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This news update from the NIH Office of Research Information Systems (ORIS), provides the Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS) and its partners with pertinent information about the plans and progress of the NIH
Electronic Research Administration (eRA). Through its eRA and information services, ORIS supports the Department's
research grants programs by using technology to reduce the costs of grants administration, to analyze and report on
grant data, and to synthesize grant information into knowledge for guiding the NIH research portfolio and improving
the Nation's health.
eRA Releases Web-based Workspace for Grants Management Staff
Grants Management (GM) staff now will be able to make awards and administer grants on the Web. On October 10, eRA released GM Redesign Version 2.1.2.14 into production. The Web-based GM software, which has all of the functionality of the client/server version, is easier to access and use. There also are several enhancements, including: - Links to Grant Closeout and WebQT from the GM Redesign menu
- Expanded search and hit-list capability
- Ability to create and save three personal queries
- New Grants Management Officer (GMO) and Grants Specialist (GS) portfolio reports
- Ability to view and acknowledge eNotification events, such as Program Officer (PO) signoff
The Grants Management Advisory Committee (GMAC) sponsored a two-hour Grants Management Redesign Workshop for all GM staff on October 13 at the Natcher Conference Center. The archived videocast is available at http://videocast.nih.gov/ram/gmac101305.ram . There will be hands-on training for GM staff in the next several weeks. Details will be sent by email to GMAC and GM Lead Users. The following application documentation is online for NIH staff: GM Lead Analyst Cathy Walker would like to thank GM Lead Users. “You have provided invaluable assistance through the summer and fall, especially in reporting production issues over the last two weeks. Your continued support is critical to the success of GM Redesign and is much appreciated.” Address technical questions about the GM Redesign application to the eRA Helpdesk at helpdesk@od.nih.gov. If you have questions about the transition to the GM Redesign, contact Cathy Walker at walkerc@mail.nih.gov.
OERRM Implements New System to Plan and Track eRA Projects
It was not so long ago that workers stood in line to punch a time clock. Beginning October 1, 340 employees of the Office of Electronic Research and Reports Management (OERRM) began using a sophisticated new electronic timesheet that does much more than tally hours. OERRM has implemented Microsoft Project Server, an Intranet-based system that monitors eRA resources, tracks the progress of eRA projects, and helps set future priorities. Project Server extends the capability of Project software by providing OERRM management with a comprehensive and integrated picture of the entire eRA program. Each task performed by OERRM staff is associated with a specific Project or Branch Plan and recorded in the database. Managers assign staff resources from an enterprise pool to perform each task. By integrating timesheets with project plans, Project Server accurately reports on work performed. The system also offers tools to help managers analyze work by project and by resource, enabling organizations to increase efficiencies, make predictions, and plan for the future. Project Server, which has an integrated Earned Value Management System (EVMS), also will enable OERRM to perform earned value analysis as required by the Office of Management and Budget. According to this system, there must be a specific budget for each element of work. As the project team completes each element of work, the element earns its budget. This methodology quantifies work progress and provides valuable insights to project managers enabling them to make decisions to ensure that their projects complete on time and budget. In addition to its benefits to management, Project Server simplifies time reporting for staff. Users log on to Project Web Access (PWA), connect to customized timesheets, and enter actual hours worked (minimum unit is .25 hours) into a spreadsheet. At the end of each week, users submit their timesheet for approval to their supervisor. Prior to implementation, eRA staff attended mandatory training in Project Server time reporting. “Things have gone very well, and the feedback has been generally positive,“ commented Alastair Thomson, Strategic Planner for OERRM. “Most important for me is that people are moving beyond thinking about Project Server as a time-reporting tool and are realizing the tremendous value it's going to provide in improving project tracking and in communicating a clear picture of what's going on to OERRM management and eRA's governance.” If you have questions about Project Server, contact eRAProjectsHelp@od.nih.gov.
