NIH Commons

The NIH Commons is a web-based electronic facility that NIH has established for the purposes of exchanging research grants administration information. The Electronic Research Administration (ERA) Commons is a virtual meeting place where NIH extramural grantee organizations, grantees, and the public can receive and transmit information about the administration of biomedical and behavioral research. More about NIH Commons.

Register for an Account

SPA, acting as institutional official, sets up all NIH Commons accounts for PIs and administrators at Harvard Medical School (HMS), Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), and Harvard Medical International (HMI). Use this request form only if one of the following applies to you:

• Have a current or pending sponsored research grant(s) to be received through HMS, HSDM, or HMI
• Are an employee of HMS, HSDM, or HMI

Note: If your current or pending grant is not received through Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, or Harvard Medical International you need to contact the institution at which your grant is received to set up your account.

After receiving your information, we create an account. The process after this step is automated by the NIH Commons system. PIs receive an e-mail from the Commons confirming that an account has been established. A temporary password will also be provided which you will be prompted to change the first time you log on to the Commons.

Account Request Form

• Account Types
  In addition to PI accounts, NIH Commons provides Asst accounts to Grant Administrators working with PIs who have NIH support. An Asst account does not automatically enable you access specific PI information. Once you have an Asst account, your PI must edit their own profile to enable you to access their account. Please note that the Asst account does not let you view summary scores or other designated private information.
• Do you serve on a Study Section?
  NIH is utilizing the NIH Commons for internet assisted reviews. Therefore, Faculty who serve on study sections need only obtain one password. However, if you have already been assigned a password in your capacity as a reviewer, please let SPA know so that we can ensure the appropriate linkages.
• Do you have current or past NIH support?
  It is important that Principal Investigators (PI) with pending, active or prior NIH support provide prior support information (i.e., have you participated in or a you are participating in a government funded grant?). This information enables NIH to associate the new account to the PI's existing NIH profile. Also, to ensure we connect you with the right profile, we ask that you provide your SS# and DOB (you can choose to include only your DOB).

Access NIH Commons

You can access NIH Commons at:
https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/

Questions?
Mary Getman-Netto administers accounts for HMS, HSDM and HMI. You can reach Mary at (617) 432-2913 or mary_getman-netto@hms.harvard.edu. Kristie Froman is Mary's backup and can be reached at (617) 432-3158 or kristie_froman@hms.harvard.edu.

You can also visit the the NIH Commons Virtual Classroom to view demonstrations and review FAQs.

More About NIH Commons

The ERA Commons is divided into both unrestricted and restricted portions that provide for public and confidential information, respectively. Specifically, through the NIH Commons, faculty view the status of pending Proposals and Progress Reports and receive a summary statement information in advance of mailed copies (this information is only available to the PI). The content of the status information displayed is comprehensive, including proposal status and history, study groups and members, Scientific Review Administrator, Grants Management Specialist, Program Official, and Advisory Council. Institution Officials (i.e. Signing Official (SO) or Administrative Official (AO) associated with the institution) are able to see a summary view of grant applications, review the Notice of Grant Award, and access the Progress Report face page. In addition, NIH has started scanning copies of competing applications into the Commons and faculty can easily access their complete submitted proposal on-line (does not include appendices).