eRA Commons: New Features and Fixes
New features and fixes added to the Commons module are listed below:
Year: 2012
2013
The following are highlights of eRA's upcoming January 24-25 system-wide software release.
xTrain
- The Statement of Appointment (Form PHS 2271) has been modified to reflect the OMB approved revised list of Field of Training (FOT) codes and Specialty Boards
- xTrain will now recognize the amendment date when an appointment has been modified and the trainee is appointed or reappointed before the original end date. The system will no longer display an error message about overlapping appointment dates.
- The fellowship will now be displayed under Prior Support when the trainee has an appointment and previously had a fellowship.
- When fellowships are being terminated, only the years where the stipend amount is greater than zero and the status is either awarded or terminated will be displayed.
- New online help for xTrain. When you see a question mark (?) and click on it, it will take you to information about that page or content. The question marks appear on the following screens: My Grants, Trainee Roster, Trainee Appointments and Terminations, Statement of Training Appointment, Termination Notice NRSA, and List of Grants.
eRA Commons
- Expansion of Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) with several fixes and enhancements added
ASSIST
- Application Submission System & Interface for Submission Tracking (ASSIST) pilot underway.
- Users are getting their first experience developing multi-project applications on-line in the new ASSIST system as they prepare to submit for January due date.
- Additional pilot opportunities will close over the next few months.
- NIH will transition all multi-project applications to electronic submission by January 2014 (see Transition Timeline).
- For information, see Submitting a Multi-project Application.
Scheduled Downtime for January Release:
eRA Commons will be unavailable beginning at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, January 24 and will return to service by 7 a.m. ET Friday, January 25.
After the January Release, make sure to review the Release Notes for detailed information on the changes.
2012
October 2012
The following are highlights of eRA’s upcoming October 18-19 system-wide software release.
- Use of Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) Expanded
The use of RPPR is extended to all SNAP eligible progress reports and all Fellowships (F activity codes). For more information about RPPR, please visit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) web page.
- Progress Report Additional Materials (PRAM) Included in RPPR
The Progress Report Additional Materials (PRAM) feature provides a means for the grantee to enter, review, and submit information in response to specific request(s) from NIH for additional materials or in response to non-compliant publications following the submission of an RPPR.
- Principal Investigator (PI) Status Screen Updates
A new status screen for Principal Investigators (PIs) will be included in the release. The new interface will be more consistent with the screen Signing Officials see. It will let the PI see all errors and warnings from submissions even after the application has moved forward in the review process.
- xTrain Updates
There are several changes coming to xTrain in this release. The major improvements are:- Fixes the PDFs of xTrain appointments to ensure that important data and signatures are included.
- Enables the termination of appointments and fellowships when there is a change of institution. The name of the new institution, project title (if it has changed) and appropriate Business Official will be listed on the Termination Notice User Interface and PDF.
- In the near future, PDFs of xTrain appointments that are missing important data and signatures will be regenerated with all the correct information.
April 2012
New Features (April 2012)
- Electronic submission of Change of Institution (Type 7) applications – This process allows an institution to turn over an active grant to another institution. It is an open pilot, meaning that you have the choice to use the electronic process or the traditional paper process. There are two parts to the Change of Institution submission. The institution holding the grant must complete a Relinquishing Statement through eRA Commons that states it is giving up the grant and identifies the receiving institution. The receiving institution must submit an application via Grants.gov using the Parent Funding Opportunity Announcement listed at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/parent_announcements.htm.
- Electronic submission of Successor-in-Interest (Type 6) Applications – Also in an open pilot, this process is similar to Change of Institution (Type 7) Applications. It applies in cases where an organization is taken over by another organization through a merger or corporate change. Please look for an NIH Guide Notice next week.
- Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) – The RPPR was sparked by a federal mandate to create a progress report in a standard format across federal agencies so that recipient reporting is standardized. The RPPR begins as a limited pilot, with seven institutions volunteering to test the procedures. We anticipate a wider pilot over the summer and going to full production in 2013. Additional information can be found on the Research Performance Progress Report Web page and NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-12-083.
New Fixes
- Various fixes for the Administrative Supplement (Type 3) system which is currently in open pilot.
- A fix for users experiencing difficulties in adding the role type of “Other” to the All Personnel section of the eSNAP.
January 2012
Submitting and Tracking Administrative Supplement Requests Electronically
As you may be aware, NIH is piloting two programs for the electronic submission of administrative supplement (non-competing Type 3) requests, one through a "streamlined system" in the eRA Commons and one through Grants.gov for the benefit of researchers at system-to-system institutions. The open pilot programs will begin on February 1, 2012 (See NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-12-024).
eRA implemented changes to provide grantees the ability to create, edit, and submit an electronic version of the administrative supplement request using the eRA Commons. Whether submitted through the eRA Commons or through the Grants.gov portal, users will be able to track the administrative supplement requests in eRA Commons.
New Features and Fixes Archive