Principal Investigators and Grants Specialists Begin Receiving Electronic Notices
Two NIH notices no longer will arrive on paper. Effective October 7, eRA’s new eNotification system began contacting grants specialists to inform them of program official (PO) approval of awards. Likewise, on October 13, the system began issuing electronic “Summary Statement Released” notices to principal investigators (PIs). The eNotification system will send email to all PIs regarding Summary Statement release; however, PIs must be registered in the eRA Commons to view their Summary Statements online. NIH Notice NOT-OD-05-075, issued on September 8, informs grantees that, as of the next review cycle, NIH will discontinue hardcopy distribution of Summary Statements through conventional mail. Grants specialists from NINDS, NIDCD, NIBIB, NIAID, and NIAAA have been participating in a Phase I eNotification pilot for several months. In addition to “PO Approval of Award” and “Summary Statement Released,” this pilot includes five other notifications: - Review Outcome (Percentile and Priority Scores Changed)
- Just-in-Time Scores Released
- Institute Assigned
- Scientific Review Administrator (Scientific Review Group) Assigned
- Council Date Changed
In his presentation to the Extramural Program Management Committee (EPMC) on March 3, Dr. Israel Lederhendler, director of the Office of Electronic Research and Reports Management (OERRM), stated that, contingent on an official change in policy, eRA plans to discontinue all paper mailers by January 2007. For more information about the new eNotification system, contact eRA Analyst Inna Faenson at faensoni@mail.nih.gov.
Seminar Welcomes NIH Staff to the Age of Knowledge
Everyone knows that we began a new century in the year 2001 (or 2000 as some believe). Do you also know that we’ve progressed from the Age of Information to the Age of Knowledge? This was the theme of the first in a series of seminars sponsored by the Office of Electronic Research and Reports Management (OERRM) and the Office of Extramural Research (OER). “Knowledge Management and You” was held on October 26. An important part of the OERRM mission is to “enable the synthesis of [biomedical research grant] information into knowledge that can guide the management of the NIH research portfolio and improve the Nation’s health. OERRM Director Dr. Israel Lederhendler is committed to this mission and has appointed Dr. Marie Zeimetz as the program lead for the effort. Both Drs. Zeimetz and Lederhendler made opening remarks at the seminar. Dorrette Finch, who heads OERRM’s Division of Information Services, introduced her former teacher, guest speaker Douglas Weidner, an early adopter and innovator of KM for Northrop Grumman, and a consultant for the Department of Defense, the World Bank, the United Nations, NASA, and other organizations. Mr. Weidner introduced NIH staff to KM goals, models, techniques and tools designed to capitalize on the information explosion. According to Mr. Weidner, information technology helped us to give structure and context to data. KM practices and technology will help us to analyze a vast body of information and learn from experience to achieve greater understanding and promote innovation. If you missed the OERRM/OER KM kick-off seminar on October 26th, you can see the videocast at http://videocast.nih.gov/ram/gmac101305.ram. Presentation materials for this seminar are available at the OERRM KM Portal, which also includes a calendar of KM events, relevant KM links and other KM resources. Upcoming events sponsored by OERRM/OER KM include its next KM seminar on “Communities of Practice” (CoPs). Dick Warrick, a KM expert from IBM will discuss best practices and lessons learned from successful CoPs. He will describe how the portal environment can promote collaboration for CoPs and collaboration across the enterprise. In addition, OERRM/OER will sponsor a full-day KM conference in February 2006 that will include a half-day symposium and a half day of demos (e.g., current NIH text-mining applications). Future topics for the OERRM/OER KM seminar series include: Virtual Workspaces, Knowledge Retention, Social Network Analysis, After-Action Reviews, Knowledge Mining, and other KM technologies. NIH community feedback will guide the development of this seminar series. Please let the OERRM KM team about speakers and topics you would like to hear. There are multiple channels for you to provide input: send e-mail to mzeimetz@mail.nih.gov or to oerrmkm@mail.nih.gov; or send suggestions through the feedback module on the OERRM KM Portal.
