funding or require additional monitoring or special terms of award.
• Document your review and approval or disapproval of progress reports electronically using the program officer checklist in IMPAC's Program module (PGM). The checklist documents your evaluation of scientific progress for the electronic grant file. Obtain an IMPAC account by completing the IMPAC II Registration Form.
  • For all grants except for T32s and T35s, generate checklists by the 10th of the month before the grant anniversary date. For T32 and T35 grants, generate checklists two and a half months before the start date.
  • Use the Program Signoff Notes section to document approval or disapproval of changes in staffing, personnel effort, changes in scope, or plans to use funds in the upcoming budget period. Identify issues that may require follow-up by a grants management specialist.

For step-by-step instructions on using the PGM to review progress reports, see Complete a Program Official Checklist.

For more information on program officer responsibilities, see NIH Policy Manual Chapter 54444, Evaluation of Grant Progress Reports by Program Officials.

Grants Management Specialists

• Review the eSNAP progress report and document any pages of the eSNAP application that require correction or notation, for example, unallowable budget items, total time, and effort for key personnel.
• Review the program officer checklist for completeness, special terms of award, and issues to resolve.
• If a PI anticipates significant rebudgeting, he or she must submit a categorical budget. Issue the award at the committed total cost level, unless the following applies:
  • A different funding plan is in effect. For example, the NIAID Financial Management Plan may require that all noncompeting research project grant awards be reduced to a percentage of the committed total costs. All future years would be adjusted to this level also.
  • An error was made in calculating the total cost commitment.
  • An adjustment is required for a recently negotiated F&A rate and the date of the new agreement is more than 30 days before the budget period start date on the award which first provided the total cost commitments.
  • There is a case of significant rebudgeting or other circumstances where it would be unreasonable or unfair not to make the adjustment.
• Check with the NIAID Budget Office if a grant requires an increase of more than $3,000 over the committed level for an award during the fourth quarter (July, August, and September).
• Upload all official grant file documents into eGrants.

For more of your responsibilities, see GMP's Non-Competing Progress Reports (e-SNAPs and SNAPs).

Contacts

Grantees with questions should contact the appropriate program officer or grants management specialist listed on their Notice of Award. For more information, see Contact Staff for Help.

Contact for NIAID Staff

If you have knowledge to share or want more information on this topic, email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base.

Links

Send Us an Annual Progress Report in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal

eRA Home page

Noncompeting Progress Reports and Program Officer Approval SOP