Inside eRA, January 17, 2002 (Vol. 3, Issue 1)

eRA Website Gets a New Look and Architecture

The “new” eRA website launched on January 12 with little fanfare but great expectations. The site, formerly an HTML-based website, uses a database architecture that allows automatic data posting, interactive user experiences, and the capacity for high-end enhancements. Content includes the data from the old site and some added data, all with a new look and easier navigation. Most information is accessible through links on the homepage.

The website uses Cold Fusion, a Web application server from Allaire/Macromedia, which provides developers with features that include increased productivity, simplified management, and enhanced performance.

During the next two months, additional data will populate the site. When version 1.5 is released, several new functions will be operational, including a powerful search engine, a calendaring system, and interactive upload capability for Advocates and other key personnel.

Be sure to check out the new site, http://era.nih.gov.

User Support Branch Schedules ICSTORe Demonstrations

All IMPAC II users are invited to attend a demonstration of ICSTORe (Search, Track, Order, Report), an IMPAC II common screen now in pilot mode [see the November 26 issue] that will be used to track, print, and distribute summary statements after the January 18 deployment of Summary Statements Phase III. 

Presenters will demonstrate ICSTORe functions and answer questions at the following sessions:

• January 23, 1:30 p.m., Natcher Building, Balcony A    
• February 11, 1:30 p.m., Rockledge 2, Rooms 9116/9112    
• February 25, 1:30 p.m., Executive Plaza North, Room G

To register for a session, contact the Helpdesk at 301-402-7469 or by email at helpdesk@od.nih.gov. For additional information about ICSTORe, consult the draft user guide.

January Council Summary Statements Will Be Released in IMPAC I

All January Council summary statements must be released in IMPAC I, not IMPAC II. 

Beginning with the May Council round, IMPAC II will be the only comprehensive source of summary statements. At that time, when each summary statement is finalized, email notification will be sent to the Program Official (PO) responsible for the grant. A zipped file containing copies of all finalized summary statements will be sent daily to a centralized email address at each IC for distribution to POs.

Because the Phase III deployment in January supports only one email address, the IMPAC II Helpdesk asks ICs to identify and forward a centralized email address to helpdesk@od.nih.gov. Detailed information on Summary Statement Phase III is available on the IMPAC II website.

2002 Data Uploads to OFM Will Begin in February

Users of the IMPAC II Committee Management (CM) module can enter 2002 data as of January 1, 2002; however, the data will not be uploaded to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) until late February when the calendar year 2001 cleanup is complete. 

Migration to New Production Environment Delayed

Network concerns and hardware issues required eRA to postpone the migration to a new Storage Array Network (SAN) environment scheduled for the weekend of December 28 [see the December 26 issue]. Users should experience no impact from the delay. Alternate storage space is available to meet the increased demands of full-production application scanning now underway. 

The migration has been tentatively rescheduled for the President’s Day weekend beginning February 16. Look for Helpdesk advisories on the migration and for updates in future issues of Inside eRA.

Commons Working Group Discusses Competitive Application Reengineering

The NIH Commons Working Group (CWG) met in Austin, Texas, on January 6 to continue exploring opportunities for reengineering the competitive application process. Representatives from 14 grantee institutions worked with NIH staff on methods for modifying the paper process to maximize the benefits of electronic submission. In compliance with Federal legislation, NIH is preparing to receive electronic competitive applications in FY2003. 

Dr. Suzanne E. Fisher, Director, Division of Receipt and Referral (RR), Center for Scientific Review (CSR), and Dr. Brent Stanfield, eRA Advocate for RR, explained current practices and lent their expertise to the business process reengineering (BPR) discussion. Also in attendance were Dr. Wendy Baldwin, Deputy Director for Extramural Research, NIH, and Regina White, Director, Office of Policy for Extramural Research, who provided valuable input on relevant policy issues. Ultimately, the CWG’s BPR and data streamlining recommendations will be vetted through the appropriate NIH committees for final approval.

