It is important to note, for multi-project applications, this requirement applies to the individual components of the application and not to just the Overall component.

Figure 1: The ‘Credential, e.g. agency login field’ on the Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form

The change is expected to improve data collection for individuals contributing to NIH funded grants and cooperative agreements and also help in clarifying imprecise data and in identifying conflicts of interest in peer review.

For more information on this requirement, please see Guide Notice NOT-OD-21-109. AHRQ, FDA and VA (Office of Research and Development) are also implementing this requirement.

To get applicants accustomed to this change, starting tomorrow, April 21, 2021, applicants will receive a warning if a valid eRA Commons username is not provided for senior/Key Personnel for submissions with due dates on or after May 25, 2021. This warning is tentatively scheduled to be in effect for no less than 2 council rounds before becoming an error that must be corrected to successfully submit the application to the agency.

REMINDER: Individuals needing scientific roles (Program Directors, Principal Investigators, Scientist, Post-Doc, Graduate Students, Undergraduate Students, Project Personnel) should only have one eRA Commons username for the life of their research career. It is important that the signing official (SO), or account administrator (AA) check to ensure a person does not already have an eRA Commons username. If the person has an existing username, the SO or AA can then affiliate them to their institution if the person is changing institutions.

If you find that you have more than one account please contact the eRA Service Desk at https://public.era.nih.gov/submithelp/ or 1-866-504-9552.

NOTE: This new requirement does not mean Senior/Key Personnel listed on the application must be affiliated with the applicant organization, only that they have a valid eRA Commons username.

Resources:

• Guide Notice: NOT-OD-21-109
• Understanding eRA Commons Accounts
• Create and Edit an Account
• Account Roles
• eRA FAQs: Section V. Creating Accounts; Delegating and Revoking Authority; Affiliating (See questions #10 and #11)
• How to Get a User ID for eRA Commons (video)

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Note: If users experience an issue with an eRA module after a release, they should completely clear out their browser cache, which will generally resolve the issue. If not, please contact the eRA Service Desk.

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