eRA System Updates
eRA Modules Restored
April 30, 2010
All eRA modules have been restored and are now available to users. The problem was a result of a network (i.e. DNS) issue.
If you experience slowness or other issues while navigating any of the modules, please contact the eRA Help Desk at http://itservicedesk.nih.gov/eRA/ or by phone at 301-402-7463.
We appreciate your continued patience.
(Original email below; Sent Friday, April 30, 2010, 1:46 p.m.)
Many eRA Modules Remain Unavailable
April 30, 2010
Many eRA Modules remain unavailable to users. eRA and CIT are working diligently to solve the issue. A follow-up message will be sent to users with additional information.
Please note: RCDC, iEdison, eRA Commons and Commons Demo are available to users.
We appreciate your patience.
Many eRA Applications are Currently Unavailable
April 30, 2010
The eRA system-including many IMPAC II modules-is currently unavailable due to technical difficulties. eRA and CIT are working to diagnose the problem and will provide additional details as soon as possible.
Please note: eRA Commons and Commons Demo may be affected but remain available to most users.
We are sorry for this inconvenience.
New Features and Fixes Implemented for eRA Commons
April 23, 2010
The eRA Commons has been upgraded in conjunction with eRA’s system-wide software release. The updated functionality is available to users today, Friday, April 23.
A sampling of the new features and fixes implemented in this release is listed below. The full release notes will be available on Monday, April 26.
In addition to the new functionalities added to Commons and the implemented fixes, eRA Commons also is undergoing an upgrade as part of an eRA-wide systems upgrade. The updated technology, though not outwardly visible, will make Commons a more efficient and flexible system for users and for eRA staff. The upgrade is ongoing.
eRA Commons Features and Fixes
PPF (Personal Profile)
New Features
Continuous Submission
- Displays three fiscal year options in the Continuous Submission (CS) Eligibility Period drop-down box (the box can be found under the Reviewer Service History & Continuous Submission Eligibility section of the Reviewer-Specific screen).
- The first fiscal year option is the current fiscal year. The remaining eligibility periods represent the next two 12-month periods of eligibility.
- Displays a user’s continuous submission eligibility status and a list of all eligible meetings for the past two- to 18-month period.
My NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) / My Bibliography
- Displays the following on the PPF List of Publications screen:
- All PI (Principal Investigator) citations residing in the My Bibliography system
- Citation ID and Citation Text columns
- Each citation’s PMCID (PubMed Central Reference Number) or PMID (PubMed reference number), if available; otherwise, the system will display the NIHMSID (NIH Manuscript ID), as well as whether that ID is valid
- A Grant-paper Association Action column
- (possible actions include Reject and Confirm)
- A Grant-paper Association Status column
- (possible statuses include Proposed, PI Confirmed, Rejected, and Official—no status information will show for PI-entered citations in Commons)
eSNAP (Electronic Streamlined Non-competing Award Process)
New Features
My NCBI / My Bibliography
- Integrates NCBI data into the Upload Science screen.
- A PI or PI Delegate can associate citations with a particular eSNAP.
- If a Grant-paper Association does not exist at the time of selection into eSNAP, a new association will be created.
- Each citation’s PMCID or PMID, if available; otherwise, the system will display the NIHMSID.
- Includes Citation ID hyperlinks that allow a user to view a citation at its source.
- Introduces “Added to eSNAP” status.
xTrain
New Features
- Allows users to update or amend any existing early termination records.
- Renders as “Read Only” the Appointment Period and Amount fields for a Trainee.
- Renders as “Read Only” the following fields on the Manage Appointments screen (for Trainees):
- Appointment Start Date
- Appointment End Date
- Stipend Level or Salary
- Stipend/Salary/Other Compensation
- Tuition/Fees (estimated)
- Travel
- Shows all prior NRSA support (paper and electronic) on PHS 2271 form for a particular trainee.
- Lists all prior NRSA support (paper and electronic) on the TN (Termination Notice) form.
