Latest Updates

May 30, 2024

Updates to the Track Conflict of Interest Certifications screen have been implemented to make it easier to track discrepancies between reviewers’ employment status on the employment certification form in IAR and the reviewer status in CMM (the Federal Employee Status assigned to the reviewer on the meeting roster).

The changes to the screen include:

• A new column ‘CMM— Federal Employee Status’ has been added to display a reviewer’s employment status from CMM.
• The ‘Employment Status’ column has been renamed ‘Reviewer Declared Employment Status.’
• To identify and fix discrepancies, a red badge titled Employment Mismatch is displayed in the row(s) where a reviewer’s employment status on the employment certification form differs from how the reviewer is coded on the roster.
• For review staff who may not use the new column, there is the ability to customize the user preferences on this screen by, for example, hiding particular columns. Column, sorting and pagination settings are saved until such time as the user clicks the 'Click here to reset the table to its original settings link'.

For more information, see Track COI Certifications

May 15, 2024

A small update has been implemented to the Final Score screen. The Show/Hide button for the Priority Score (Calculated) column has been removed. The Final Score screen now displays the Priority Score by default.

April 4, 2024

As part of the ongoing technology upgrade, the following screens have been updated in this release:

• Virtual Meeting List of All Applications
• IAR Virtual Meeting Discussion Dashboard
• Submitting Critiques and Preliminary Scores for a Reviewer (for Word templates)
• Final Scores Details
• Final Score Sheet

There is no change in the functionality of these screens, other than the standard features implemented across all eRA modules, such has action options found by clicking the three-dot ellipsis icon and table tools. See Basics and Navigation for eRA Modules for more information on these features.

February 29, 2024

eRA implemented a new look for select screens as part of a required technology upgrade. The upgrade also enhances the security and stability of the module. The screens updated in this release include Preliminary Score Matrix, Application Discuss Status (Real Time Meeting Status) and Final Scores.

Preliminary Score Matrix Screen

The Preliminary Score Matrix screen is used for streamlining, identifying applications that are not be discussed at the meeting and marking them as lower half.

• Two views — The screen will offer two views, indicated by two tabs – Reviewer Assignment (the default view) and Scores: Worst to Best.
• Toggles — A toggle to Show Only Lower Half replaces the link. In addition, the link to Designate Lower Half Applications is replaced with a column, with individual toggles for each application.
• Visual indicator of COI with application — A red ‘COI’ badge will provide a quick visual indicator if reviewers have a conflict of interest (COI) with the application(s) they are reviewing.

Application Discuss Status (Real Time Meeting Status)

The Application Discussion Status screen controls the status of the meeting and sets the discussion statuses for each individual application throughout the meeting. Review staff use this screen to initiate, pause (if necessary), post a meeting-wide announcement for program officials, and conclude the meeting.

• The Submit button has been renamed as Post.
• The announcements box will allow entry of up to 1000 characters
• The statuses in the Application Status column are set by using clickable buttons.

The status options are:

• P – Pending (grey)
• IP – In Progress (green)
• C – Completed (blue)
• ND – Not Discussed (grey)

Final Scores Screen

The Final Scores screen is updated, but maintains the same functionality has the previous version.

The screens above adopt the new standard features being incorporated in eRA modules. See Basics and Navigation for eRA Modulesfor more information.

January 25, 2024

Track Completion of Employment Certification

The Track Conflict of Interest Certifications screen includes new columns to track reviewer employment status. The two columns are labeled ‘Employment Certification’ and ‘Employment Status.’

• The Employment Certification column displays the date and time the form was certified. In case a reviewer has not certified the form, the column displays a ‘Required’ label next to his name and user ID.
• The ‘Employment Status’ column indicates which radio button the reviewer has selected when they certified the form. If the reviewer as not submitted the certification form, the column is blank.

