NIH eRA Commons Basic Information and Account Reminders
The NIH eRA Commons Account Administrator (AA) for the University of Chicago is in URA. They can be reached at era-help@ura.uchicago.edu.
The NIH eRA Commons AA IS ABLE to:
- Create Commons accounts for principal investigators and administrators
- Unlock accounts
- Reset passwords upon direct email request from the Commons account holder
The NIH eRA Commons AA IS NOT ABLE to:
- Grant Personal Profile File (PPF) Edit authority
- Grant PI Delegation authority
- Access passwords - The NIH Account Administrator DOES NOT have
access to any passwords. They are distributed directly from the NIH
/Commons.
If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it yourself using the link provided on the NIH eRA Commons homepage. The *Forgot Password* link is located under the login boxes on the homepage. Access this link and provide the user name and email address registered in NIH eRA Commons. If successful, the system will send a message containing your user id and new password to the email address provided at the time of registration. *Note: If you attempt to reset your password and it fails, double-check your email address - ie, if you use an"xx@bsd.uchicago.edu" or "xx@uchicago.edu" email and once used an "xx@delphi.bsd.uchicago.edu" or "xx@midway.uchicago.edu," the latter of the examples may be how your email is registered in Commons.
Important information for:
Important information for Principal Investigators (PI)
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS, a Commons account allows you to:
- access scientific reviews and scores of recent submissions (NIH will notify you by email when information is available)
- check the status of your review process (Note: the NIH uses a Just-In-Time (JIT) placeholder in the Commons. Do Not initiate JIT information if you have not received a phone or email request from NIH.)
- submit critiques and preliminary scores for applications you are reviewing via Internet Assisted Review (IAR)
- begin work on eligible non-competing continuations (eSNAP)*†
[see http://researchadmin.uchicago.edu/post-award/esnap.shtml for guidance] - request first automatic no-cost extension (NCE) in the final year of a project period*
- initiate Just-in-Time (JIT) responses. PIs must notify local administrator via email to prompt the review of the JIT information as there is not a built-in NIH system notification process.*
If you do not yet have an NIH eRA Commons account, please contact the University’s NIH eRA Commons Account Administrator (AA) at era-help@ura.uchicago.edu. Please note that account activations may take as much at 72 hrs. to complete and process. It is also highly recommended that PIs complete their Personal Profile File (PPF) in Commons once their account is activated. When requesting an account creation, please provide your name and your official University of Chicago email address.
PIs will receive multiple system-generated emails from the Commons. Their primary purpose is to inform you of the status of your account and any pending processes currently active within Commons.
Important -- If you want an administrator to work on your application, you must grant her/him 2 levels of authority: Personal Profile File (PPF) edit and PI delegation. If you do not grant these permissions, no one will be able to work on your submission with you. NIH's Password Policy for eRA does not allow for the sharing of passwords. University Research Administrator will not assist an administrator in obtaining a PI's eRA Commons password/username for use by the administrator.
* For eSNAPs, NCEs and JITs, PIs must follow the standard review and routing process for their divison/department. Any items sent directly to a Signing Official (SO) will be returned.
† PIs must initiate eSNAP routing. No exceptions.
Important information for Administrators and Assistants (AO/ASST)
If an investigator wants you to assist with his/her eSNAP application, you must have your own account for NIH eRA Commons. You may only provide assistance through your own account. Please ask your investigator to grant you PPF Edit and PI Delegation. You must not use your PIs account (PIs user name and password).
In order for an AO/ASST to complete all portions of the eSNAP ('Upload Science' and 'Edit Business'), the application must remain in "PI Work in Progress" status (that is, the PI is set as the current reviewer). If the eSNAP is routed to the AO/ASST, he/she will be unable to access the 'Upload Science' portion of the eSNAP.*
New to Commons or the University of Chicago? If you or your PI do not yet have an NIH eRA Commons account, please contact the University's NIH eRA Commons Account Administrator (AA) at era-help@ura.uchicago.edu. Please note that PI account activations may take as much as 72 hrs. to complete and process. It is also highly recommended that PIs complete their Personal Profile File (PPF) in Commons once their account is activated. Remember, all accounts must use an official University of Chicago email address.
When requesting an account creation, please provide the name of the person, email address and type of account required (PI, AO, ASST).
Just-In-Time (JIT) - When you have finished reviewing the JIT, please notify the next reviewer via email that it is ready to examine. There is not a built-in NIH system notification process.*
Need a refresher in Commons or eSNAP? New to the system? If you require training or assistance in the NIH eRA Commons, please contact:
BSD: Cyndie Shannon cshannon@bsd.uchicago.edu or x42182
Non-BSD: NIH eRA Commons Account Administrator (AA) era-help@ura.uchicago.edu
It is highly recommended that administrators also read the PI important information section.
* For eSNAPs, NCEs and JITs, PIs must follow the standard review process for their divison/department. Any items sent directly to a Signing Official (SO) will be returned.