eCGAP Paves the Way for New Grants.Gov Process
With everyone focusing on NIH plans to convert to the electronic SF424 (R&R) and require all application submissions through Grants.gov, the 23 electronic Competitive Grant Application Process (eCGAP) applications that arrived for the October 1 deadline received little attention. Although eCGAP (which is based on the PHS 398 dataset and submission directly to NIH) will be superseded by the Grants.gov process, it is important to acknowledge the valuable contribution of the eCGAP initiative. Since eCGAP pilots began in 2003, more than 30 institutions nationwide, in collaboration with Service Providers, successfully have submitted electronic applications for seven Council rounds. During the same time period, eRA partnered with Grants.gov to develop the new federal form and PHS-specific supplemental forms, to adopt standards for ebXML communications, and to establish system-to-system capability to enable NIH to retrieve application data from Grants.gov. In support of eCGAP and in preparation for communicating with Grants.gov, eRA constructed the eRA eXchange, NIH’s first business-to-government system. Based on the ebXML standard and using Simple Object Access Protocol with attachments (SwA) protocol over HTTPS, the eXchange will enable NIH to receive application data from Grants.gov. As part of the eCGAP initiative, eRA also developed and tested software to validate application data against NIH business rules, create records in the eRA database and generate a high-quality electronic grant image for downstream electronic processing. In addition, eRA built the eCGAP Receipt and Referral module for internal use by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) to process e-applications received through the eRA eXchange. In summary, the eCGAP team built the hardware and software infrastructure to receive and process electronic submissions. The two years of eCGAP pilot testing also provided NIH, its grantees and Service Providers with opportunities to gain experience with e-submission and prepare for the mandatory conversion from paper to electronic applications. Service Providers now are gearing up to support applicants as NIH implements its timeline for transitioning to electronic SF424 R&R grant applications through Grants.gov. Last May, the members of the eCGAP team, who planned and supervised the development, testing and implementation of NIH’s electronic grants-receipt system, won the prestigious Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 2005 Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service. Jennifer Flach, the eCGAP team lead, continues to manage NIH technical development in support of electronic SF424 (R&R) applications through Grants.gov.
What eRA Did for You in FY 2005
Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 was very productive for the eRA program, introducing new technology, new tools, and new processes to improve NIH grants administration. In addition to operating and maintaining the Department’s enterprise system for research grants processing and facilitating the integration of other Operating Divisions (OPDIVs), eRA made progress in each of the functional areas on its approved list of priorities: Electronic Receipt - Conducted a series of electronic Competitive Grant Application Process (eCGAP) pilots, accepting increasingly complex types of applications. In January 2005, opened the submission of electronic, modular, non-consortia R01, R03, and R21 grant applications (new, competing continuation, and revised) to all institutions working with Service Providers.
- Partnered with Grants.gov to develop the new federal form and PHS-specific supplemental forms, to adopt standards for ebXML communications, and to establish system-to-system capability to enable NIH to retrieve application data from Grants.gov.
- Implemented the eCGAP Receipt and Referral module to enable the Center for Scientific Review to process incoming electronic applications.
- Enabled grantees to see electronic submission errors through the Commons Status module.
End-to-End Electronic Processing - Designed “One View,” an integrated approach that will enable extramural staff and grantee users ––grants specialists, scientific review administrators, program officials, principal investigators, signing officials and others–– to interact with the eRA system in the same way, using the same or similar interfaces and facilities to display, search, and report on grants administration data, receive notifications, enter requests, and execute transactions.
- Conducted a Phase I pilot of an e-Notification system for NIH extramural staff and the grantee community. Created the infrastructure and administrative facility to support electronic notification of seven grants-related business events.
- Created a prototype data mart to enhance reporting and decision-making.
- Redesigned the Grants Management (GM) module to enable GM staff to award and administer grants using a Web interface.
- Enhanced the electronic Grants Folder by adding a PDF image of each electronic grant application, the cover sheet, cover letter and face page, appendix material, detailed PI history report, budget, and checklist. The Grant Folder also now contains two closeout documents: the Final Invention Report and the Final Progress Report.
- Added close-out functionality to the Commons. A new feature allows the grantee to submit the Final Invention Statement and the Final Progress Report electronically.
Emerging Requirements - Produced a successful disease-coding prototype using Collexis Knowledge Management (KM) software.
- In collaboration with the National Library of Medicine (NLM), developed a Web-based, NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system to implement the new NIH Public Access (PA) policy.
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