- Includes all NRSA support under the Other PHS Service Obligation Support section of the PHS 2271 form
Fixes
- Displays the correct and most up-to-date Appointment End Date when a PI initiates a TN for an amendment where the amendment has the Appointment End Date set earlier than the original Appointment End Date.
Public Access Screen
Fixes
- No longer allows the creation of BASIC accounts.
- The Create New Account link has been removed from the Public Access eRA Login screen. All existing, non-affiliated accounts with BASIC and PI roles were removed, if the account was not associated with any grants.
FCOI (Financial Conflict of Interest)
Fixes
- Allows edits to be made to the previously un-editable fields on the FCOI Edit screen.
Status
Fixes
- Displays records with the correct Budget End Dates when a user performs a General Search query.
Scheduled Downtimes for eRA Commons This Week
April 21, 2010
The eRA Commons will be unavailable on Thursday, April 22, in order for Commons to be upgraded in conjunction with eRA’s system-wide software release, and on Saturday, April 24, for database upgrades and standard Microsoft security patching.
Scheduled Downtimes:
|
Date |
Downtime duration |
Type of Downtime |
eRA Commons |
April 22 – April 23 |
9:00 p.m. (ET) until 7:00 a.m. (ET) |
Software release to deploy new features and fixes for Commons |
eRA Commons, eSubmission, eRA Web sites |
April 24 – April 25 |
10:00 p.m. (ET) until 3 a.m. (ET) (brief service interruptions may occur) Please note: The Commons Demo will be available to users during this scheduled maintenance period. |
Database upgrades and installation of standard Microsoft security patching |
Stay tuned for a follow-up e-mail containing highlights of the updated Commons functionality resulting from eRA’s system-wide software release. New features will be available to users on Friday, April 23.
We are sorry for any inconvenience these downtimes may cause.
Commons Scheduled Downtime Tomorrow, October 8 at 9 p.m. (Eastern Time)
October 7, 2009
This is a reminder that eRA Commons will be unavailable beginning at 9:00 pm (Eastern Time) tomorrow, October 8, 2009, and is expected to return to normal operation no later than 7:00 am (Eastern Time) on Friday, October 9.
If you have questions, please contact the eRA Helpdesk at 301-402-7469; or email helpdesk@od.nih.gov.
Commons Scheduled Downtime; New enhancements and fixes for eSubmission and Commons
The Commons system will be upgraded on Thursday, October 8, 2009. To deploy these upgrades, Commons will be unavailable beginning at 9:00 pm (Eastern Time) on Thursday, October 8, 2009, and returned to service before business begins (7 am Eastern Time) on Friday morning, October 8. Please note some of the new enhancements that will be available beginning Friday, October 8 (unless otherwise noted):
New Enhancements for eSubmission
NIH will be releasing new, restructured versions of the paper PHS 398 and electronic SF 424 (R&R) application packages and instructions that will be available by December 2009, for submission deadlines on/after January 25, 2010.
This release positions eRA to accept applications with the restructured forms and instructions. For complete information about the new restructured application forms and instructions for Submissions for FY2011, please see Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-149.
Additional enhancements include:
- Enforcement of Fellowship Sponsor identification – Applicants will now be required to include the name of a sponsor on the Research & Related Senior Key Person Profile form.
- DP1 and DP2 Applications – Applicants will now receive a warning instead of an error for the following:
- Validation 3.18.2 - For DP1 applications, two attachments are required as 'Other Attachments' on the Other Project Information page: a description of the applicant's most significant research accomplishment (one page), and an essay (five pages maximum). Separate files containing information on human and vertebrate animal subjects may be attached, if appropriate. Applications that include additional attachments may not be reviewed.
- Validation 3.18.16 - For DP2 applications, the essay must be uploaded as an 'Other Attachment' on the Other Project Information page. Separate files containing information on human and vertebrate animal subjects may be attached, if appropriate. Applications that include additional attachments may not be reviewed.
- Validation 3.18.2 - For DP1 applications, two attachments are required as 'Other Attachments' on the Other Project Information page: a description of the applicant's most significant research accomplishment (one page), and an essay (five pages maximum). Separate files containing information on human and vertebrate animal subjects may be attached, if appropriate. Applications that include additional attachments may not be reviewed.
