Key Dates

Related Announcements

• NOT-OD-22-158 - Update: iEdison to Transition from NIH eRA to NIST; Downtime and Action Items Required in Preparation for August 9 Launch of New iEdison

Issued by

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to inform iEdison system users that management of the iEdison system will transition in the summer of 2022 from the NIH eRA to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), and to encourage iEdison users to take certain steps beforehand to ensure a smooth transition.

Key Information

• The management of iEdison, the system used by recipients to report inventions andpatents resulting from federal research funding per the Bayh-Dole Act (35 U.S.C. 206), is transitioning from the NIH eRA to the DOC NIST in summer of 2022.
• NIST is well positioned to take on support of the system, as it is the agency within the Department of Commerce responsible for the Bayh-Dole regulations (37 CFR 401).
• iEdison was developed and has been managed by NIH since 1995. This transition provides the opportunity to significantly enhance the system.
• When the new platform is available, users will find that NIST has redesigned iEdison to improve the underlying flow to make it more user-friendly. When users go into the system for the first time they will be greeted with several new capabilities, including:
  • Ability to initiate discussions with the agency staff within an invention record using two-way communications.
  • Integration with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database to ensure accuracy and reduce recipient reporting burden.
  • Optional real-time email notifications to both recipient and agency users for notifications regarding certain required reporting and reviewing actions.
  • Enhanced security through Login.gov
• All existing data and any attachments associated with individual invention and patent reports will be transferred to the new iEdison system. In addition, existing and active iEdison accounts will be associated with the new iEdison system.
  

Actions for users to take before the transition

To ensure a smooth transition, iEdison users should:

1. Subscribe to NIST for the latest email updates on the redesigned iEdison, including multiple training webinars.
2. Important Access to the new iEdison system will require a Login.gov account. Create a Login.gov account at Login.gov, using the email address you have for your existing iEdison account (this ensures the linkage between a user’s existing and new iEdison accounts). Using Login.gov ensures an extra layer of security through two-factor authentication.
3. Delete accounts that are no longer needed and do not need to be transferred to the new system (account administrators should take this action).

Inquiries

For technical inquiries, please contact:
eRA Service Desk

Submit a web ticket: https://era.nih.gov/need-help

Toll-free: 1-866-504-9552
Phone: 301-402-7469

For Bayh-Dole related questions, please contact:

edison@od.nih.gov