NIH Opens xTrain to All Federal Demonstration Partnership Members

Notice Number: NOT-OD-08-081

Key Dates
Release Date: June 18, 2008

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Effective June 16, 2008: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites all Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) members to participate in a pilot of xTrain, a new feature of the NIH electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons that provides institutional users the ability to electronically prepare and submit appointment forms and other required documents for Kirschstein-NRSA research training grants. Currently, the xTrain system can accept appointment forms and termination notices for T32 and T34 research training grants, and will be used by NIH staff to review and approve appointments and terminations submitted electronically.

The xTrain system is part of the eRA Commons, an online interface where grant applicants, grantees, and federal staff and now trainees share information. The current version of xTrain incorporates feedback from a small-scale pilot test in late 2007 and early 2008 with nine institutions that are part of the Commons Working Group. Significant improvements were made to the system based on feedback from the initial pilot participants. With those improvements in place, NIH now expands the pilot to all FDP members.

Additional information, resources, and a User Guide for xTrain can be found on the eRA Commons page at: http://era.nih.gov/services_for_applicants/other/xTrain.cfm

Inquiries

General questions concerning using the eRA Commons and xTrain should be directed to the eRA Commons Helpdesk at:

eRA Service Desk
Web : http://ithelpdesk.nih.gov/eRA/ (Preferred method of contact)
Toll-free: 1-866-504-9552
Phone : 301-402-7469
TTY : 301-451-5939
Hours : Mon-Fri, 7a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

General inquires about this Notice may be directed to:

Division of Grants Policy
Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 350
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: (301) 435-0938
FAX: (301) 435-3059
Email: GrantsPolicy@od.nih.gov