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

**Date:** December 7, 2001

**Time:** 9:00 am

**Location:** Rockledge 2, Rooms 9116/9112

**Chair:** Mr. Burdette W. Erickson

**Next Meeting**: January 4, 2002, Rockledge 2, Rooms 9104/9100, 9:00
a.m.

### Action Items

1.  (All) Email the Helpdesk and copy Carol Martin with your data
    requirements for the IMPAC II Reporting Database (IRDB).

2.  (Carol Martin) When Johnnie Pearson completes a document about the
    IRDB, email Carlos Caban a copy.

3.  (Christine Rumney) Ask Patti Rodbell (OD/OPAE) to contact Derrick
    Tabor about providing meeting coordination support for subcommittee
    meetings.

### Presentations and Discussion Topics

1.  **Update on eRA Program Activities -- Mr. Bud Erickson and Dr.
    Carlos Caban**

    a.  *ePUG Communications Vehicle* -- Bud and Carlos noted that
        *Inside eRA,
        (*[http://era.nih.gov/eranews/index.htm]{.underline}*)*, the
        electronic newsletter for the user community, is the official
        communications vehicle for ePUG. Christine mentioned several
        recent articles that pertain to ePUG interests, including
        updates on Program portal development, ICSTORe, and the eRA
        scanning initiative. Members are encouraged to sign up for the
        listserv to receive notification of the newsletter at
        <http://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=era_news&A=1>.

    b.  *eRA Retreat and Priorities* -- Bud and Carlos represented
        Program interests at the eRA Project Management retreat held
        November 1--2 at the Xerox Document University in Leesburg,
        Virginia. FY2002 priorities were discussed.

    c.  *Program Portal Development* -- Eight Program portal Joint
        Application Development (JAD) meetings have been completed.
        Analysts and developers are adopting Rational Unified Process
        (RUP)[^TM^](http://era.nih.gov/docs/rup_fundamentals.htm)
        methodology and are working on the Scope document (a RUP
        artifact).

> A member suggested that the portal include context-sensitive tool tips
> or other descriptions of available resources and how they can be used.

2.  **ePUG's Influence on IMPAC II --** **Mr. Bud Erickson and Dr.
    Carlos Caban**

Derrick reported that the subcommittee had not met and asked for
coordination and support to begin regular meetings and recruit members.
The eRA project will be contacted to provide this support.

Bud and Carlos meet monthly with Sherry Zucker and other analysts to
discuss bugs and enhancements, which are scheduled for the next 2--3
deployments. Suggestions from ePUG are having an effect on IMPAC II.
Future releases will include the following items that have been
suggested by Program: sorting SRG schedules, searching multiple PCCs by
wildcards, querying by multiple councils, and using rich text format
(RTF) in Program notes.

In determining which suggestions should be incorporated as system
modifications, Bud and Carlos consider the following points:

-   Is the proposal worthy of a system change?

-   Does it affect most Program users?

-   Do workarounds already exist?

-   Are sufficient resources available?

Developers provide feedback on all recommended changes. Upcoming issues
that would benefit from ePUG input include Other Support, mandatory
headings, and data quality.

Derrick recommended providing an area on the Program Web page for
suggestions. Christine noted that the website redesign will include
customizable business area pages on which Program can post such
information.

3.  **Summary Statement Changes -- Dr. Carlos Caban**

Summary statements should mirror changes made to the 398 in 2001.

Program officials should have four days before release to preview
summary statements using the ICSTORe common screen and advise whether
resumes prepared by SRAs are acceptable. IMPAC II will email Program
officials to advise that summary statements are available.

Izzy Lederhendler remarked that electronic systems are driving the
process of refining business practices. Derrick recommended that ePUG
members determine current and future issues before ePUG holds joint
meetings with Review.

4.  **Program-related Budget Priorities for FY2002 -- Dr. Carlos Caban
    (Attachment A)**

There has been substantial progress in the last 18 months in addressing
Program staff's IMPAC II requirements. During the planning process in
the summer of 2000, Program's primary need was an easier method of
obtaining reports and downloading them into spreadsheets. With the new
budget available for IMPAC II, these and other priorities have been
accomplished and are available in the new ICSTORe, which is available
through the QuickView, ICO and Review modules, and the new NIH
Query/View/ Reporting System (QVR)/Electronic Council Book (ECB).
Members were encouraged to provide feedback on these modules.

a.  Carlos distributed and discussed eRA's FY2002 core priorities listed
    below and a detailed list of eRA initiatives (Attachment A). He and
    Bud are working on Program business plans. Program needs to justify
    its initiatives for the next fiscal year.