- SF 424 (R&R) New Investigator Checkbox – NIH no longer uses the New Investigator checkbox on the PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement form (Adobe-Forms-A) and the field will be totally removed from the new version of the form (Adobe-Forms-B). This means that even if applicants complete the field, we will not use it to determine your New Investigator eligibility. The eRA system now calculates eligibility based on the information associated with the applicant’s PD/PI profile and account.
- PHS 398 Cover Paged Supplement Form and PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form - NIH has changed the validation requirement on these forms to only recognize newly approved lines in the Stem Cell Line Registry.
For a complete list of the latest system-enforced business rule validations, please view the October validations document, which will be posted after Thursday, October 8, 2009.
eRA Commons Enhancements
Please note this is an overview of the eRA Commons enhancements for the October release. For full details, please view the October Commons Release Notes, which will be posted after Thursday, October 8, 2009.
Institutional Profile (IPF) Enhancements
- A Content Managed link was added to the Assurances and Certifications screen that leads to a document that would explain all assurances and certifications - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.doc#_Toc238447714
- Assurances and Certifications - Two new Assurances & Certifications were added to the IPF:
- 1. Graduate Student Training for Doctoral Degrees. D43, TU2, T15, T32, T37, T90, U2R, U90, and U54/TL1 only. This Certification will not be mandatory for eSNAPs
- 2. Smoke-Free Workplace
eSNAP Enhancements
- Several changes and additions were made to the Edit Business and eSNAP Report screens and PDF.
- Content managed text changes were made to the eSNAP Edit Business – All Personnel List screen and the eSNAP - Help File Supplement Support - All Personnel Screen.
- 508 Compliance Changes for Commons - A number of Section 508 Compliance changes were made to Financial Status Report (FSR), the IPF, the Status screen(s) and other sections of the eRA Commons system.
Recovery Act Enhancements
- eRA Commons - Both GCM & Commons Closeouts were modified to accommodate separate closeout of ARRA T-3 records.
My Bibliography Enhancements
- PPF - MyBIB - New Process for Managing Publications - The system will now pull all bibliography records directly from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) using the web service. The system will also provide the user with the option to view any publication by selecting the Citation ID hyperlink. System will maintain capability of the user to edit and or delete PD/PI entered publications.
- eSNAP - MyBIB - Integration of the New MYBIB Process with eSNAP
- The system will now display all publications from the MyBIB system on the eSNAP My Publications screen and eSNAP Report.
ESI Enhancements
- The system will now present the user with the identifier for the Terminal Research Degree on the Person Degree page. Additionally, we have added the capability to mark one of the degrees in the PPF as the Terminal degree.
- For the initial stage of Terminal Research Degree implementation, the system will locate the latest degree in every profile and mark it as Terminal. This enhancement will set the Terminal Research Degree within the system automatically.
eRA FIXES
Commons Fixes
- Multi PI Status Information- “Application Entered into Computer” Displays Multiple Times - This duplication of displayed information has been corrected.
XTrain Fixes
- System Giving Overlapping Appointment Error and Displaying All Previous Amendments when Amending an Amendment - The issue is now resolved. When amending an amendment, the system is allowing users to create amendments without displaying the overlapping appointment error. Additionally, the system only displays the latest accepted amendment record on the Trainee Roster screen.
- xTrain Additional Scenario when Reappointment Link Should Disappear - The system code was fixed to hide the reappointment link as soon as a reappointment has been created for any future year and not just the immediate future year.
- System Looks at the Original Appointment End Date and Not at the Termination Date - The system has been modified so now when user creates a new appointment for the same trainee that was terminated it looks at the Termination Date and not at the original appointment End Date so user will no longer receive an overlapping appointment error.
eSNAP Fixes
- Edit Business - Key Personnel: User Gets a Validation Error - Before the October release, the user would get a validation error (when either clicking on the Validate button or the Submit button) indicating that the value for calendar/summer/academic months must be greater than zero. However, when the user navigated to the Key Personnel page, the data clearly showed all the values to be greater than zero. The Commons applications have been updated to make the display and validation of values for PI consistent.