You can obtain an employment certification report by clicking the Download button next to Meeting Level Reports on the top right-hand side of the Track Conflict of Interest Certifications screen and selecting Employment Certification from the dropdown menu.

Employment Certification report contains a copy of each reviewers Employment Certification form, in alphabetical order by last name (regardless of how they are displayed on the screen).

For more information, see Track COI Certifications.

December 7, 2023

A new Delete Critique/Score screen has been updated as part of a required technology upgrade. The upgrade also enhances the security and stability of the module. The capabilities remain the same.

The screen is used to delete critiques and scores, both for review meetings using Word critiques and those using online critiques.

Reviewers can delete their own critiques only during the Submit phase of the meeting, while review staff can delete critiques during any phase.

NOTE: Deleting critiques is permanent and cannot be undone.

See Deleting Critiques and Scores for more information.

November 2, 2023

The Control Center screen and associated screens have been updated to show the status of the reviewer required training. This requirement is effective for reviewers invited to most review meetings taking place in early 2024 and beyond. Reviewers who have not completed these trainings cannot access their applications for the early 2024 meetings. See NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-23-156.

Scientific review officers (SROs) can track if reviewers have completed the training. A new column labeled ‘Training Required at this Time’ displays ‘No’ if reviewers have taken the training and ‘Yes’ if they have not.

A ‘Yes’ will still allow a reviewer to complete the Recruitment phase but the training must be completed before the reviewer can access their assigned applications in the Submit phase.

See Required Review Integrity and Bias Awareness Training for additional information.

October 16, 2023

The Control Center screen and associated dialog windows have been updated with the new visual appearance adopted by other eRA modules, as part of a required technology upgrade. There is no functionality change to the screens, but the update provides enhanced the security and stability of the module.

See the Control Center topic for more information.

August 24, 2023

The Add/Associate Critique Templates screen, and the related Manage Critique Template screen, have been updated with the new visual appearance adopted by other eRA modules, as part of a required technology upgrade. There is no functionality change to the screens, but the update provides enhanced the security and stability of the module.

The update includes these additional features:

• New option to filter for applications — The ability to filter the table contents will make it easier for review staff to find applications and associate them with the correct template.
• Placed notes in one section — The Notes have been placed together in the light blue box at the top of the screen.
• Added a link to the guidance — A link has been added to the Critique Templates webpage to help scientific review officers provide up-to-date critique templates for the appropriate mechanism.

See the topics Adding a Critique Templateand Editing Critique Templatesfor more information.

July 26, 2023

The Track Conflict of Interest Certifications screen has been updated with the new visual appearance adopted by other eRA modules.

Visual Indicators for Pre and Post-Meeting COI Signatures (When COIs are Mandatory)

On the Track Conflict of Interest Certifications screen, yellow ‘Required’ badge and a red ‘Recertification Required’ badge indicate if a reviewer has not certified or are required to recertify their pre/post meeting certifications. If reviewers have completed the action, the badge will be replaced with a date and time the COI was signed.

NOTE: For meetings where the COI is not mandatory, the 'Required' or 'Recertification Required' badges will not be displayed. If a reviewer chooses to sign the COIs, the date time will be displayed in the corresponding columns.

Designating the SRG Minutes/Budget Form Signee

To designate a reviewer as the SRG Minutes/Budget Form Signee, click the three-dot ellipsis next to the reviewer’s name and select the signee option from the dropdown menu.

To remove the designation, click the 'X' in the SRG Designated badge.

COI Reports

You access a number of reports by clicking Download on the right side of the Tracking Conflict of Interest Certifications screen

Copies of certifications for individual reviewers can be download by clicking the three-dot ellipsis icon in the Reviewer Name column and selecting the appropriate option.

See Track COI Certifications for more information.