The CWG agenda included a discussion of user requirements for the new IMPAC II Financial Status Report (FSR) system. Marcia Hahn, eRA Grants Management Advocate, will develop a survey to gather CWG recommendations for data submission, access, and reporting capabilities. Dr. George Stone, Advocate for the eRA Interface to the Extramural Community, will solicit feedback on Graphical User Interface (GUI) standards for Commons Version 2.0. Standards will be finalized at the end of February.

The next CWG meeting will be held in conjunction with the May Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) conference in Washington, D.C. CWG meetings are open to all interested persons. For more information, contact George Stone at (301) 435-0679 or by email at george.stone@nih.gov.

Project Central Pilot Debuts in January

A pilot version of Microsoft^® Project Central, eRA’s Web-based management tool, will debut in January for two projects, the IMPAC II Population Tracking module and NIH Commons Administration, Release 1. Advocates, business analysts, and team leads for these areas will begin using Project Central to monitor schedules, manage resources, and track and report progress with the high level of detail necessary for a large project. Feedback from pilot users will enable the implementation team to fine-tune the tool before other eRA projects are incorporated. Project Central will support eRA-wide collaborative planning and scheduling. The implementation team will provide the eRA Steering Committee with “view” rights to relevant information that will facilitate decision-making.

Join the Paperless Business World

eRA invites ICs to become involved in the enterprise-wide scanning initiative now in full production [see the December 26 issue]. Beginning this month, the Office of Research Services (ORS) is digitally scanning all paper grant applications received by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) at no cost to Institutes and Centers (ICs). Effective January 15, scanned images of the applications will be available for viewing in Portable Document Format (PDF) through the IMPAC II Grant Folder. Within the next few months, ICs will be able to order CD-ROMs through IMPAC II. 

Later this year, ICs that want to scan legacy grant applications can take advantage of eRA’s scanning expertise in obtaining imaging services and products. As the following table illustrates, the cost of scanning legacy grant files varies based on the number of grants processed by the IC. These rough estimates presume a Grant Folder of 200 pages that includes only the application and all progress reports. Once this initiative is underway, a detailed cost estimate will be prepared for each IC that chooses to participate. Look for updates on scanning of legacy grant files in future issues of Inside eRA.

Institutes by Size	Annual Cost
ICs awarding approximately 5,000 grants annually	$370,500
ICs awarding approximately 2,200 grants annually	$179,000
ICs awarding approximately 900 grants annually	$  87,000

For additional information, contact Mike Cox at 435-0924 or by email at CoxM@od.nih.gov or Dave Carter at 435-1008 or by email at CarterD@od.nih.gov. A CD-ROM order form is available at http://era.nih.gov/docs/eRA_CD_Order_Form.xls.

IMPAC I Retirements Continue

Two IMPAC I functions retired on December 31. 

Effective January 1, 2002, batch submissions from ICs are no longer accepted for update in IMPAC I. You now must enter all IC-specific information directly in IMPAC II using utilities such as batch assignments, APIs called from IC extension systems, and the Grant Update Module (GUM), which can be called from IC Operations (ICO), Peer Review, and other IMPAC II modules.

The functions previously provided by the Computer Utility for Preparing IMPAC data for Downloading (CUPID) are available in the NIH Query/View/Reporting System (QVR) and the Electronic Council Book (ECB), as well as in QuickView (QV), CRISP Plus, and the IMPAC II ICO module.

For details of all functions slated for retirement, see Major IMPAC I Sunset Dates and Recommended IC Action. Contact the Helpdesk with questions at 301-402-7469 or by email at helpdesk@od.nih.gov.

IMPAC I PUB File Functionality Moves to the IRDB

The finalized IMPAC I publication (PUB) file for FY2001 is the last PUB file that will be produced in IMPAC I. An IMPAC II version of the PUB file is available in the IMPAC II Reporting Database (IRDB) and has been finalized for all data captured in IMPAC I. Information for intramural grants and subprojects will be finalized in the IRDB after completion in the Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) database. 