- Edit Business, Project Performance Sites, Content Managed Text Entered Twice - Previously, the Content Managed text was showing up twice on the Edit Business - Project Performance Site List screen. This duplication of Content Manages text was corrected so that the message only appears once.
508 Compliance Fixes
- No Labels for the Radio Buttons in the Central Accounting System (CAS) Information or Edit Financial Status Record (FAS) Page - Explicit labels were added to the radio buttons to make them compliant with Section 508 standards. The Edit FSR page was also made 508 Compliant.
If you have any questions, please contact the eRA Helpdesk: 301-402-7469; helpdesk@od.nih.gov.
IAR Access Issue for Reviewers, SROs Resolved For Now
September 4, 2009
We are pleased to note that, working with the Web master who is responsible for the content of the NIH homepage, we have circumvented the issue that prevented individuals who first visited the NIH Web site Home page from being able to access the Internet Assisted Review (IAR) module. The problem was triggered by a ‘small session file’ that was added to the browser by the Web site; this file has been temporarily removed (until a fix can be implemented).
However, we would like to caution reviewers and Scientific Review Officers (SROs) that this issue could conceivably crop up with other Web sites too. While we continue to explore a permanent solution to this issue, we recommend that if you run into this problem again, follow the directions we outlined in our earlier communication:
- If you are using Microsoft Outlook, close all browser sessions and click the link provided here for eRA Commons: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/. The Web browser launches directly to eRA Commons. Log in and click on the IAR tab. Exit or quit all Web browser windows when finished.
- If you are using a Web-based email service (Gmail; Comcast; Yahoo, etc), go to the eRA Commons Web site and save the page to your desktop (Go to Page and Click ‘Save As’). Close all browser sessions, open the saved page, and follow the link to IAR.
Thank you for your patience.
Workaround for Accessing IAR for Reviewers, SROs with Intermittent Access
September 3, 2009
A very strange problem is sporadically preventing access to the Internet Assisted Review (IAR) module for some reviewers and Scientific Review Officers (SROs). At this point it appears that the problem is triggered by a “small session file” that is added to the browser by some Web sites. Unfortunately, one such site is http://www.nih.gov (the NIH homepage). Thus, individuals who have visited the NIH homepage first cannot access IAR until they have completely closed their browser.
While we implement a solution, users who are experiencing the access problem may follow these steps to get to IAR:
- If you are using Microsoft Outlook, close all browser sessions and click the link provided here for eRA Commons: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/. The web browser launches directly to eRA Commons. Log in and click on the IAR tab. Exit or quit all Web browser windows when finished.
- If you are using a Web-based email service (Gmail; Comcast; Yahoo, etc), go to the eRA Commons Web site and save the page to your desktop (Go to Page and Click ‘Save As’). Close all browser sessions, open the saved page, and follow the link to IAR.
Note that these steps are simply a temporary circumvention until we develop a permanent fix to the browser issue; please retain this email to reuse the eRA Commons link until we notify you that we have a permanent fix.
SROs, please forward this message to anyone in your IC who might be affected.
Questions? Please contact the eRA Help Desk at http://itservicedesk.nih.gov/era/ (Preferred method of contact); 301-402-7469; helpdesk@od.nih.gov.
Contact Help Desk if FOA for reference letter submitted is incorrect
August 14, 2009
Attention Fellowship applicants: NIH has been receiving several calls from Fellowship applicants who may have initially received notice that three or more letters are deposited in eRA Commons but then also received an email notification that less than three letters are connected to their application. Reference letters are linked to the application through the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) number and the Commons User ID of the applicant. When the referees have used a different FOA number than has been used for the fellowship application submission, this disconnect will prevent the association of the letters with the application. Applicants who encounter this disconnect should immediately contact the eRA Help Desk, where staffers will be able to link the right letter with the right FOA.
