FACTS Overview

The Foreign Award and Component Tracking System (FACTS) is a web-based system used to support Foreign Component data collection while utilizing the grant application data already available in eRA and the State Department clearance process.

FACTS was designed to meet NIH's need to accurately and comprehensively identify research being conducted in foreign countries and collaborations with foreign organizations and investigators. FACTS replaced the Foreign Tracking System (FTS).

A foreign component is defined as follows:

  • The performance of any significant scientific element or segment of a project outside of the United States, either by the grantee or by a researcher employed by a foreign organization, whether or not grant funds are expended. Activities that would meet this definition include, but are not limited to:
    • the involvement of human subjects or animals
    • extensive foreign travel by grantee project staff for the purpose of data collection, surveying, sampling, and similar activities; or
    • any activity of the grantee that may have an impact on U.S. foreign policy through involvement in the affairs or environment of a foreign country.
  • Examples of other grant-related activities that may be foreign components are:
    • collaborations with investigators at a foreign site anticipated to result in co-authorship;
    • user of facilities or instrumentation at a foreign site;, or
    • receipt of financial support or resources from a foreign entity.
  • Foreign travel for consultation is not considered a foreign component. Please refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement guide located at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/nihgps.pdf in Chapter II B.

For more information on the term foreign component, please refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement definition of terms web page located at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/html5/section_1/1.2_definition_of_terms.htm or to the NIH Grants Policy Statement guide located at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/nihgps.pdf.

For additional guidance on requesting State Department Clearance and writing research objectives in State Department Clearance requests, see Additional Staff Resources on the OER Intranet Foreign Grants page located at https://extramural-intranet.nih.gov and at Guidance for Research Objectives Description when Submitting a Request for State Department Clearance.

ClosedFACTS Features

FACTS allows users with the appropriate roles and responsibilities to perform the following:

  • Set or clear a Foreign Component (FC) flag on a grant application(s)
  • View or enter Foreign Component (FC) data on a grant application(s)
  • Initiate a State Department Clearance Request (SDCR)
  • Manage and submit State Department Clearance Requests (SDCR)

ClosedApplication Format

The FACTS major system components are as follows:

  • Set Foreign Component Flag
    • Ability to set the Foreign Component (FC) flag for grants that are identified as being a Foreign or Domestic with a Foreign Component
  • Foreign Component (FC) Data Input/Information
    • User interface that allows users to enter and view the Foreign Component (FC) data
  • State Department Clearance Request Input
    • Ability to initiate State Department Clearance Request (SDCR)
  • Fogarty International Center (FIC) interface into electronic Research Administration (eRA)
    • User interface that provides the ability to manage and submit SDCRs
  • State Department Management Interface into electronic Research Administration (eRA)
    • User interface that provides the ability to manage SDCRs

ClosedOther Affected Systems

  • Grants Management (GM) and Program Management Module (PMM).
    • Includes an interface to FACTS to allow Foreign Component (FC) identification, data collection, and State Department Clearance Requests
  • Query/View/Report (QVR)
    • Includes an interface to FACTS to allow access to Foreign Component (FC) data entry
  • Grant Folder
    • Displays Foreign Component (FC) data snapshot and approved State Department Clearance form(s) as necessary
  • Account Management Module (AMM)
    • Manages State Department staff accounts for State Department countries and hubs

ClosedPopulate Country/Collaborator/Site for Direct Foreign Award

For all grants that have been identified as direct foreign award, FACTS automatically populates the primary site using the following from the application:

  • country of primary origin
  • requested costs by the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI)

Users can change any of the information that has been auto-populated.

ClosedCompetitive Segment

For grant information that is displayed, the system determines the Competitive Segment for which to display the Foreign Component (FC) data. For any particular grant application, FACTS displays FC information for all applications in the same competing segment. A competing segment includes a competing application and all of its subsequent non-competing applications until the next competing renewal application. The next competing renewal application begins a new competing segment.

Example 1: Applications in the same competing segment with 5R01CA123456-03

  • 1R01CA123456-01
  • 1R01CA123456-01A1 (Only the funded application is part of the competitive segment.)
  • 5R01CA123456-02
  • 5R01CA123456-03
  • 5R01CA123456-04
  • 5R01CA123456-05

Example 2: Applications in the same competing segment with 5R01CA123456-07

  • 2R01CA123456-06
  • 5R01CA123456-07
  • 5R01CA123456-08
  • 5R01CA123456-09
  • 5R01CA123456-10

The system also checks for a former grant number and its prior years as appropriate. For each former grant number, a list of grant numbers is retrieved based on each former number's ICs, Serial Number and major Activity Code.

The council date determines if the grant record is competing or non-competing.

FACTS only retrieves information at the grant year level. Subprojects are not included in this list.

 

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