Document Upload Capability Restored, New FAQs Available for Remaining Issues

June 5, 2009

NIH is still working to resolve residual issues with eRA Commons due to our scheduled infrastructure upgrade that took place Friday, May 22 - Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

Some of you have called our Helpdesk for assistance to the problems below. We are committed to providing you with answers to your most frequently asked questions and will also provide updates on the eRA Commons login page.

1. Questions about Uploading Documents?
   The document upload issue has been resolved. We have lifted restrictions on this capability and applicants are now able to use all upload functions for any service, including:
   • eSNAP
   • Reference Letters
   • Just-in-Time
   • Internet Assisted Review (IAR) - Reviewers are now able to upload critiques.
     
     
   If you experience issues with document upload, please try more than once to use the functionality. If you continue to experience problems, contact the eRA Helpdesk so that we can look into the matter.

2. Questions about System Errors Sent by Email or Viewed on eRA Commons?
   NIH is still experiencing intermittent problems with electronic application processing. Symptoms of unsuccessful processing include general system error notifications being sent to applicants and random technical jargon shown in eRA Commons, under the 'Show all Prior Errors' link.
   
   We are reprocessing applications that show these erroneous system error messages. You do not need to do anything on your end. It may take multiple attempts to reprocess before achieving success. Do not be alarmed if you receive several notifications for the same application. Please note that applicants will not be penalized and will have the standard two day viewing window for applications. If applications encounter issues during reprocessing that we are unable to resolve, we will contact affected applicants directly.
   
   
3. Questions about Missing Appendices?
   Although applicants are able to view their e-Application, some users may not be able to view their appendices. We have possession of the files on our system and are working to make them viewable to applicants. We will continue to post status of this issue on the eRA Commons login page until it is resolved.
   
   
4. Questions about Secure Payee Registration?
   The problem, experienced by some users under the "Secure Payee Registration System" link, where the NIH Login was returning an error, has been fixed. If you previously experienced problems and provided the system with the correct eRA Commons Credentials at the NIH Login prompt, please retry at this time. If you still have an issue, notify the eRA Helpdesk.
   Note: The Secure Payee Registration System (SPRS) is used by reviewers for reimbursement.
   
   
5. Questions about Viewing Window and Error Correction Window?
   Due to eRA Commons system downtime, NIH previously extended the error correction window for electronically submitted applications with due dates between May 20 and May 29 to Friday, June 5, 2009. (See Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-104) We are returning to the standard two day error correction window for all applications with a receipt date after May 29, 2009 (e.g. R01 submissions with a due date of Friday, June 5, 2009 will have an error correction window of June 8-9).
   
   The standard viewing window for all electronically submitted applications will remain at two business days. All applicants will have two days to view their assembled application image before it moves forward to receipt and referral for processing.
   
   
6. Questions about Helpdesk Ticket Escalation?
   If an applicant's initial service ticket is not properly resolved, you can escalate the ticket to Helpdesk management. Escalations can be sent to erausbtl@mail.nih.gov and will be forwarded to the appropriate contact person for assistance. For optimal escalation support, all emails should include the Helpdesk ticket number, grant tracking number, and PIs name.
   
   Questions? Please contact the eRA Helpdesk at 301-402-7469; helpdesk@od.nih.gov.

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eRA Commons and IAR Restored to Service

May 29, 2009

eRA Commons and Internet Assisted Review (IAR) have been restored to service. However, the restrictions on uploading documents using these two systems remain. Please refrain from uploading any document, including eSNAPs, Reference letters, Just-in-Time documents, etc. For IAR users, that means documents such as critiques.

Our staff is continuously working to resolve the document upload issue. We will keep you updated.

If you experience any other system issues, please notify the eRA Helpdesk so that we can look into the matter.

Questions? Please contact the eRA Helpdesk at 301-402-7469; helpdesk@od.nih.gov.

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eRA Commons and IAR Not Available

May 28, 2009

eRA Commons and Internet Assisted Review (IAR) have been brought down to address problems that developed a few moments ago. Our team is working diligently to address these issues and will provide you with an update as soon as possible.

We are sorry for the disruption.

Questions? Please contact the eRA Helpdesk at 301-402-7469; helpdesk@od.nih.gov.

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eRA Commons, IAR and eSubmission eXchange Available with Restrictions on Uploading Documents

May 28, 2009

eRA Commons and the Internet Assisted Review (IAR), and eSubmission eXchange are now available for your use, with one major caveat.

Please do not try and upload documents to the modules. Although we have taken care of a majority of issues, uploading documents to these modules remains problematic and can even cause performance problems for other customers. Therefore, please refrain from uploading any document, including eSNAPs, Reference letters, Just-in-Time documents, etc. For IAR users, that means documents such as critiques.

Reviewers and applicants will now have access to information and documents available in Commons, including IAR, which will allow them to use the system, while we address remaining issues. Resolving the upload problem is one of our highest priorities.

