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New to eRA Commons?

eRA Commons (https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/) is an online interface where grant applicants, recipients, and federal staff at NIH and grantor agencies can access and share administrative information relating to research grants (see eRA Commons overview).

This infographic provides a high-level overview of the steps taken by applicants/recipients in eRA Commons over the grants lifecycle. Links within the page will guide you to additional resources and information.Here are the steps to navigate the system.

Learn About Privileges
Signing Official and Principal Investigator Privileges in eRA Commons.
1
Register Your Institution
  • Before anything else, your institution must be registered in the required federal systems, including eRA Commons.
  • This is typically handled by an institutional official.
2
Create Accounts
Once the organization is registered:
  • An account administrator for your organization creates or affiliates eRA Commons accounts for Program Director / Principal Investigator (PD/PI) on their behalf.
  • The Principal Investigator (PI) logs in and updates their Personal Profile in Commons.
3
Submit Application
  • An Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) submits the application.
  • Submission is done through systems like ASSIST, Workspace, or institutional tools.
  • All applications go through Grants.gov first for federal validations, then are sent to NIH systems (eRA).
4
Track Application
After submission:
  • Administrators and PI check the Status screen in Commons for errors or warnings.
  • If there are errors → the application must be corrected and resubmitted by AOR through Grants.gov.
  • If no errors → you can view the assembled application.
  • Continue monitoring for messages from Division of Receipt and Referral.
Tip
see steps for signing official (SO) and for principal investigator (PI)
5
Check Scores
Once your application is reviewed:
  • The PI and SO can view scores and summary statements.
  • This information is available in the Commons Status screen.
6
Submit Just-In-Time
Submit Just-in-Time (JIT) information (if requested)
  • If NIH requests additional details, the Signing Official submits Just-in-Time (JIT) information through Commons.
  • This step only happens if requested by the agency.
7
View Notice of Award
If your application is successful:
  • The PI and administrators can view the official Notice of Award (NoA) in Commons.
  • This document confirms funding and terms.
8
Submit Progress Report
Throughout the life of the grant:
Note
* Or Principal Investigator, if delegated by SO
** If the application is funded, the Interim RPPR will serve as the Annual RPPR. If the application is not funded, the Interim RPPR will be accepted as the Final RPPR.
9
Closeout Grant
At the end of the project: