eRA Update: Fixes in eRA Commons Implemented Today
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Following the eRA Commons technology upgrade on October 7-8, some issues were discovered in the system. We are pleased to announce that a release today took care of issues that could not wait until the next Commons release in January 2012.
As of Thursday, October 20, the following issues have been corrected:
· Fixed the eAdditions link in the Grant Folder.
· Corrected various log-in menu issues.
· Ensured that emails are being sent to Principal Investigators and Grants Management staff when Signing Officials submit a No-Cost Extension.
· Enabled xTrain users to submit PHS 2271 State of Appointment forms for grants with suffixes.
· Extended the thirty character email address size limit for Account Administrators to eighty characters. This defect was temporarily preventing institution registration in Commons, if the Account Administrator’s email address exceeded 30 characters.
· Corrected the eSNAP Clinical Trial question for NIH Phase III participation so that the answer can be updated from Yes to No.
· Enabled Commons users with a PI role to submit and initiate an eSNAP for international institutions.
· Limited the query results to 500 records for queries performed in Account Management.
A list of outstanding Known Issuessince the Oct. 7-8 release can be found on the eRA Web site.
(Original message below sent Saturday, October 8, at 7:08 a.m.)
eRA Information: eRA Commons Service Restored; Minor Issues Exist
Saturday, October 8, 2011
We have completed a successful technology upgrade of the eRA Commons. The system is up and running and is available for your use.
This was an expansive project, requiring updates to a significant portion of the Commons technology. We are aware of a handful of known issues in the system. Please see the List of Known Issuesposted on the eRA website.
If you are experiencing system issues that are not documented on the known issues list, please contact the eRA Help Desk, so we can look into the matter. Please note that the eRA Help Desk will be closed on Monday in observance of the federal holiday and will reopen on Tuesday, October 11. You may use the e-mail address or the web ticketing system on Monday, and a member of the help desk will get back to you as soon as possible next week.
(Original message below sent Thursday, October 6, at 4:44 p.m.)
eRA Reminder: Changes Coming to eRA Commons October 8, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
On Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8, 2011, eRA Commons will undergo a ‘technical refresh.’ The new functionality will be available to users on Saturday, October 8.
eRA Commons will be unavailable from 9 p.m. (ET) Friday, October 7, until as late as 7 a.m. Saturday, October 8 to complete this work. New features to be released are described below.
Commons Login and Welcome screens
* We have updated the appearance of the Commons login and welcome screens, though Commons users will continue to log in using their username and password as before.
* Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) affiliated with more than one institution will be able to select which institution to work with for their current session. The name of the default institution will appear in the top right corner (Welcome section) of each Commons page; PD/PIs can click the link to access the Change Affiliation screen, where they can select the institution they wish to work under.
Admin
New Features
· A new Delegations menu item within the Admin tab will open a My Delegations screen, from which Commons users can review, assign, revoke, and edit certain capabilities to other Commons users. These actions, called ‘delegations,’ will all take place in this centralized location. The authorities that you are able to delegate to other Commons users depend on your Commons role, as well as the role(s) of the user(s) you wish to delegate to.
· Signing Officials (SOs) will be able to delegate authority to a user on behalf of another Commons user from the Delegate Progress Report and Delegate Sponsor links on their My Delegates screen.
Commons Institution Registration
New Features
* A new link for registering institutions in the Commons (Register Grantee Organization) will exist in the top right area of the Commons Login screen.
* Selecting the Register Grantee Organization link will open the new registration form, which will no longer require the inclusion of the organization’s fax number(s).
* Signing Officials and Account Administrators at newly registered organizations will each receive separate e-mails with their temporary usernames and passwords. Previously, only the Signing Official received these e-mails, which included the SO’s temporary login information, as well as the AA’s.
xTrain
New Process for Self-Registration
* xTrain users invited to use Commons by the PD/PI will receive a series of e-mails directing them through the process of creating their accounts. The first e-mail will invite the user to create an account in Commons. The e-mails to follow will walk the user through completing the process. Accounts set up by Account Administrators will function the same as before.
eRA Communications
Division of Communications and Outreach
NIH Office of Extramural Research