Questions? Please contact the eRA Help Desk at http://itservicedesk.nih.gov/era/ (Preferred method of contact); 301-402-7469; helpdesk@od.nih.gov.
Resources
- For specific Reference Letter instructions, go to the SF424 (R&R) Individual Fellowship Application Guide (Part 1, Section 5.4, Page I-94).
- Also check out the Reference Letter FAQs
Final Reminders for Submission of F Series Fellowships
August 5, 2009
Attention Fellowship Applicants:
We are all excited about the upcoming submission deadline for NIH's Individual National Research Award (F-series). This will be the first time that NIH requires electronic submission for these awards through Grants.gov. We want to ensure that applicants are fully prepared and have all the information they need to submit their applications successfully.
Several reminders are provided below for your convenience:
Deadline Shifts to Monday, August 10, 2009
The submission deadline for F-series Fellowships has been shifted from Saturday, August 8 to Monday, August 10. It is NIH's policy to shift standard submission deadlines that fall on a weekend or holiday to the next business day. Please submit your application as early as possible, but note the scheduled Grants.gov weekend downtime outlined below.
Grants.gov Downtime Saturday, August 8 - Sunday, August 9
Grants.gov has announced that the system will be down to make system enhancements between Saturday August 8 and Sunday, August 9, 11:59 pm EST.
During this time, applicants will not be able to do any of the following:
- Search for Funding Opportunity Announcements
- Download grant application packages
- Submit applications
- Track Grants.gov application status
Grants.gov will continue to process applications already in the queue prior to the system going down. However, the eRA system will not be able to pull applications from Grants.gov for agency processing until after service is restored. Please keep submitting through Friday!
Corrections to the Instructions in SF424 (R&R) Individual Fellowship Application Guide for NIH and AHRQ
NIH previously posted Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-131 to notify applicants of corrections to the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Individual Fellowship Application Guide for NIH and AHRQ. Please view the notice for a complete description of the revisions.
Diversity Fellowship Application Requirement for Eligibility Certification Letter
Applicants for the F31 Diversity Fellowship submission deadline on August 13 will want to review NOT-OD-09-117 titled Amendment: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (PA-09-209).
Reference Letter Resources
We've posted a couple of resources online regarding reference letter submission. Please note: Reference Letter instructions must be followed and are available in the SF424 (R&R) Individual Fellowship Application Guide (Part 1, Section 5.4). If a referee has questions about the process, please direct them to NIH's Reference Letter Frequently Asked Questions.
Final Steps - Checking Application Image
Please be sure to carefully review your assembled application image in Commons! We want to be sure that NIH reviewers can see your application when the time comes. Remember: If you are not able to view your assembled application image, NIH will not be able to view it. Making sure that you can view your assembled application image is the ONLY way to be certain it has properly reached NIH and is available for further consideration.
Questions? If you have questions regarding the eRA system or individual modules, please contact the eRA Helpdesk: 301-402-7469; helpdesk@od.nih.gov.
Commons Is Experiencing A Login Issue That May Impact Your Service
July 27, 2009
eRA Commons is experiencing a login issue that may impact your service. We are working to diagnose the problem and will provide additional information as soon as possible.
Questions? If you have questions regarding the eRA system or individual modules, please contact the eRA Helpdesk: helpdesk@od.nih.gov.
eRA Commons Scheduled Downtime Starting Tonight at 8 p.m. (Eastern Time)
July 23, 2009
This is a reminder that eRA Commons will be upgraded tonight, Thursday, July 23. To deploy upgrades, the system will be unavailable beginning at 8 pm (Eastern Time) and should be returned to service before business begins (7 am Eastern Time) on Friday morning, July 24. Please see the original notice below for more details.
Questions? Contact the eRA Commons Helpdesk; http://itservicedesk.nih.gov/era/ (preferred method of contact) or 301-402-7469.
New Search Tools for ARRA & New/Early Stage Investigators - Don't forget the FY!
July 22, 2009
During this extremely busy time, eRA has been working on various New Features & Fixes to help streamline the workload for NIH staff. These new items will be part of the release this Friday, July 24. One of the new features offers the ability to search the Grants Management module and eRA Search for ARRA, New Investigator and Early Stage Investigator grants.