> **eRA 2002 Core Initiatives**

-   Data Quality

-   Commons -- E-SNAP, E-NAP, E-R01 grant

-   Program module

-   Budget module

-   ICO tease out -- DEA module (901s, etc.)

-   Grants Closeout module

-   Stem Cell Tracking

-   NBS requirements for interchange of data

-   Scanning

-   CIT lead (one-step logon for IMPAC II modules)

b.  eRA has budgeted \$4 million for Program-related development in
    FY2002, including the Program portal, Program module, and
    cross-cutting initiatives (such as human/animal subject tracking,
    contracts, and scientific coding). The scientific coding initiative
    will consolidate the 13 Star system databases used by ICs. An
    NIH-wide thesaurus of terms is the long-term goal.

c.  In the new fiscal year, ePUG must think about green-sheet
    information required for electronic RO1 submission. All applications
    received at NIH will be scanned beginning in January 2002. Federal
    mandate (Public Law 106--107) requires that NIH provide the
    capability for electronic grant submission by FY2003.

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5.  **QuickView -- Carol Martin**

QuickView provides querying capabilities for current data only. Carol
asked whether the ability to retrieve historical data is needed. The
IRDB contains data for the past 25 years; the Online Transaction
Processing (OLTP) database contains data for the past five years. The
members agreed that retrieval of data for the past 5--10 years would be
useful.

Carol stated that pub. files are frozen at the end of each fiscal year
and never change. History files are updated as data changes. For
consistency, use pub. files.

6.  **Training Needs for Program Staff for IMPAC II -- Dr. Carlos
    Caban**

> IMPAC II provides multiple methods for performing many tasks. The
> challenge is to determine the best method of educating Program staff
> on all methods available for performing their jobs. eRA is dedicating
> financial resources to meeting training needs.

Some members expressed frustration with current IMPAC II classes that
explain how the system functions but not how to use it to perform
Program responsibilities. Christine reported that business area experts
are being recruited as co-instructors in IMPAC II classes specifically
to provide these insights.

In response to some members' concerns about the complexity of the IC
Operations (ICO) module, Carlos explained that the Program portal will
provide direct links (such as "My Portfolio") to IMPAC II functions and
will lessen the need for Program officials to understand the intricacies
of the system. Development of a Program module will also address this
issue. Della Hann recommended the ICO class for users who need a deeper
understanding of the module than can be achieved by attending analyst
demonstrations of basic functionality.

### Announcements and Status Reports

1.  *Presentations at next ePUG meeting (January 4, 2002)* -- Bud
    announced that Jim Seach will discuss a scientific coding system
    based on the Star system developed by Altum, Inc. Thirteen
    variations of the same program are in use at NIH ICs. eRA is
    considering centralizing the database and adding a field that
    identifies the IC in which it is used.

> Sherry Zucker will demonstrate ICSTORe, a new common
> [screen](http://era.nih.gov/docs/icstore_screenshot.htm) accessible
> from the IMPAC II
> [Review](http://odoerdb2.od.nih.gov/oer/impac/appl/appl.htm#REV), [IC
> Operations
> (ICO)](http://odoerdb2.od.nih.gov/oer/impac/appl/appl.htm#ICO), and
> [QuickView](http://odoerdb2.od.nih.gov/oer/impac/appl/appl.htm#QV)
> modules that will provide users with the ability to track, print, and
> distribute summary statements when IMPAC II Summary Statement (SS)
> deployment enters Phase 3 in January 2002.

2.  *IRDB Focus Groups* -- Carol reported that IRDB focus groups for
    each business area are identifying data requirements. Users can
    employ Microsoft Access or Excel or the NIH QVR/ECB system to query
    the IRDB. The goal is to encourage all end-users to become IRDB
    users. ePUG input is welcome.

3.  *Population Tracking Training* --Training will be provided in
    April/May for Population Tracking.

### Attendees

Asanuma, Chiiko (NIMH)

Bean, Carol (NLM)

Caban, Carlos (OER)

Cole, John (NCI)

Erickson, Burdette (NCI, Chair)

Finkelstein, David (NIA)

Hann, Della (OER)

Heath, Anne (NCI)

Lederhendler, Israel (NIMH)

Martin, Carol (NHGRI)

Mohseni, Ilze (NCCAM)

Nichols, Paul (NINDS)

O'Neill, Blanche (NIAID)

Richey, Rita (NLM)

Rumney, Christine (OD/OPAE, Recorder)

Schloss, Jeff (NHGRI)

Swain, Amy (NCRR)

Tabor, Derrick (NIGMS)

### Attachments

A.  2002 Detailed Initiatives