March 25, 2023

To make terminology more inclusive of funding instruments that are not grants, the label ‘grant number’ will be renamed as ‘application number’ on certain screens in the Internet Assisted Review (IAR) module. In the same vein, the ‘RFA/PA’ label will be renamed as ‘opportunity number.’ The latter is in keeping with the recent change of Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), to standardize terminology across the federal government

In cases where the grant number and RFA/PA are present on an IAR screen, then they will be relabeled as Application Number (Opportunity Number).

IAR Screens (for reviewers) to see this change:

1. List of Applications
2. VM List of Applications
3. Final Score Sheet

IAR Screens (for review staff) to see this change:

1. List of Applications
2. Final Score
3. Meeting Materials -> Add/Associate Critique Templates
4. VM List of Applications
5. Preliminary Score Matrix

April 13, 2023

Throughout IAR screens have been moved to the new visual appearance adopted by other eRA modules, as part of a required technology upgrade. There has also been some consolidation of screens and capabilities, providing more robust access to features while reducing the number of screens.

List of Meetings Screen

• The Council round field now accommodates three formats for entering the council round. The example here is for May 2023 — 2023/05 or 2023 05 or 202305.
• The Search section automatically collapses once the search has been completed.

Search Results

The search results are displayed in a table below the Search section.

• An ‘Active’ icon is displayed next to an active phase to quickly help SROs identify which phase is ongoing.
• The date and time the critiques are due are displayed, as are the date and time for when the Read phase and Edit phase will end.
• Icons in the Meeting column identify special formats for meetings.
• Action items are available by clicking the three-dot ellipsis icon in the Meeting column; the menu items on the dropdown is alphabetized. The List of Applications link is prominent so review staff can quickly find the link.

List of Applications Screen

The List of Applications screen has been redesigned is such a way as to permit the retirement of several other versions of the screen while providing advance filter options. The screen also provides multiple visual icons that identify special application types (clinical trial, human fetal tissue, etc.) and applicants with Early Stage Investigator (ESI) and/or New Investigator (NI) status.

The following screens have been eliminated and their capabilities are integrated into the new List of Applications screen:

• List of Applications - By Applications
• List of Applications - By Reviewer
• List of Application for PI
• List of Applications for Reviewer
• Simple List of Applications

1. Review staff can toggle between the List by Application and List by Reviewers screens by using the tabs above the results.

2. New filters provide review staff the ability to toggle to filter principal investigator (PI) names by early-stage investigator (ESI) and new investigator (NI) status, as well as narrow down applications that involve clinical trials and clinical trial related experience (CT) and human fetal tissue (HFT).

3. Clicking on a PI’s name displays all the applications submitted by the PI. Likewise, clicking on a reviewer’s name shows all assigned applications for the reviewer.

4. Icons identifying special applications and special status of an applicant.

5. The project title displays the first 50 characters with the option to click on ‘more’ to view the full title.

Generating a Preliminary Summary Statement

There are two ways to generate a Preliminary Summary Statement (PSS).

1. To generate a single preliminary summary statement (PSS), review staff click the three-dot-ellipsis next to the Grant Folder icon in the Application Number column and click on the Generate PSS option from the dropdown menu.

2. To generate PSS in bulk, review staff click the check boxes next to the relevant applications or use the Bulk Actions dropdown menu above the first column to select applications and then click the Generate PSS at the top of the screen.

Import Meeting Materials from Another Meeting Screen

The Import Meeting Materials from Another Meeting screen is the last screen for importing meeting materials for be updated.

• The Search feature on the List of Meetings screen is also available on the Import Meeting Materials from Another Meeting screen, providing the ability to search for meetings (Council Round is required for the search).
• Clicking the import button for the relevant meeting imports all meeting materials for the meeting, with the exception of these three that have to be manually added the Meeting Materials screen:
  • Critique templates
  • Documents marked as limited access
  • Materials designated for a specific application

SRG Minutes/Budget Form Screen

The SRG Minutes/Budget Form screen has not changed in functionality or language, it is simply an upgrade in appearance to be consistent with the overall look and feel of the IAR.