When running a query for these new items in GM or eRA Search, the system does not currently require a fiscal year (FY); however to optimize performance, it is very important that users enter the FY as part of the search criteria. Queries submitted without the FY will likely time-out or cause degradation in performance across the eRA modules.
We will modify the system in an upcoming release to require the FY and appreciate your patience until we can do so. In hopes of easing the burden during this time of increased ARRA activity and upcoming end of fiscal year processing, we will go ahead and offer this new search functionality.
Again, it is strongly advised that users searching in both GM and eRA Search ALWAYS enter the FY as part of their search criteria.
Questions? Please contact the eRA Helpdesk at 301-402-7469
Help us improve our communications; send your suggestions and feedback to eRACommunications@mail.nih.gov or call 301-435-8185.
eRA Commons Scheduled Downtime Starting Thursday, July 23 at 8 p.m. (Eastern Time)
July 17, 2009
eRA Commons will be unavailable beginning at 8 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday, July 23, 2009, to perform eRA system updates. The system should be returned to service before business begins (7 a.m. Eastern Time) on Friday morning, July 24.
The July release implements the first set of eSubmission changes needed for our move to updated forms (ADOBE-FORMS-B) near the end of the year.
ADOBE-FORMS-B will include the Federal-wide and agency-specific form changes resulting from:
- Three-year OMB renewal of PHS 398 form set
- Three-year OMB renewal of SF424 (R&R) form set
- The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA)
- NIH Peer Review redesign effort
Questions? Contact the eRA Commons Helpdesk; http://itservicedesk.nih.gov/era/ (preferred method of contact) or 301-402-7469.
Upcoming features and fixes eRA Commons and xTrain
June 26, 2009
eRA Commons will be unavailable tonight, Friday, June 26, 2009, from 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Eastern Time). During this time, the following new enhancements will be installed in Commons:
New Features - eRA Commons
Add trainee and post-doc role to the list of roles that can have multiple affiliations
- The Trainee role and a Post-Doc role have been added to the dropdown list of roles that can have affiliations with multiple institutions.
508 Compliance Changes
- Commons system enhancements and changes were made based on Section 508 Standard requirements for Web forms and images. All Web forms and images in the following modules are now 508 compliant:
- Account
- Registration
- FCOI
- xTrain
Change the label on the 'Forgot Password?' link to 'Forgot Password or Locked Account?'
- Many users were unaware that the ‘Forgot Password’ link that can be used to have the system generate a new password if they forget their password can also unlock their account by having the system generate another password if they are locked out because of too many consecutive login attempts. The link label has been changed for clarity.
Guidance Messages
- Instructive tips added to several Commons screens, including Just-In-Time (JIT) screens with recent changes.
Times Revised in the status search screens
- The Just-in-Time (JIT) submission date and the number of times the report was submitted or revised have now been combined into one hyperlink that displays the latest information. When the JIT form (PDF only) is opened, the form now shows the last submitted date (MM/DD/YYYY) and the number of times submitted in the upper right area of the form.
Fixes
Reviewer name is missing from a meeting list
- Correction made to ensure the Reviewer Name is always displayed in the heading of eeting lists.
Inconsistencies in display of Action Links and Scores during EDIT
Previously, there were inconsistencies in the various displays of the Action links and Scores when the Scientific Review Officer (SRO) was in the Edit phase. The following inconsistencies are no longer issues:
- When submitting only Criterion scores for an unassigned reviewer, the Delete link only became available if the preliminary scores were entered along with criterion scores, or a critique had been submitted. (Issue resolved)
- When submitting Criterion scores, preliminary scores, or both, and then going back to the List of Applications, the unassigned reviewer would have no Action links at all. (Issue resolved)
- When a Discussant would submit Criterion scores with a critique and go back to the List of Applications to delete just the critique, only the Submit link was available. (Issue resolved)
Create Affiliation link not correctly restricted to PI, Trainee, and Post-Doc roles
- This situation has been corrected so that the Create Affiliation hyperlink actively displays in the Action column for the Principal Investigator (PI), Trainee, and Post-Doc roles only.
