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NIH xTRACT is the Extramural Trainee Reporting and Career Tracking module of eRA Commons, the tool used to build the research training data tables that go into NIH progress reports and institutional training grant applications. It does not submit anything itself: you generate the tables, then attach them to the progress report or application. This page is for administrators, program directors and trainee-data staff on NIH-funded training programs. Sources were read on 2026-11-07.
Which “Xtract” is this?
The bare word “xtract” is shared by unrelated products and companies, including an allergy-practice EHR integration, a structural-engineering analysis program, a security-screening technology company and an insurance reporting service. This page covers only the NIH system, written “xTRACT” in NIH documentation. It has no connection to those products.
What is NIH xTRACT?
NIH’s online help defines xTRACT as “a module within eRA Commons used by applicants, grantees, and assistants to create research training tables for inclusion in progress reports and institutional training grant applications.” For background on the grant mechanism the tables support, see the T32 institutional training grant and the National Research Service Award entries.
Who runs it and what it covers
xTRACT is operated by NIH within the eRA (Electronic Research Administration) system, with help content maintained on era.nih.gov. The online help (revised March 11, 2026) describes what it does with data:
- Prepopulated from eRA Commons. Because xTRACT is integrated with Commons, it uses xTrain appointment and related data to pre-populate trainee names, selected characteristics, institutions, grant numbers, and subsequent NIH and other HHS awards. See xTrain.
- Entered manually. Data not found in Commons or xTrain can be entered by hand. Manual entries are stored in xTRACT and can be reused when preparing later training table submissions.
- Institution-maintained records. Institutions can create profiles for participating faculty (these do not require eRA Commons access), institutional programs, and non-NIH funding sources, and retrieve them for future use.
Access follows eRA Commons roles: Signing Officials, Administrative Officials, Business Officials, Principal Investigators and assistants have access to the module.
Is use required?
NIH’s xTRACT page states that, beginning with progress reports due on or after October 1, 2019 and applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2020, NIH and AHRQ “anticipate that they will mandate” that the required training data tables for T32, TL1, T90/R90 and T15 applications and progress reports be created in xTRACT, citing Guide notice NOT-OD-18-133. Always confirm the requirement in the funding opportunity and the current NIH Guide for your submission.
How to find and use xTRACT
- Sign in to eRA Commons with an account that holds one of the roles above. If you need an account, see how to set up an eRA Commons account.
- Click the Apps icon at the upper left of the screen and choose xTRACT from the drop-down menu.
- Follow the task that matches your submission. The online help documents three basic tasks: initiate a research training data table (RTD) for a new application, prepare the RTD for a new application, and prepare the RTD for a Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR).
- Use the Training Data Tables Instructions (published by NIH as a Word and PDF document) for field-by-field help; the xTRACT online help does not contain field-level guidance.
- Generate the tables, then attach them to the progress report or application you are submitting. NIH states: “There is no Submit feature in xTRACT.”
NIH’s xTRACT resources list also includes an Overview, Online Help, User Guide, FAQs, an archive of release notes, features and updates, and instructional videos. Technical problems go to the eRA Service Desk.
Strengths and limits
| Aspect | What the NIH documentation says |
|---|---|
| Reduces re-keying | Pre-populates trainee, institution, grant-number and subsequent-award data from Commons and xTrain. |
| Reusable entries | Manual entries, faculty profiles, institutional programs and non-NIH funding sources are stored for later submissions. |
| Not a submission system | Tables must be attached to the application or progress report; xTRACT has no Submit feature. |
| Not a field guide | Online help has no field-by-field help; use the Training Data Tables Instructions. |
| Depends on upstream data | Prepopulation relies on xTrain appointment data, so appointment records feed what appears in the tables. |
Related systems
| System or document | Role relative to xTRACT |
|---|---|
| eRA Commons | Hosts xTRACT; its user roles control access. |
| xTrain | Source of appointment data used to prepopulate training tables. |
| Progress report (RPPR) or institutional training application | The submission to which xTRACT tables are attached. |
| Training Data Tables Instructions | NIH’s field-level instructions for completing the tables. |
FAQ
What does xTRACT stand for?
Extramural Trainee Reporting and Career Tracking.
Can I submit my training tables from xTRACT?
No. NIH states that xTRACT has no Submit feature; attach the generated tables to the progress report or application.
Who can open xTRACT?
Users holding the Signing Official, Administrative Official, Business Official, Principal Investigator or assistant role in eRA Commons.
Where do I find step-by-step help?
In the xTRACT Online Help and User Guide on era.nih.gov, and in the Training Data Tables Instructions for individual fields.
Sources
- NIH eRA, “Extramural Trainee Reporting and Career Tracking (xTRACT) for Reporting”, era.nih.gov/recipients/submit-reports/xtract.htm (page last updated March 5, 2026; read 2026-11-07).
- NIH eRA Online Help, “What is xTRACT?”, era.nih.gov/erahelp/xTract/content/xtract/intro.htm (revised March 11, 2026; read 2026-11-07).
- NIH Guide notices NOT-OD-18-133 and NOT-OD-16-007, as cited by the pages above.
