Inside eRA, October 1, 2001

eRA Is Only as Good as You Define It

In October, eRA Analysts will work closely with the Advocates to refine FY 2002 system and budget requirements. Now is the time to communicate with your Group Advocate to ensure that your IC's business requirements are included on the priority list. We need your help as we strive to create a system that meets user-defined requirements. After all user requests are identified, eRA Analysts will work with Group Advocates to determine development and implementation timeframes based on priorities and cost constraints.

To ensure that system enhancements or modifications important to your business area are included in the 2002 or 2003 budget, please contact your Advocate now. Special requests received later in the year will need to be submitted to the Steering Committee through the Project Manager for approval, and funding will be uncertain.

Interagency Edison Receives Recognition from U.S. Air Force Users

The Air Force Research Laboratory's Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) extolled the benefits of the Interagency Edison (I-Edison) system in the August 2001 issue of Leading Edge, a publication of the Air Force Materiel Command. AFOSR representatives note that the ability for grantees to self-report inventions in the I-Edison database has resulted in reduced paperwork, time and cost savings for federal staff, increased data accuracy, and greater reporting compliance. I-Edison also enables the NIH and other grant-making agencies to highlight the positive results of federally funded research and facilitates the transfer of technology from the research laboratory to the commercial and public sectors.

As you may know, I-Edison, a Web-based invention reporting and tracking system developed in 1995 by the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER), enables federal grantees, contractors, and participating federal agencies to electronically manage extramural invention portfolios. Currently, 13 federal agencies have adopted the I-Edison system, and the U.S. Forest Service is expected to be added shortly.

I-Edison will be better integrated into the IMPAC II system for grants management closeout during FY 2002.

Program Portal Planning Underway

From September 10 through November 19, Joint Application Development (JAD) group meetings will be held weekly to refine the requirements for the IMPAC II Program module portal. As discussed in the August 17 issue, development of a portal for Program officials will be accomplished during the first of a two-phase approach to designing an IMPAC II Program module. With a single logon, the portal will provide users with secure, customized access to business-area functionality. Compatibility with the NIH portal is an objective of the Program portal development.

JAD participants include a cross-section of IC Program officials, Grants Management and Budget staff; developers; quality assurance personnel; and OER representatives. The following JAD members have volunteered their time to ensure the success of this endeavor: Carlos Caban, Co-Facilitator (OD); Everett Carpenter (NCI); Bud Erickson, Co-Facilitator, (NCI); Richard Fisher (NEI); Della Hann (OD); Israel Lederhendler (NIMH); Mary Lou Prince (NIMH); Jose Serrano (NIDDK); Derrick Tabor (NIGMS); Paul Velletri (NHLBI); and Cathy Walker (NIAID).

During the first JAD session, the participants enumerated the tasks performed by Program officials and the functionality needed to support them in their jobs. The second and third sessions provided a review of existing functionality available in other applications including the IMPAC II Crisp Plus, ICO, and QuickView modules as well as ECB.

For additional information on the Program portal JAD, contact Mr. Bud Erickson, Program Group Advocate, at berickso@mail.nih.gov or 301-435-4913.

eRA Project Participation Matrix Available Online

Over 600 NIH staff members, representing every NIH Institute and Center (IC), devote time and energy to eRA through participation in project management, user groups, functional committees, implementation teams, or technical groups. These individuals have assumed roles that are vital to the success of the eRA project: speaking on behalf of their organizations and returning information on eRA plans and issues back to their ICs. The participation matrix lists participation, by role in the project and by IC.

For each IC or business area involved in the eRA project, the matrix identifies staff members who currently participate in various working groups. These individuals have established roles in eRA; they represent their IC's or business area's interests in eRA and are responsible for informing the appropriate staff of eRA plans and developments. This two-way information channel enables eRA to be responsive to the user community's diverse needs and is vital to our success.

In addition to NIH participation in the eRA project, 20 representatives from grantee institutions participate in the Commons Working Group (CWG), and 4,578 individuals in the extramural community and 183 institutions have registered for the NIH Commons Version 1.

The eRA Project would like to thank all those who devote time and energy to provide input, vision, and guidance for the project. Continued success depends upon hearing from all perspectives. IC management may wish to review the matrix to ensure that their IC has a sufficient voice in the project. Please direct questions or designations of additional user group participants to Ms. Madeline Monheit at MonheitM@od.nih.gov or 301-451-5955.

Commons Working Group Approves Changes to SNAP

At their August 16 meeting, the Commons Working Group (CWG) added their endorsement to final recommendations to modify components of the SNAP (Streamlined Non-competing Award Process) business process. The approved recommendations were the result of ideas solicited and vetted through numerous groups as discussed in the August 17 issue.

