Direct comparison
eRA Commons vs. Grants.gov Compared
Grants.gov handles federal grant application submission; eRA Commons handles NIH post-award administration. How the two systems fit together, in order.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Grants.gov | eRA Commons |
|---|---|---|
| Operating scope | Government-wide — used across roughly two dozen federal grant-making agencies, not NIH-specific | NIH-specific; shared eRA infrastructure is also used by several other HHS/PHS awarding components |
| Primary function | Publishing funding opportunities and receiving/validating initial application submissions | Post-submission and post-award administration: status tracking, JIT, progress reporting, closeout |
| Handles initial application submission? | Yes — SF-424 (R&R) application packages via Grants.gov Workspace | No — does not accept initial applications (some multi-project NIH mechanisms instead use NIH's ASSIST system) |
| Registration required | SAM.gov entity registration, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), Grants.gov account with Authorized Organization Representative role | Individual eRA Commons ID, created by the institution's Signing Official or Account Administrator — not self-service |
| Just-in-Time (JIT) information requests | Not applicable — JIT is not a Grants.gov function | Yes — time-sensitive Other Support, IRB/IACUC dates, and related documentation requested once funding looks likely |
| Progress reporting (RPPR) | Not applicable | Yes — Annual, Interim, and Final RPPR filed through the eRA Commons RPPR module |
| No-cost extension / prior approval requests | Not applicable | Yes — submitted by the institution's Signing Official through eRA Commons |
| Closeout | Generally not used for NIH closeout; NIH financial reporting is generally routed through the HHS Payment Management System rather than Grants.gov's FFR module | Yes — Final RPPR and other closeout actions filed through eRA Commons |
| Typical order of use for an NIH award | First — application submission | Second — for the entire life of the award after submission |
Common questions
FAQ
Do I need both a Grants.gov account and an eRA Commons account for an NIH grant?+
Generally yes. The institution needs Grants.gov registration (SAM.gov/UEI) to submit the application, and the PI and other Senior/Key Personnel each need an individual eRA Commons ID, issued by the institution's Signing Official, for everything that happens after submission — status tracking, Just-in-Time requests, and progress reporting.
Can I submit an NIH grant application directly through eRA Commons?+
No. eRA Commons does not accept initial application submissions. Applications go through Grants.gov (or, for certain complex multi-project NIH mechanisms, NIH’s ASSIST system) and then appear in eRA Commons for post-submission tracking.
Is Grants.gov only used for NIH grants?+
No — Grants.gov is a government-wide portal used by roughly two dozen federal grant-making agencies, not just NIH or HHS. eRA Commons, by contrast, is NIH-specific (though its underlying eRA infrastructure is shared by a few other HHS/PHS awarding components).
What happens after I submit an application through Grants.gov?+
Grants.gov validates and transmits the application to the awarding agency. For NIH, the application then becomes visible in eRA Commons, where its status can be tracked through review, and where a Just-in-Time request (if the application scores well) and, eventually, a Notice of Award and all subsequent progress reporting take place.
