Electronic Research AdministrationOffice of Extramural ResearchNational Institutes of Health

June 2012

eRA CommonsAccount Administration

Basics

Scarlett GibbeRA Commons Customer Relationship Manager

Joe SchumakereRA Communication Specialist

What is the eRA Commons?

The eRA Commons is an online interface where grant applicants, grantees and federal staff can access and share administrative information related to grant applications and awarded research grants.

Applications

Post-award Correspondence

Review Assignment

Priority Score

Summary Statement

Notice of Award

Assurances

Certifications

Progress Reports

Financial Reports

Invention Reports

Profile Data

Assembled Application Image

eSubmission Errors/Warnings

Training Appointment Actions

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Today’s Account Administration Topics

•Account AdministrationoNavigating the eRA Commons oWhat is an eRA Commons role?oAccount Tips oCreating and editing accountsoSearching for an accountoAffiliating an accountoeRA password requirementsoForgotten passwords/locked accounts

•Institution Profile•Personal Profile•Delegation•Resources

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Account Administration

Navigating the eRA Commons

The eRA Commons navigation menu has three (3) levels. The top level displays the main functions (tabs) available. Clicking a top-level tab will display the second level; clicking a second-level tab will display the third level.

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What is an eRA Commons Role?

The functions that a user can perform in the Commons are based on the role or roles assigned to his or her Commons account.

•Commons has administrative roles (e.g., Signing Official: SO; Business Official: BO)

•and scientific roles (e.g., Principal Investigator: PI; Reviewer: IAR; Training: Trainee)

•and other roles related to specific functions (e.g., Financial Conflict of Interest role: FCOI)

•Full, printable list of eRA Commons roles: http://era.nih.gov/files/eRA_Commons_Roles.pdf

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Account Tips

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•During Commons registration, applicant organization designates a Signing Official (SO). SO registers or affiliates Project Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s), or PD/PI(s).

•A single account should not have both the PI or other scientific roles and SO or other administrative roles. A person needing scientific and administrative roles should have two separate accounts (one for each type of role).

•Scientists should choose usernames wisely; your username remains with you throughout your career!

•If a PI serves as a reviewer, his or her single account can have both the PI and Internet Assisted Review (IAR) roles without any issue.

Creating and Editing Accounts

Creating New User Accounts:

•Select the Admin tab, Accounts tab, Manage Accounts tab, then click Create New Account button.

•Signing Officials, Account Administrators, Administrative Officials, and Business Officials only!

Editing Accounts:

•Select the Admin tab, Accounts tab, then Manage Accounts tab.

•Search for the desired user. Select Edit link adjacent to desired user.

•Above roles only8

Search/Check for Existing Account

Administrators should always check to see if a user already has a Commons account before creating a new one. Ask the person if they already have an account, or search within the Commons.

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If a user already has an account with a different organization, the SO should affiliate the existing account with the user’s new organization.

To search outside of your institution, make sure you check this box.

Hands-on Exercise: Accessing eRA Commons

1. Click on the eRA Commons Demo shortcut on your computer’s desktop. If the shortcut is unavailable, enter the following URL into an internet browser:

eRA Commons Demo (non-production environment): https://public.uat.era.nih.gov/commons/

2. Your handouts include a username and password. Enter the username for the signing official and password into the appropriate fields under Commons Login.

Note: eRA Commons Password is case-sensitive.

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Hands-on Exercise: Create an Affiliation

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1. In Commons demo search for a person in your institution (Admin, Accounts, Manage Accounts) to affiliate (make sure you check the Search outside your institution box).

2. From the search results, affiliate a person with your institution (use Create Affiliation link in Action column).

Hands-on Exercise: Add a Role

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1. On affiliated account add a role.