Admin - Not finding IAR roles in Account search screen.
- Commons will now add Not Affiliated records to both the 'Active' and 'Pending' search results. Additionally, we have removed the PI role restriction from the search query when the 'Account Status' is Not Affiliated and added the IAR role to the Search screen Role selection dropdown.
New xTrain Features - General
Support T34s in xTrain
- Previously, xTrain excluded T34s and now, xTrain will accept T34s. The key characteristic of these appointments is that they are pre-baccalaureates (undergraduates).
- The system will now automatically change the appointment status to Terminated for the most recent T34 appointment and all of the previous appointments to the same project for a Trainee 6 months after the end date of the most recent appointment.
- The system will send two reminders to the PI:
- Reminder to PI that the Appointment End Date has passed.
- Reminder to PI that the system will start initiating Termination Process because the Appointment End Date passed 180 days ago.
Support T35s in xTrain
The key characteristic of T35 appointments is that they are short-term appointments. xTrain now has the following warnings for T35s:
- If the number of months between the appointment start and end dates is less than two and the activity code of the grant is T35, then the following warning is given: If the grant activity type is T35 then the appointment period should not be less than two months.
- If the number of months between the appointment start and end date is more than three and the activity code of the grant is T35, then the following warning is given: If the grant activity type is T35 then the appointment period should not exceed three months.
Verify support of T90, TL1, and TU2 Appointments in xTrain
- We have confirmed that xTrain can support T90, TL1, TU2 grants.
Exclude T42, T01, T02, T36, T37, T14, and T09 from xTrain
- At this time, xTrain does not support T42, T01, T02, T36, T37, T14, and T09, and therefore, these activity codes have been excluded from the system. Additionally, the system currently excludes T15s.
New American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Features
Status - ARRA - JIT, Status Details Page and Search results screen modifications for ARRA grants
To accommodate new ARRA grants, Commons was modified to enable the Just-In-Time (JIT) submission budget information.
The following elements were added to the JIT screen:
- Budget Upload
- Other Upload
- Number of Submissions (Budget and Other Upload)
- Number of Submissions (IRB Date, IACUC Date, Human Subject Education)
ARRA - Ability to reappoint trainee to a supplement
- xTrain will now look at both the support year of the grant and the suffix code and will have the capability to reappoint a Trainee to a supplemental year as well as the next award year. To perform this action, the user will have a dropdown selection of grant numbers to which the Trainees can be reappointed on the Reappointment form ONLY.
- Commons will also allow reappointment of the Trainee on to the current year, if the current year is ARRA-funded grant.
ARRA – xTrain will display the ARRA flag in xTrain
xTrain will now display the ARRA flag in the following areas:
- Termination Notice (Both Screen and PDF)
- PHS 2271 Form (Both Screen and PDF)
- Identify Trainee screen
The flag will be displayed for each awarded year of the grant and supplement year.
ARRA - Display ARRA flag in xTrain List of Grants Search and Trainee Roster screens
xTrain will now include the following elements in support of the Recovery Act:
- On the Search screen for the Signing Official (SO):
- There is now a checkbox to select ARRA Funded Only
- Content managed text was added to explain the search mechanism
- On the Search Result screen:
- The search results now include ARRA funded Grant(s)
- On the Trainee Roster screen
- The system now displays an ARRA Funded flag on the page.
This flag will display for each year and supplement year funded with ARRA dollars.
xTrain Fixes - General
Sorting on the Trainee Roster Screen with the Supplement
- The Trainees will now display correctly when sorting on the Trainee Roster screen under the main grant and under the Supplement (S1 and S2).
Grant Summary screen displays incorrect number of slots registered for the grant
- The number of Accepted Appointments for pre-doc, post-doc, etc. now matches the results displayed in the Trainee Roster screen and includes only the total number of appointments with Accepted status (does not include Terminations with Accepted status).