These changes initially are recommended only for the electronic SNAP (e-SNAP) business process as an incentive for Principal Investigators (PIs) and Institutions to use the electronic system. Eventually, some of the recommendations may be incorporated into all progress reports, SNAP and e-SNAP. The endorsed recommendations for SNAP and e-SNAP are available online.

For additional information on SNAP re-engineering, contact Dr. George Stone, Commons Group Advocate, at 301-435-1986 or by email at gs60a@nih.gov or Ms. Marcia Hahn, Grants Management Group Advocate, at 301-435-0932 or by email at hahnm@od.nih.gov.

eRA Reaches Out to NCURA Conference Participants

Enthusiasm for eRA's products and plans was evident at the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Electronic Research Administration (ERA) VI Conference, held August 16-19 in Portland, Oregon. The annual conference, which attracts more than 500 attendees from universities and institutions, was themed "Stop Talking and Start Doing" this year.

More than half of the conference participants visited the eRA booth staffed by NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) personnel. Demonstrations of the Extramural Training (X-Train) application [see Extramural Training (X-Train) Application Pilot Deployment Underway in this issue] and information about the NIH Commons were provided. "The response was supportive and positive," said Scarlett Gibbs, User Support Branch.

X-Train Pilot Phase Extended

Based on input from participants at the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) ERA VI Conference who attended demonstrations of X-Train Version 1.5, [see eRA Reaches Out to NCURA Conference Participants in this issue of Inside eRA] and from the Commons Working Group (CWG), we have decided to extend the X-Train pilot phase to maximize our understanding of user requirements. Feedback from a limited population's three-month evaluation of Version 1.5 will be used to identify detailed system requirements for the Java-based X-Train Version 2.0 and to redesign the business process.

As reported in the August 17 issue, a pilot version of the Web-based Extramural Training (X-Train) application is slated for September deployment. For those who may not be aware, X-Train Version 1.5 includes appointment, reappointment, and termination options and uses NIH Commons Version 1 technology. Professional profile information is captured within the interface. Based on early feedback indicating a need to re-evaluate the number of signatures required, termination notices are not included in the initial phase of the pilot.

Demonstrations of X-Train received an eager welcome at the NCURA Conference in August. For more information on the X-Train pilot program, contact Dr. Walter Schaffer, Training Activities Group Advocate, at 301-435-2687 or by email at schaffew@od.nih.gov.

Another Small Step for Improving Data Quality in IMPAC II

As part of eRA's commitment to resolving IMPAC II data problems, quality assurance staff developed a script that corrects inaccurate dates in the IMPAC II Reporting Database (IRDB).

When the data was loaded from IMPAC I into the IRDB, less than two percent of the input records included incorrect project period-end dates such as 8/32/76. Because the original records lacked correct dates, the Oracle load program responded by inserting the date 1/1/2999 into the records, most of which predate 1985. The quality assurance staff expects to resolve all of these errors by the end of the fiscal year.

Edit checks in IMPAC II prohibit the entry of invalid dates, preventing recurrence of this problem. There are multiple points at which errors can be introduced into the database because the system was designed to provide maximum flexibility. Although not all errors are within our control, eRA is taking steps to resolve and prevent many data errors. As reported in the June 7 issue, eRA awarded a three-year contract to QRC, a division of the Macro International Corporation, to correct existing errors and develop tools to prevent future problems.

eRA Planning Retreats Scheduled

On October 5, eRA Analysts and management will participate in a one-day retreat that will focus on evaluating project expenditures for FY 2001, strategizing for a mid-course correction, and looking forward to FY 2002 and FY 2003. They also will clarify eRA Analysts' roles within the project and prepare for a November retreat with the entire eRA Project Management Team.

On November 1 and 2, the eRA Project Team will engage in an intensive planning retreat that will refine FY 2002 goals, budget priorities, and methods for achieving project objectives as well as further clarify roles and responsibilities of the eRA Project Team.

IMPAC II Releases as of September, 2001

To accommodate end-of-year activities, no new releases were scheduled for September. Please email questions about the schedule to the IMPAC II Helpdesk at helpdesk@od.nih.gov.

IMPAC II Training as of October 1, 2001

Although classes are expected to be offered in the first quarter of FY2002, HRDD has not yet released that schedule. Classes will be announced in Inside eRA as they are known.

The following courses are also offered; however, there are no scheduled sessions at this time or scheduled classes are full. For more information or to request a class, visit the HRDD website or contact Mr. Ajoy Gadhok at gadhoka@od.nih.gov or 301-402-3384.

Course Title	Number	Duration	Tuition
Committee Management for CMOs and CMAs	5834	1 day	$180
Committee Management for GTAs and Review Staff	5833	1 day	$180
Committee Management for SREA Staff	5835	½ day	$140
CRISP Plus	5829	1 day	$110
Grants Management	5827	1 day	$180
Institute Center Operations	5828	½ day	$138
Peer Review	5825	1 day	$180