5/3/2011

Staffing cuts will impact NIH eRA Commons system.

The National Institutes of Health has made significant cutbacks in staffing for the eRA Commons system.  This is likely to mean slower response times to requests for general assistance and user support; longer downtimes and scheduled system outages; and delays in system upgrades, improvements, and repairs.

The NIH recommends that Principal Investigators and other users consider the following actions:

·Monitor the eRA Commons Frequently-Asked Questions

      <http://era.nih.gov/commons/faq_commons.cfm> , Latest News <http://era.nih.gov/news_and_events/index.cfm> , and Get Connected <http://era.nih.gov/about_era/get_connected.cfm>  to hear about outages, updates, and system issues.

·Submit grant proposal applications at least a week earlier than the due date.

·Send annual reports as soon as the information is available in case technical problems arise.

·Allow several days for the eRA Helpdesk to respond to emails and anticipate longer than expected hold times if you call in.