For a given fiscal year, the PUB file provides a frozen set of data for submitted grant applications, active grants, and grants that were funded from fiscal year obligations. PUB files can be accessed for fiscal years 1986–2001. Although some pre-1986 PUB rows are included in the IRDB, they are incomplete and should not be used. To access the PUB file in the IRDB, enter: project_versions_t.source_code_dc = 'PUByyyy' where 'yyyy' is the fiscal year that you are querying. 

eRA Facilitates Loan Repayment Program Data Needs

eRA is extending assistance to the Loan Repayment Program (LPR), which provides for the repayment of a maximum of $35,000 a year toward the outstanding eligible educational debts of qualified health professionals who agree to conduct clinical research. By providing the LPR with query rights to specific IMPAC II information, eRA is helping the LPR to meet its data requirements.

eRA Announces Reporting Business Area Roles

One of eRA’s key tasks is to facilitate reporting on information collected and stored by our applications. The following representatives for the Reporting business area ensure that all aspects of this complex and vital business area are fully represented. 

Dr. Thor Fjellstedt – Advocate, NIH Query/View/Reporting System (QVR). QVR is a Web-based system for reporting on all grants and grant applications in the IMPAC II database [see the July 11, 2001 issue].

Carol S. Martin – Advocate, IMPAC II Reporting Database (IRDB), MS Query, and Enterprise Ad Hoc Query and Reporting Tools. 

Amir Venegas is the Technical Team Lead for the IRDB, which is designed specifically for reporting historical and current extramural project information [see the December 11, 2001 issue].

MS Query enables advanced users to retrieve data from IMPAC II or reporting databases through MS Excel and MS Access. Carol’s team currently is evaluating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) ad hoc query and reporting tools; their recommendation for an enterprise-wide tool is expected shortly.

Training Coordinator Joins eRA

Patty Austin has joined the User Support Branch (USB) as the eRA Training Coordinator working under Tim Twomey’s direction. In this role, Patty will coordinate with eRA Advocates and the Human Resource Development Division (HRDD) to assess user-training needs, create and coordinate classes and schedules, develop Computer Based Training (CBT) modules for IMPAC II and Commons, and perform outreach activities.  

During 22 years at NIH, Patty has served in a variety of assignments, including Assistant Extramural Training Officer and Staff Training in Extramural Programs (STEP) Program Director in the Office of Extramural Programs (OEP). She recently completed stints as the Acting Director, Division of Extramural Staff Training and as chair of the Extramural Staff Training and Development Committee (ESTDC). Patty has received NIH Merit Awards in recognition of her work in staff training programs. 

eRA Capital Asset Plan Receives High Ratings from OMB

The NIH eRA Capital Asset Plan (“Exhibit 300”) received an overall rating of 5 on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) during a budget review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The project received top ratings in the areas of program management, risk management, performance goals, IT security, and life cycle costs. The Exhibit 300 Capital Asset Plan requires projects to demonstrate a direct connection to the agency’s strategic plan, a positive return on investment, comprehensive risk mitigation and management planning, realistic cost and schedule goals, and measurable performance benefits.

IMPAC II Software Release Schedule as of Jan. 16, 2002

The January 18 deployment will include: Summary Statements Phase III, ICSTORe Phase II, Commons Status 1.94, and Subproject screen. All business areas will have a direct link to release notes from the application.

Check the IMPAC II website for release notes after the deployment date. For information about upcoming releases, contact the Helpdesk at 301-402-7469 or by email at helpdesk@od.nih.gov.

IMPAC II Training Opportunities as of Jan. 16, 2002

The Human Resource Development Division (HRDD) has scheduled the following IMPAC II courses.

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 at http://learningsource.od.nih.gov or call 301-496-6211.