2. Search for person

3. Click “edit”

4. Click the Add Role button and select a role to add.

Password Requirements

Password policy document: http://era.nih.gov/files/NIH_eRA_Password_Policy.pdf

Passwords must:

• contain at least eight (8) characters; no blank spaces

• contain a mixture of letters, numbers and these special characters: ! # $ % - _ = + < >

•Not begin or end with a number

•Not contain username

•Not be reused within one (1) year

•Be changed every 90 days

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Did You Forget Your Password?

Click the Forgot Password/Unlock Account? link found directly beneath the Commons Login fields.

Enter username and e-mail address, then select Submit.

If the username and e-mail combination match the username and e-mail combination in the system, a temporary password will be e-mailed to you.

This process will also unlock your account, and you can contact your Signing Official or Administrative Official and have them reset your password. 14

Resetting Password and Unlocking Account

Administrators: In Admin, Accounts, Manage Accounts, search for the account, then click Edit.

To lock or unlock an account, or reset the password, select the desired button.

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Changing a Password

Enter current and new password. Click Submit. Available to any logged-in user.

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Institution Profile

Overview of Institution Profile (IPF)

The Institution Profile (IPF) is a central repository of information for all Commons-registered organizations.

It is designed so that each organization establishes and maintains their organization’s profile data. Depending on their privileges, users can view and/or update Institution Profile information.

•SOs only can edit IPF info.

• IPF displayed as a read-only page for users with all other Commons roles.

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Sections of the IPF

Sections of the Institution Profile include:

•Basic: basic information about the institution, including name, address, Institution Contact information, list of Signing Officials, etc.

•Assurances and Certifications: contains data elements that comprise assurance/certification information about an institution, such as Human Subjects Assurance Number and Animal Welfare Assurance Number, etc.

•Institution Usage: displays a summary of institution’s users; may not display for institutions with a large user population

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Editing the Institution Profile (Basic Screen)

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SOs (only) can edit Institution Profile.

Hands-on Exercise: Editing the Institution Profile

1. Log in to Commons Demo as a Signing Official.2. Click Institution Profile.3. Click Basic.4. Click on Edit link – add Human Subjects Assurance

Number.5. Click on Submit.6. Choose Assurances and Certifications and edit fields

where necessary.

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Personal Profile

Overview of Personal Profile (PPF)

The Personal Profile (PPF) is a central repository for individual personal information.

•Each Commons user is responsible for keeping his or her own information current and correct.

•Includes Personal Information, Race/Ethnicity, Employments, Reviewer-Specific, Residential Address, Degrees/Residency, Publications, Trainee-Specific, and Reference Letters

•Very few staff members at NIH have access to change information (for emergencies only)

•When you change your password, you will be automatically redirected to the Personal Profile tab—take a moment to review and update your information.

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Personal Profile Information is Used to:

• Verify information submitted in grant applications. If your profile is not current, errors or warnings may be generated during the application submission process.

• Send you agency notifications. If your profile is not current, we may not be able to contact you. Since many of these notifications are now automatic, we may not even be aware that the notification did not reach you.

• Complete aggregate reporting.

• Determine eligibility for Early Stage Investigator (ESI) and New Investigator (NI) status.

• Determine a reviewer’s eligibility for the Continuous Submission application submission policy.

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PPF—Personal Information

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Tip: Keep your e-mail address current. You will need access to your e-mail if you forget your password. Also, NIH has transitioned to e-mail for most grant-related communications.

PPF—Employments

Add New Employment Edit

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Add New or Edit existing employment in the next hands-on exercise!

PPF—Degrees/Residency

The Degrees/Residency screens list awarded and in-progress academic degrees, including expected completion date.

•Degree information is important in determining eligibility for Early Stage Investigator and New Investigator status.

Use Add New Degree button to provide additional degree information.

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PPF—Degrees/Residency

PIs need to update their degree/residency data before submitting an R01 application!

•List of Degrees screen displays ESI status and a link to ESI Eligibility Information.

Use Add Medical Residency button to provide information.

