# ![](media/image1.jpeg){width="0.4166666666666667in" height="0.2972222222222222in"} eRA Program Official Users Group Meeting

**Date:** March 1, 2002

**Time:** 9:00 a.m.

**Location:** Rockledge 2, Room 9104

**Chair:** Dr. Carlos Caban

[**Next Meeting**:]{.mark} April 5, 2002, Executive Plaza North, G[,
9:00 a.m]{.mark}.

### Action Items

1.  (All) Contact Carlos Caban to volunteer as a Joint Application
    Development (JAD) member for the IMPAC II Program module. This JAD
    will begin in the next few months.

2.  (David Finkelstein) Send Carol Martin and Johnnie Pearson a
    calculation for application receipt date.

3.  (Carlos Caban) Discuss the IRG Meeting Date data element with Dr.
    Eileen Bradley, eRA Review Advocate.

4.  (All) Forward IRDB handouts from today's meeting to training staff
    at your ICs and ask them to send Carol feedback on Training
    Activities (TA) Materialized Views.

5.  (Johnnie Pearson) Determine how SS_FOREIGN_FLAG is entered, and by
    which NIH users.

6.  (Johnnie Pearson) Check addresses for Human Subject Codes.

7.  (IRDB Redesign Team) Check on plans for CRISP.

8.  (All) Contact Carol with input on whether IRG_ROUND_CODE is a
    necessary data element in PV_PROGRAM_ADMIN_MV.

### Announcements

1.  ePUG Chair and eRA Program Advocate, Bud Erickson, had surgery this
    week and will be out for approximately eight weeks. Carlos will
    provide updates on his condition.

2.  Derrick Tabor's subcommittee met on February 28. Derrick reported
    that George Stone, eRA Advocate to the Extramural Community
    (Commons), spoke to POPOF about the Commons Working Group's
    recommendations for revising the 398. George will speak to Derrick's
    subcommittee on March 14 about E‑SNAP.

3.  eRA will present a symposium on May 10 at the Natcher Conference
    Center. This annual event will highlight new eRA capabilities and
    their potential for reducing paper, improving access to information,
    facilitating communications, and increasing overall efficiency.
    Breakout sessions will feature the Program portal. Online
    registration for the symposium will begin in April. *Inside eRA*
    will provide updates on the symposium as plans are finalized.

### Presentations and Discussion Topics

1.  **Focus group recommendations for IRDB Materialized Views---Ms.
    Carol Martin and Mr. Johnnie Pearson (Attachments A and B)**

Carol introduced Johnnie Pearson and Amir Venegas, analysts for the IRDB
"redesign." Because extension systems at13 ICs use the IRDB's current
table structure, a complete redesign would not be cost-effective. The
goal of the "redesign" effort is to provide useful business area-centric
information and expedite queries. Materialized Views (MViews) are
read-only tables or objects in the database that are used to query the
database and extract information. MViews are designed for ad hoc
reporting using Microsoft Access/Excel or other query tools. When MViews
are used for querying, users need not know the tables in which data is
located. IMPAC II Tech View documents
(<http://odoerdb2-1.od.nih.gov/oer/impac/doc/doc.htm>) list the tables
from which data is derived.

Because data in the Online Transaction and Processing (OLTP) database is
bridged nightly to the IRDB, data in the IRDB is current as of the
previous day. Johnnie stated that the volume of data requires two
databases; to keep them synchronized, the bridge would have to run
constantly. The effects on system performance preclude this option.

> Johnnie led a discussion of proposed Program Administration MViews
> that were developed with input from focus groups and that will be
> implemented in May/June. In Johnnie's PowerPoint presentation
> (Attachment B), numbers in parentheses correspond to page numbers in
> *Trainee Activities and Program Administration IRDB Redesign
> Recommendations and Proposals* (Attachment A).
>
> ePUG members provided the following feedback.

a.  PV_PROGRAM_ADMIN_MV view

-   Add the following data elements:

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Country code

-   IRG meeting hotel phone number

-   Minority supplement flag

-   Patient-oriented research---label this data element as a CRISP code

-   Percentile base

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Rename SS_STEM_CELL_RESEARCH_FLAG to Human Embryonic Stem Cell
    (HESC) Used.

