eRA Reminder: IAR Button Added to eRA Commons Landing Screen Today

The eRA Commons landing screen (after login) saw two changes today, designed to enhance the user experience:

• A new button that provides quick and easy access to the Internet Assisted Review (IAR) module
• Buttons that access information resources have been toned down and are prefaced with the words ‘Help Topic’ to distinguish them from buttons that access specific eRA Commons capabilities

Please see the message below for further details.

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On January 12, 2021 eRA released new login and landing pages for eRA Commons. Both the login screen and the landing screens provide resources and information that are easily identifiable and centrally located on the screens. These modernized screens provide a simpler interface with enhanced security and stability for the Commons module.

In an ongoing effort to improve the user experience, eRA is planning to make some subtle but important updates to the landing page (the page you see after logging in to eRA Commons) on Monday, May 3.

• A new navigation button will be added for the Internet Assisted Review (IAR) module. This button will provide quick and easy access to IAR and the numerous materials and resources reviewers need when participating in the peer review process. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: The eRA Commons landing screen highlighting the new IAR button

Buttons that access informational resources will be modified to differentiate themselves from the navigation buttons. The colors of the buttons will be toned-down and additional text will be added.  Each button for Applicants, Grantees and Reviewers will be prefaced with the text “Help Topics for.”  These changes are intended to alert the user that these items are resources and not access to specific eRA Commons functions. See Figure 2.

Figure 2: The eRA Commons landing screen highlighting the redesigned navigation buttons to access content specific informational web pages

Navigation to other eRA modules within Commons remains via the apps icon  in the upper left corner. Clicking the icon will present a dropdown menu of the eRA modules. See Figure 3.

Figure 3: The eRA Commons apps icon menu