Overview of Institutional Profile (IPF)

What is the purpose?

The Institution Profile (IPF) module is a central repository of information for all applicant organizations registered in eRA Commons. It is designed so that each applicant organization establishes and maintains the profile data concerning their institution. The IPF module allows administrative staff in the organization who have signing official (SO) roles to maintain recipient organization profile information necessary for all grant applications from their institution.

Screenshots

Figure 1: Institution Profile option in the eRA Commons Main menu

Figure 2: Institution Profile (IPF) screen showing the Institution Basic Information tab

What are the features?

Following the creation of an Institutional account in eRA Commons, the IPF is populated with the organizational information from registration and assigned a unique IPF number, which officially identifies and associates institutional information within the NIH enterprise database.

The IPF is divided into three primary sections — Basic Information; Institutional Assurances and Certifications; and Policy Documents. 

Basic Information includes the institution name, physical address, contact information, a listing of the institution’s signing officials and technology transfer officers, as well as indirect cost negotiation information.

The Institutional Assurances and Certifications tab displays the status of the institution’s Research and Integrity Certification, as well as the status of assurances for financial conflict of interest, human subjects research, vertebrate animal research, etc.

The Policy Documents tab of the Institutional Profile module lets a signing official upload their institution’s Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) policy in in PDF format to the NIH. 

What are the benefits?

The IPF can only be maintained by an individual with the signing official role, ensuring critical contact information is secure. Contact information includes dedicated email addresses for awards, conflict of interest, closeout communications, and more. The organization’s IPF number, an NIH-assigned identification number, is displayed. The Institution Profile provides one place to find important information related to the NIH award process.

Additionally, important expiration dates are displayed on the IPF. The ORI (Office of Research Integrity) certification expiration date and the SAM (System for Award Management) expiration date can be found here.

For detailed information about the specific features of the IPF, please see the online help for the Institutional Profile Module.