Viewing Window Dates for Applications in eRA Commons
Please note the following two day viewing window dates for electronic applications submitted between May 19 and May 27:

• Applications submitted May 19 - viewing window May 20 and May 21 (Please note: Applicants will not receive the standard email stating that their application has moved forward to Receipt & Referral for further processing.)
  
  
• Applications submitted May 20 - viewing window May 21 and May 29 (Please note: Applicants will not receive the standard email stating that their application has moved forward to Receipt & Referral for further processing.)
  
  
• Applications submitted May 21-28 - viewing window May 29 and June 1 (Applications will move forward to Receipt & Referral for further processing at 11:59 pm ET, Monday, June 1.)

**The viewing window allows applicants the opportunity to view their application image before the application moves forward to Receipt and Referral for further processing.

Error Correction Window Extended for Electronic Submission of NIH Opportunities with Due Dates Between May 25 and May 28, 2009
NIH has extended the two-day error correction window for opportunities with submission deadlines between May 25 and May 28, 2009 to Monday, June 1, 2009, due to the eRA Commons system downtime. Please note that the downtime does not impact your ability to submit to Grants.gov on time.

Please view Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-103 for more details.

We appreciate your patience as we continue to resolve the document upload issue. If you note any problems, please contact the eRA helpdesk (contact information below).

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eRA Commons and eSubmission eXchange Expected to be up Tomorrow

May 27, 2009

eRA staff has been working continuously to have all eRA systems available for use today. However, due to residual problems that are being addressed, eRA Commons and eSubmission eXchange will remain unavailable until tomorrow. The eRA team will continue to work on these issues and will provide you with an update tomorrow.

Note: A guide notice will be published later this afternoon to address any impacts of this outage on the electronic submission of NIH opportunities with due dates between May 25 and May 28. Please visit our Funding Opportunities & Notices page momentarily for more information.

We regret the disruption to your schedule and truly appreciate your patience at this time.

Commons and eSubmission Unavailable May 22 Through May 26 As eRA Implements Massive Infrastructure Upgrade

After months of careful planning and hard work, the implementation of eRA's critical infrastructure upgrade is upon us. As you may already know, the move from our current database servers to the new, upgraded hardware requires a five-day downtime for successful completion. The downtime was scheduled around the Memorial Day holiday in an effort to minimize the impact of the required five-day outage on eRA users. In order to implement the infrastructure upgrade, all eRA systems - including eRA Commons and the eSubmission system - will be taken offline at 12:01 am (Eastern Time) on Friday, May 22, 2009. All systems will be restored before the beginning of the workday on Wednesday, May 27.

Infrastructure Upgrade Implementation Schedule

Important to note:

• NIH staff will also not have any access to the eRA Commons, eSubmission or any other eRA system during the shutdown.
• Grants.gov will continue to accept application submissions during our downtime. When the eRA system is restored, the channels to Grants.gov will be reopened and we expect to process any queued applications submitted from May 19 - 26. Error-free applications that process through to an assembled application image in eRA Commons will have May 27 and May 28 for their two-day Application Viewing Window. The Application Viewing Window will return to normal for applications submitted on or after May 27.

eRA Planning Major Infrastructure Upgrade in May: Commons and eSubmissions Unavailable May 22 through May 26

What: To ensure continued system stability, eRA is embarking on a massive $2 million to $3 million infrastructure upgrade that will:

• Replace its two large database servers with brand new ones
• Change the operating system on the new servers
• Change its database version (much like going from Microsoft Word 2003 to Microsoft Word 2007)
• Replace three Storage Area Network (SAN) servers

When: We recognize that many of you use eRA systems daily; thus eRA is approaching the planning with great sensitivity with a hope of providing you with as minimal a disruption as possible.

We are planning the major upgrade to take place over the Memorial Day weekend:

• Downtime of two business days and the long weekend: Beginning Friday, May 22 and lasting through Tuesday, May 26. All eRA systems, including eRA Commons and the eSubmission system, will be unavailable all day during this downtime.
• Note that grant applicants can continue submitting applications to Grants.gov during this downtime.
• Applications submitted during the downtime will be queued up at NIH for the eRA eSubmission system to process once the systems are up and running on Wednesday, May 27.

 Benefits to users: What will you notice when eRA emerges from this switchover?    

• Improved application performance
• Improved system stability
• Better fail-over capabilities in the event of hardware failure
• Capacity to absorb growth of up to 16 times the current capacity, paving the way for future expansion of eRA Commons

More specifics will be communicated as we move closer to Memorial Day. We know that any downtime during a business day is an inconvenience to you; however, to ensure continued stability of the eRA system, we need to move ahead with this massive upgrade. Thank you in advance for your patience.  

Questions? Email the Commons Helpdesk or call 301-402-7469; Toll Free: 866-504-9552.