eRA Commons
Definition
eRA Commons is the NIH online system that applicants, grantees, and institutions use to manage grant applications and awards. PIs use it to track application status, see review results, and submit progress reports, and institutions use it to register and sign.
How it works
eRA Commons works as the account and records layer behind NIH grants, and a few other agencies, such as AHRQ and CDC, use it too. Applications are prepared and submitted through Grants.gov or NIH ASSIST, then flow into eRA Commons, where:
- PIs check that their application was received and passed validation, see study section assignments, read summary statements and scores, submit Just-in-Time information, file annual progress reports (RPPRs), and request changes.
- Signing officials at the institution, usually in the office of sponsored programs, register the institution, create and manage accounts, and sign submissions and reports.
- Trainees use it for fellowship and training grant records, which is why graduate students and postdocs applying for F31 and F32 fellowships need accounts too.
The institution must register in eRA Commons before any of its researchers can submit, and that registration depends on an active SAM.gov registration and UEI.
Why it matters for researchers
An eRA Commons account matters because NIH will not accept an application unless every PI has a Commons ID with the right role. The account also holds the profile data NIH uses for other decisions, such as degree and residency dates that determine early stage investigator status, and the ORCID iD that NIH now requires to be linked for biosketch forms. Accounts are created by the institution's signing official, not by the researcher, so new faculty should request one early.
Sign-in requirements
eRA Commons requires two-factor sign-in, through either login.gov or an institutional InCommon account that meets NIH's two-factor standards. NIH made login.gov the required route for external users in 2021 and has since allowed qualifying InCommon accounts.
eRA Commons vs ASSIST and Grants.gov
eRA Commons manages applications and awards after submission, while ASSIST and Grants.gov are where most applications are prepared and submitted. A common first step for new faculty is getting a Commons ID, then using ASSIST through their institution to build the application.
Common mistakes
- Waiting until the week of the deadline to request a Commons account.
- Holding two Commons accounts after moving institutions; accounts should move with the person.
- Leaving degree dates blank or wrong, which affects ESI status.
- Not linking an ORCID iD before preparing the NIH biosketch.
Frequently asked questions
Ask your institution's signing official, usually in the office of sponsored programs, to create one with the PI role. Researchers cannot create a PI account on their own.
Yes. Every PI on an NIH application needs an eRA Commons account with the PI role, and the institution must be registered in eRA Commons before it can submit.