Just in Time (JIT) Screen

IMPORTANT: This topic pertains to the general Just in Time (JIT) screen. To see help for other JIT screens:
- JIT screen available to VA, see Just in Time (JIT) for VA Applicants.
- JIT approval screen available to VA agency staff, see Just in Time (JIT) Overview for VA Agency Staff.

The JIT feature of eRA Commons lets you electronically submit additional grant application information after the completion of peer review, and prior to funding. The program director/principal investigator (PD/PI) and the signing official (SO) work together to complete and submit information for different types of information requests directly to the funding agency.

JIT capabilities cannot be delegated.  If you have the PI role, you may upload and save JIT information; however, you must be an SO to submit it to the funding agency.

The JIT feature is available for applications meeting established business criteria. In general, this feature becomes available for applications that fall within a certain percentile or priority score range; however, applicants should not submit any JIT information unless specifically requested by the agency. These requests can be eRA-system generated emails or contacts directly from the specific awarding agency via email and/or phone.

Policy: JIT policy information also is available online. Look for the Just-in-Time Procedures section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Required PDF Format

 All JIT attachments must be submitted in PDF format with a maximum size of 6MB. Each upload area can accept only a single PDF, and if you re-upload a file, it replaces the previous file. All elements on the JIT form can be submitted multiple times and will be appended to the JIT report, with the latest version at the top of the report.

PDF uploads for all sections are required to be a flattened PDF. A flattened PDF is one that does not have fillable forms or other layers, such as movable images. The easiest way to flatten a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader is to print the document, but choose the “Print to PDF” option in the Print dialog, and save to a new file name when prompted. If you attempt to upload and save a file that is not a flattened PDF, you see this error message, "Error Uploading PDF. Please ensure all files are flattened. ....".

Accessing the Just in Time (JIT) Screen

To search for a JIT as an SO, see Just in Time (JIT) Search for SOs. In Commons, the Just In Time screen is accessible from:

  • If you are an SO: Go to Status and perform a Just In Time or General search. Click the three-dot ellipsis menu on an award in search results and select the JIT option.
  • If you are a PI: Go to Status and expand a grant. Click the JIT link in the Available Actions column.

ClosedJIT Screen Sample

Check the instructions on the JIT screen. General instructions are listed at the top of the screen, and detailed instructions exist for each section below. Also included are links to more information.

Just In Time screen for awards, which appears based on funding agency requests for additional information. Use Delete/Upload buttons in each section to upload or remove files. View a file by clicking its linked name. Users save an in-progress JIT by clicking Save, and SOs submit all uploaded files to the agency by clicking Submit.

Uploading, Saving, and Submitting JIT Information

The procedure below is for both a PI or an SO. However, the SO has a Submit button and the PI does not. A PI can upload and save JIT information, and can also view the JIT report that is prepared for submission based on JIT information entered on the screen. An SO can do all the same things, but in addition, an SO can submit the JIT information to the agency.

To upload information for JIT requests:

  1. Access the Just in Time screen through the JIT link on the Status result screen(s) Action or Available Actions column.

NOTE:  The JIT link is removed once an application has been awarded. You can continue submitting files as long as the JIT link appears, and each subsequent submission is appended to prior submissions.

The Just in Time screen appears. The Application Information section shows the application being modified.

  1. Upload the appropriate file types.
  1. Click the Upload button for each type of file you need to upload.

    -OR-

  2. Drag and drop the file from your Windows directory into the appropriate section of the JIT screen.

ClosedThe panel shows an Upload Complete message. The panel also displays the name of the file and the date it was uploaded. Optionally, you can remove the file by clicking the Delete button, or by simply uploading a different file. Click the linked file name under Last Uploaded File Name to view the contents of the PDF file in a separate browser window.

File Uploaded for JIT, showing Upload Complete message. Click Delete to remove it, or click its linked name to view it.

  1. If the Human Subjects Information panel appears, enter IRB date and assurance number as appropriate.
    • IRB Date. The IRB date is validated such that the IRB date must be in the range of one year previous to today's date. If you enter an IRB date, you must also select an assurance number from the dropdown list.
    • Assurance Number. If this dropdown is empty, contact your signing official and ask for the HSA # to be entered in the Institution Profile.
      Human Subjects Information area of JIT with IRB Date and Assurance Number
  2. If the Animal Subjects Information panel appears (i.e. this grant includes animal subjects), enter the IACUC date, which should be within the last three years.
    Just in Time screen Animal Subjects IACUC field
  3. If you are either a PI or an SO, you can click the Save button at the bottom of the JIT screen, which saves the in-progress JIT, but does not submit it to the awarding agency.
A confirmation message displays indicating you are about to save, but not submit, the JIT information and that a user with SO authority must submit to the awarding agency.
  1. If you are a signing official, you can click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen to submit to the agency. A confirmation message appears:
    Confirmation for Submit of JIT information

NOTE: If you are submitting a SBIR/STTR Foreign Disclosure Form, you additionally must agree to the following warning upon submit:
Acknowledgement for submission of SBIR/STTR Foreign Disclosure Form

  1. In the Submit Confirmation popup that appears, click the I Agree/Submit button. A Success message appears at the top of the JIT screen.

Commons performs validations upon saving or submitting and if required information is missing or invalid, error messages appear on the screen. To learn how to view submitted JIT information, see Viewing the Just In Time Report.

You can resubmit JIT information as many times as necessary. Each section of the JIT information can be submitted separately and more than once as long as at least one field element has been completed. ClosedAfter each submission, the Just In Time screen displays the Number of Submissions for each piece of information.

Sample JIT screen showing number of submissions

When a submission has occurred, the Status result screens display the JIT link with an indication of the number of times revised:

After a JIT is submitted, the JIT link remains for awards, but is listed with the number of times revised

About Uploading Documents

The Other Support section is always available. Other sections appear only if the award meets certain conditions. For example, if the application involves care and use of vertebrate animals or involves Human Subjects, verification of the date of the respective IACUC or IRB approval is required on the Just in Time screen.

TIP: For instructions regarding certifications and assurances, please refer to the Institutional Assurances and Certifications (IPF) instructions. Both PD/PIs and SOs can may view the current status of the assurances and certificates but only SOs (or TTOs if no SO has been assigned) can are able to make changes to the information.

It is requested that active and pending support for all key personnel be provided. Other Support includes all financial resources, whether Federal, non-Federal, commercial or institutional, available in direct support of an individual's research endeavors, including but not limited to research grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and/or institutional awards. Training awards, prizes, or gifts do not need to be included.

To provide Other Support information, first read the guidance at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/othersupport.htm, which includes a link to the "Other Support Format Page" to help you prepare your Other Support documentation. Then Upload the document using the Upload button provided.

Viewing the Just In Time Report

If you are an SO or a PI, you can view the Just In Time report directly from the JIT screen before submission. To do this, scroll to the bottom of the JIT screen and click the View Just In Time Report button, which downloads a PDF.

If the JIT information has already been submitted to the awarding agency, the Just In Time report can be viewed from a link within Status Information. The link displays as the date of the last submission plus the number of times submitted and is located underClosed the Other Relevant Documents section.

Status Information is accessed by selecting the application ID (displayed as a link) from any Status result screens. See Status Information.

Status Information with JIT link

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