Direct comparison
eRA Commons vs. Research.gov Compared
NIH eRA Commons vs. NSF Research.gov: how proposal submission, JIT, RPPR progress reporting, and account roles differ between the two federal grants portals.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | eRA Commons (NIH) | Research.gov (NSF) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating agency | NIH (Office of Extramural Research); shared eRA infrastructure also used by some other HHS/PHS awarding agencies | NSF (National Science Foundation) directly |
| Handles initial proposal submission? | No — applications are submitted via Grants.gov (SF-424) or NIH’s ASSIST system; eRA Commons takes over post-submission | Yes — proposal preparation and submission happen natively inside Research.gov (Grants.gov remains an option for some opportunities) |
| Legacy predecessor | N/A — eRA Commons has been the standing NIH post-award/status portal | FastLane, removed as a submission option effective Jan 30, 2023 (PAPPG NSF 23-1), remaining functions decommissioned in phases afterward |
| Pre-award/JIT-style information requests | Just-in-Time (JIT): time-sensitive info (Other Support, IRB/IACUC dates) requested and uploaded only once funding looks likely | No separate JIT step — required certifications and disclosures are handled as part of proposal submission and post-award Notifications & Requests |
| Post-award notifications/requests | Handled via eRA Commons role-based actions (e.g., no-cost extension requests, prior approval requests) by the Signing Official | Notifications & Requests module in Research.gov, covering a range of post-award actions and supplemental funding requests |
| Progress reporting (RPPR) | RPPR module in eRA Commons — Annual, Interim, and Final types; Final RPPR due within 120 days of project period end | Annual and final project reports (incl. Project Outcomes Report) filed in Research.gov; annual report generally due 90 days before current budget period ends, final report due within 120 days of award end date |
| Trainee/fellowship appointment tracking | xTrain module — PHS 2271 Statement of Appointment, PHS 416-7 Termination Notice, for NRSA training/fellowship mechanisms | No dedicated equivalent module — NSF training/traineeship awards (e.g., NRT, REU) are managed as standard proposals/reports |
| Individual login credential | eRA Commons ID — cannot be self-registered; created by an institutional Signing Official or Account Administrator | NSF ID, tied to the individual’s Research.gov account |
| Institutional authorizing role | Signing Official (SO) — authority over binding submissions and certain post-award actions | Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) — certifies and submits on the organization’s behalf |
| Scope of coverage | Post-submission NIH grants lifecycle: status, JIT, RPPR, xTrain, closeout, publications (My Bibliography) | Full NSF grants lifecycle in one portal: proposal prep/submission, status, award management, reporting, notifications |
Common questions
FAQ
Is eRA Commons the same thing as Grants.gov?+
No. Grants.gov is a government-wide portal used to submit the initial federal grant application (SF-424) across many agencies, including NIH. eRA Commons is NIH’s own portal for everything that happens after an application is received — status tracking, Just-in-Time, progress reporting, and closeout.
Can I submit an NSF proposal through eRA Commons?+
No. eRA Commons is NIH’s system and has no connection to NSF. NSF proposals are prepared and submitted through Research.gov (or, where an opportunity permits it, through Grants.gov), never through eRA Commons.
Does NSF have anything equivalent to an eRA Commons ID?+
Functionally, yes — individual access to Research.gov is tied to an NSF ID, similar in purpose to an eRA Commons ID, but the two credentials are entirely separate and not interchangeable between the NIH and NSF systems.
Is FastLane still used for anything?+
FastLane was removed as a proposal-submission option effective January 30, 2023, under PAPPG NSF 23-1, with its remaining functions decommissioned in phases afterward. Research.gov is the current system for NSF proposal preparation, submission, and reporting.