View Early Stage Investigator Status and End of Eligibility Date.

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PPF—PublicationsPublication information is used in annual progress reports.Commons pulls in manuscripts from NIH Manuscript

Submission System (NIHMS), publications from PubMed and PubMed Central, and citations entered into the My NCBI tool of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

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My NCBI citations automatically appear in the List of Publications screen (after the user links their My NCBI &

Commons accounts).

PPF—List of Reference Letters

Some grant programs (see Application Guide) require applicants to have references submit Letters of Reference as part of the grant application. Letters are submitted separately from the application directly in eRA Commons.

•PIs can see if a reference letter has been submitted, but cannot view the letter itself.

Referees do not need to be registered in Commons to submit letters!

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Other sections of the PPF

Additional sections of the Personal Profile include:

•Race/ethnicity: information is used for aggregate reporting only

•Reviewer-Specific: this section is designated for Commons users who are reviewers for NIH (have Internet Assisted Review (IAR) role)

•Residential Address: Home address info. Screen includes Secure Payee Registration System link for reviewers to use for payment for participation on an NIH review committee

•Trainee-Specific: providing the requested information on this screen is required for users who have the TRAINEE role 31

Hands-on Exercise: PPF Employments

1. Navigate to the Personal Profile click in Personal Information.

2. Change or add any information.

3. Click submit before moving to next tab

4. Enter any other heading and change information.

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Delegations

Types of Delegations

Delegate PI (can be done by SO for PI)

•Delegation can be made to any eRA Commons user at the PI’s institution with the Assistant (ASST) role

•Remember: SOs register assistants in Commons!

•Provides ability to complete eSNAP information for the PI’s grants (cannot route or submit)

Delegate PPF Edit

•Delegation can be made to any other eRA Commons user at the institution

•Provides ability to edit Personal Profile information

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Types of Delegations, cont.Delegate Status

•Delegation can be made to any eRA Commons user at the PI’s institution with the Assistant (ASST) role

•Provides access to PI’s status information, including the ability to check for application errors/warnings and to view the assembled application image

•DOES NOT provide access to application summary statement or priority score

Delegate xTrain Authority

•Delegation can be made to any eRA Commons user at the PI’s institution with the Assistant (ASST) role

•Provides the same authority within xTrain as the PI, except for the ability to submit appointments to agency

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Types of Delegations, cont.Delegate Sponsor

A User with the Sponsor role can Delegate Sponsor.

•Can initiate and facilitate termination of a fellow

•Cannot submit termination

Delegate FCOI

Allows user to work on and process an FCOI. Delegate cannot submit FCOI to NIH

Delegate Submit

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SOs and BOs can Delegate Submit authority to any PI at their institution.•Allows a PI to submit own eSNAP (Electronic Streamlined Non-competing Award Process) information to agency

Performing Delegations

The Admin section of Commons provides users the ability to assign (and revoke) authority to perform specific functions to other eRA Commons users. This action is called a delegation.

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Preview of Updated Delegation Process

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The delegation process in Commons will be redesigned this summer. Commons will have a one-stop-shop for a user to manage his or her delegations. Stay tuned!

Sample screen; subject to change.

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Hands-on Exercise: Delegation

1. Login as Principal Investigator

2. Click on Accounts/Delegations

3. Delegate status to an assistant

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Resources

OER & eRA Self-Help Resources

Websites:

eRA Commons: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/

Electronic Research Administration: http://era.nih.gov/

Applying Electronically: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ElectronicReceipt/

NIH About Grants: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm

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Finding Help

Contact the eRA Commons Help Desk for assistance with:

Commons registration, eRA system validations, post-submission functionality

Create ticket on Web: http://era.nih.gov/help/index.cfm#era

Phone: 301-402-7469Toll-free: 866-504-9552TTY: 301-451-5939Business hours: Mon.-Fri. (except federal

holidays)7 a.m.-8 p.m. (Eastern Time)

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