-   The comment for COFUNDING_INDICATOR_CODE should read: "...assigned
    to two or more advisory councils\..."

-   Derrick suggested that ePUG consider adding scientific codes.

-   Johnnie reported that by design, subprojects currently are filtered
    out. In the IRDB, subproject information is included in project
    versions and years, but is not displayed in PowerViews. The members
    agreed to defer subprojects to a future discussion.

b.  Disposition of outstanding questions

-   Add/retain the following data elements:

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Minority Supplement Flag---Della Hann reminded members that minority
    information is private and can be reported only as an aggregate.
    Queries about releasing minority information must be directed to Bob
    Moore.

-   Intent to Pay Dollars---Business practices for developing paylists
    are IC-specific. If ICs use this information, then it should be
    added.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Defer action on the following data elements:

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Awaiting Receipt of Applications (ARA)---Krishna noted that there
    currently is no method of obtaining a list of outstanding ARAs
    against User IDs. An ePUG member suggested that unique ARAs could be
    linked with program class codes (PCC)s. Carlos asked if Referral
    users are flagging ARAs and suggested that they could add PCCs.

-   901 Process

-   Progress Reporting (PROGRESS_SUMMARIES_T in OLTP) --- Receipt date
    (at Grants Office) is not currently tracked.

-   Summary Statement Sent to PI Flag

-   Population Tracking Code

-   APPL_STATUS_GROUP_DESC

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Delete the following data elements:

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Number future years recommended by IC Council

-   Number future years recommended by SRG/IRG

-   Number future years requested by applicant

2.  **Program portal and module development---Mr. Krishna Collie**

-   Krishna announced that the Program portal JAD will resume on March
    25 for at least three meetings. The portal development team
    currently is working on use cases. Dr. John Cole will take Bud
    Erickson's place at the JAD sessions during Bud's absence.

-   Development of the IMPAC II Program module will begin soon. The
    first release will include functions now available in the IMPAC II
    Institute and Center Operations (ICO) module. Functions currently
    available in IC extension systems but not in ICO will be included in
    the second release of the Program module.

    3.  **Pre-programmed reporting tool recommendation---Mr. Krishna
        Collie**

Krishna has made a formal recommendation to the eRA Project Team to use
Oracle Discoverer as eRA's enterprise pre-programmed report tool.
Discoverer enables users to manipulate any "canned" report. For example,
users can move columns and rows, add formatting, sort information, and
save data elements for export. Discoverer will be accessible from IMPAC
II. Review users will participate in a pilot program for this tool.

4.  **Ad hoc reporting tool recommendation---Ms. Carol Martin**

Carol has investigated four tools for possible selection as eRA's
enterprise ad hoc reporting tool and found them not user-friendly. She
will continue exploring options.

### Attendees

Asanuma, Chiiko (NIMH)

Caban, Carlos (OER, Co‑Chair)

Cole, John (NCI)

Collie, Krishna ((OD)

Finkelstein, David (NIA)

Fisher, Richard (NEI)

Florance, Valerie (NLM)

Hann, Della (OER)

Heath, Anne (NCI)

Lederhendler, Israel (NIMH)

Martin, Carol (NHGRI)

Nichols, Paul (NINDS)

O'Neill, Blanche (NIAID)

Pearson, Johnnie (Z-Tech)

Rumney, Christine (OCO/OD)

Swain, Amy (NCRR)

Tabor, Derrick (NIGMS)

Venegas, Amir (OD)

### Attachments

A.  Trainee Activities and Program Administration IRDB Redesign
    Recommendations and Proposals
    (<http://era.nih.gov/Docs/Program_Materialized_View_Updates.doc>)

B.  IRDB Redesign Materialized Views for TA and PA
    (<http://era.nih.gov/Docs/TA_and_PA_Overview.ppt>)