Overview of the Interim RPPR

Agency-Specific Instructions: Department of Commerce (DOC). Interim RPPRs are not applicable for DOC awards. Only Semi-Annual and Final RPPRs are applicable for DOC awards.

As of January 1, 2017, a Final Research Performance Progress Report (Final RPPR) is required for any grant that has ended and any grant that is not to be extended through award of a new competitive segment. The report is due within 120 days of the end of the project period. This report should be prepared in accordance with instructions provided by the awarding component. See NIH Implementation of Final Research Performance Progress Reports (Final RPPR) — Guide Notice NOT-OD-17-022.

Effective February 9, 2017, if the recipient organization has submitted a renewal application on or before the date by which a Final Research Performance Progress Report would be required for the current competitive segment, then submission of an Interim RPPR via eRA Commons is required. The Interim RPPR (IRPPR) will be used for the submission of a Competing Renewal application (Type 2). See NIH Implementation of the Interim RPPR while a Renewal Application is Under Consideration — (Guide Notice NOT-OD-17-037).

Both the Interim RPPR and the Final RPPR are identical in process and information required. The difference between them is when and where they are made available to initiate and submit. The Interim RPPR link is available to the signing official (SO) and principal investigator on the Status screen when a grant is eligible for submission for a Competing Renewal application.

The Final RPPR is only available as part of the Closeout process and the Process Final RPPR link only appears on the Closeout Status screen.

NOTE: If a system check by the Agency does not detect that there is a pending Type 5 renewal application associated with the award when the grant goes into a Closeout Module, any Interim RPPR that has been started will be converted to a Final RPPR and will be accessible through the Closeout link in the Status column.

The format of the Interim RPPR, the Final RPPR, and the annual RPPR are the same, making it easier for grantees to navigate and complete them.

Differences between Interim/Final RPPR and the annual RPPR are:

  • In the Interim/Final RPPR, only D.1 is required in the Participants section
  • Sections F: Changes and Section H: Budget are not part of the Interim/Final RPPR
  • Section I: Outcomes is required for both the Interim/Final RPPR

Since a renewal application is competitive, there is no guarantee it will be funded. Therefore the following scenarios should be noted:

Competing Renewal

Application Status

Action

Not submitting a Competing Renewal application

Submit a Final RPPR no later than 120 days from the project period end date

Submitting a Competing Renewal application

Submit an Interim RPPR no later than 120 days from the project period end date

Funded

Not Funded

The Interim RPPR is accepted as the annual RPPR

The Interim RPPR is accepted as the Final RPPR

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-17-022.html

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-17-037.html

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

All Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grantees are required to use the eRA Commons RPPR module.

The RPPR includes numerous references to the NIH Grants Policy Statement, 8.1.2 requirement that significant changes in objectives and scope require prior approval of the agency; for AHRQ awardees the analogous requirement is in the HHS Grants Policy Statement under “Prior Approval Requirements.”

Department of Veterans Affairs

Progress reports (RPPRs) are required to continue support of a VA-ORD award for each budget year within a competitive segment. Interim reports are due when the project period is over and the award is not in Closeout (i.e., a renewal application is pending or has been selected for funding). If the pending renewal application is not funded, the Interim report becomes the Final report. Final reports are required for any funded award that has ended and will not be extended through renewal. Note: For VA awards the outcomes are not published. Guidance on completing report content specific to VA-ORD requirements, as well as navigating, validating, routing, and submitting the report to VA-ORD for review and approval can be found at: https://www.research.va.gov/resources/RPPR.cfm. It is important to review the VA-ORD instructions as there are sections where specific VA-ORD information is requested that differs from that noted within the NIH progress report template:

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-17-022.html

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-17-037.html

See Submitting Your Interim RPPR