Using eRA Commons for electronic submission of non-competing progress reports (eSNAP)

Highlights

• No transmittal form is needed by UW.
• NIH gives PI an extra two weeks to turn in an eSNAP progress report (compared to paper).
• PI must have already established an eRA Commons account for eSNAP (request this through Sandi Robins, UW Medical School Extramural Support).
• On most screens, you must "Save" before leaving the page or your work is lost.
• Although the PI can delegate much of the eSNAP work to an administrator or assistant, the PI must personally "Route" the completed electronic progress report.  This function cannot be delegated.
• The UW asks that PIs allow 2 days for routing of the eSNAP progress report through the various UW approvals.
• Red asterisks indicate information absolutely required on the page.
• Only one document can be uploaded as the Progress Report (the science part).
• Uploaded documents can be either word or pdf.
• There are a number of sections to the eSNAP progress report.  After each section is done, the user needs to "Save" and "Designate as Complete". 
• Once all sections to the report are designated as complete, the user "Validates" the report (checks for errors); if there are no errors, the PI "Routes" the progress report.  It goes to Tracy for department approval, then to Sandi Robins for institution approval (this has been delegated by campus to the UW colleges/schools), then to NIH.
• At any point during the routing process (until it has been submitted to NIH), the PI can recall the progress report and upload new information.  Once submitted to NIH, however, this feature is no longer possible.

Procedures for Using eSNAP

1. Before beginning the process, the PI must have access to eRA Commons for eSNAP (electronic progress report submissions).  This authorization is requested through Sandi Robins (srrobins@wisc.edu).  Allow 2-5 business days.
   
   
2. PI must go in to eRA Commons and set up personal profile.  This must be completed before work on the progress report can be started.
   
   eRA Commons website: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/
   
   
3. Once the personal profile is completed, PI can allow someone else to maintain the personal profile by going to: "Administration-Accounts-Delegate PPF edit" and selecting the appropriate person from the user list.  Remember to click "Assign" and then "Save".
   
   
4. A lab manager can be given access by a PI to assist in eSNAP progress reports.  The PI should email Sandi Robins (srrobins@wisc.edu), requesting an "Assistant" eRA Commons account for the lab manager (provide lab manager's complete name and email address).  Allow 2-5 business days.
   
   
5. Once a lab manager has an eRA "Assistant" account, the PI must go to "Administration-Account" and delegate functions to assistant.
   
   
6. If a PI wants Tracy to assist in uploading the progress report to NIH, the PI must delegate PI functions to Tracy.  Do this by going to "Administration-Accounts-Delegate PI" and select Tracy from the user list.  Again, remember to click "Assign" and then "Save".
   
   
7. PI (and others) can work on the progress report over time.  The system allows user to go in and out of the progress report as time permits.
   
   
8. To begin, go to eRA Commons.  Select "eSNAP" from the menu bar.  The PI will see all of his/her awards eligible for electronic progress report submission.  Click on the appropriate grant number.  Click "Initiate".
   
   
9. Select "Upload Science" to upload the science parts of the progress report. Remember to always click "Save" before leaving a screen. When done with the science section, click "Designate as Complete".
   
   
   1. "Progress Report File": After creating the "guts" of the progress report in either word or pdf, upload the progress report file.  Remember that you can only upload one document.  If you have images imbedded in your progress report, it's best to save it as a pdf and upload it as a pdf.  Click "Import" to start the upload process.
      
      
   2. "Research Accomplishments": if there's something really significant that happened during this year, you can describe the accomplishment in a word document and upload it here.  This section is not required.
      
      
   3. "Other" file: Upload anything else here.  The most common item uploaded to the "Other" section is a biosketch for a new Key Personnel.  Again, remember that you can only upload one document; if you have more than 1 new key personnel, you'll need to create/upload a single document that contains both biosketches.
      
      
   4. "Publication Info" section: In the citation text box, type citations of publications resulting from this project that were published in this year (these are the publications that you used to send with the paper progress report).
      
      
10. Select "Edit Business" to see the "non-science" parts of the progress report.
    
    
    1. "Org Info": Review PI information, adding annual % effort (make sure this is equal to or greater than the percentage of PI salary paid from the grant); Applicant Organization (this section should already be populated); and "Admin Official and Signing Office (select Diane Barrett for both).  Click "Save" and "Designate as Complete".
       
       
    2. "Performance Site": modify only if you've added a new performance site.  Otherwise, click "Save" and "Designate as Complete".
       
       
    3. "Key Personnel": add any key personnel (other than the PI).  When entering SS#, make sure to use "x"s for all but the last four digits.  When all key personnel are entered, click "Save" and "Designate as Complete".
       
       
    4. "Research Subjects": answer all questions, then "Save" and "Designate as Complete".
       
       
    5. "SNAP Questions and Checklist": answer all questions, then "Save" and "Designate as Complete".
       
       
    6. "Inclusion Enrollment": select link(s) for Inclusion Enrollment Report.  Clink on the link and make changes as needed.  Then "Save" and "Designate as Complete".
       
       
11. When done with all parts of the Progress Report, go back to "Manage eSNAP" and make sure all sections are designated as Complete.  Click "Validate" to check for errors; fix any errors that are identified (remembering to "Save" and "Designate as Complete" on each screen).
    
    
12. "View eSNAP Report" allows you to view and print the entire progress report.
    
    
13. To route the progress report to NIH, the PI clicks "Route".  Select Tracy from the list.  In the comment section, write something such as "Please review/route 144 XXXX (replace the Xs with your grant account number)". Press "Submit".
    
    
14. PI must read and agree to the PI assurance statement (press "I agree").
    
    
15. The eRA Commons will email Tracy telling her that she needs to go to the eRA Commons to review/approve a progress report.
    
    
16. When the progress report has been approved and submitted to NIH by Sandi Robins, the PI will receive an email indicating the progress report has been submitted to NIH.  To track the status of the submission, click "View Routing History" at any point during the process.