- The estimated number of trainees now matches the results displayed in Grants Management Module (GM) for the corresponding grant.
xTrain should NOT allow any overlapping appointments unless one is an Amendment
- The Overlapping Appointment condition will now generate an Error instead of a warning. xTrain will not allow any overlapping appointments regardless of whether a grant is ARRA funded or not.
- xTrain will now check to see if the grant is an amendment and if it is, will now allow overlapping with the original appointment dates. If it is not an amendment, the system will present an error.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Fixes
xTrain - ARRA Grant Flag and Grant Number do not display when errors display on Appointment form
- When overlapping appointments occur, the Grant/Supplement field on the Appointment form will now display the Grant Number and any relevant ARRA flags.
Downtime Friday, June 26, for eRA Commons to implement new features
June 25, 2009
eRA Commons will be unavailable Friday, June 26, 2009 from 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm (Eastern Time). During this time, new enhancements will be installed in Commons. We will send out a summary tomorrow describing these latest enhancements.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.
Questions? Contact the eRA Commons Helpdesk; http://itservicedesk.nih.gov/era/ (preferred method of contact) or 301-402-7469.
eRA Commons and IAR Back Online; Closely Being Monitored
June 12, 2009
We believe that we have found the root cause of the problem and have brought the eRA Commons and IAR system back up, while we continue to closely monitor and diagnose the situation.
At this time it appears that the current issues are related to the unprecedented loads on Commons and IAR, and are not associated with the infrastructure upgrade. We have taken two steps to address the extraordinary loads - changed the system configuration to allow more capacity and added an additional server to absorb the increased load we have been experiencing.
We appreciate your patience as we have worked through the issues yesterday and today.
Help us improve our communications; send your suggestions and feedback to eRACommunications@mail.nih.gov or call 301-435-8185.
eRA Commons and IAR Currently Unavailable
June 12, 2009
After being restored to service earlier this morning, we are sorry to report that eRA Commons and IAR are currently unavailable.
eRA realizes that this is an absolutely critical situation and resolving this issue remains our highest priority. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
We sincerely appreciate your continued patience as we work to restore the system.
Help us improve our communications; send your suggestions and feedback to eRACommunications@mail.nih.gov or call 301-435-8185.
eRA Commons, IAR Back Online
June 12, 2009
Good news! eRA Commons and IAR are back online. Staff working into the evening yesterday were able to isolate and fix the network/server issues that were the root cause.
We appreciate your patience as we worked to restore the system.
Help us improve our communications; send your suggestions and feedback to eRACommunications@mail.nih.gov or call 301-435-8185.
Continuing to Troubleshoot eRA Commons, IAR
June 11, 2009
eRA Commons and IAR remain unavailable as we continue to troubleshoot the issue. This is our highest priority and we will have staff working on it tonight.
We appreciate your patience at this time and will provide another update tomorrow morning, Friday, June 12.
Help us improve our communications; send your suggestions and feedback to eRACommunications@mail.nih.gov or call 301-435-8185.
Working to Restore eRA Commons
June 11, 2009
As you probably know, eRA Commons has been unavailable since last evening. Attempts to connect are receiving this message: ‘This application is experiencing technical difficulty or under short maintenance. Please check back later.’
eRA realizes that this is an absolutely critical situation and has made it the highest priority; however, the source of the problem has not yet been identified. Thus, it is impossible to provide a time for resolution. Currently, the NIH Center for Information Technology’s (CIT’s) network experts are working with eRA staff to troubleshoot the problem.
We are optimistic that the issue can be diagnosed and corrected today; however, that remains uncertain until the problem has been identified. We will provide a status update by close of business today or as soon as we have more information, whichever comes first.
Help us improve our communications; send your suggestions and feedback to eRACommunications@mail.nih.gov or call 301-435-8185.
eRA Commons, IAR, still unavailable
June 11, 2009
The eRA Commons and the Internet Assisted Review (IAR) systems are still unavailable. We are working to restore service as soon as possible.
We appreciate your patience at this time.
Help us improve our communications; send your suggestions and feedback to eRACommunications@mail.nih.gov or call 301-435-8185.
