About Electronic Research
Administration (ERA)
What is ERA? ERA is the process doing research
administration electronically and encompasses the complete
cycle of grant activities. ERA seeks to improve the
efficiency
of research funding agencies by utilizing computing technology
and the Internet. This includes
all activities from finding funding sources, program announcements,
proposal preparation, submission activities to peer review, award
notification, projects/accounting reports and close-out activities
system or the so called "cradle to grave" system.
How did ERA begin? ERA was born
as a result of pressure within the federal government to downsize
and streamline
operations, rapid expansion of computing information & Internet
technologies, and the Federal
Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 (pdf).
What are the ERA Initiatives?
Federal |
Non-federal |
OSP (UW) |
- Grants.gov
- Dept of Education E-Grant system
- Dept of Energy E-Center
- Dept of Defense - Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Programs
- Dept of Health & Human Services GrantsNet
- Dept of Justice Grant Management System
- NASA Grants Log and Tracking System
- NIH ERA Commons
- NSF FastLane
- ONR Adminweb, ProposalWeb, ONR Reports
- USDA -CRIS (CSREES)
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- American Heart Association: Electronic Proposal
preparation & submission
- RAMS (Research & Management System Proposal
Central)
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation e-system
- Space Telescope Science Institute Grants Management System
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- No-Cost Extension Process
- No-Cost Extension Flowchart
- No-Cost Extension Online Request
- Federal Agencies authorize Expanded Authorities
- Status Check Online
- UW - Researcher's Guide
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Getting Ready for ERA: It's
inevitable that the University of Washington must adopt ERA in order
to obtain the research funding available and to maintain
its top research institution status. To prepare and position UW for
the approaching ERA era, the UW Office of Research has formed the
Grant and Contract Process Enhancement Team (GC-PET) with the following
mission:
The goal of the Grant and Contract Process Enhancement Team
is to help develop a creative and innovative infrastructure intended
to vastly improve all aspects of the grant and contract enterprise
at the University of Washington. The Team is determined to see
beyond existing systems and to consider entirely new approaches,
any one of which may bear little resemblance to what currently
exists. |
Two steps must take place before any new grant and contract system
can be implemented.
- Needs Assessment: A necessary initial step is the
determination of what is needed (and what might be imagined) in terms
of the requirements and activities of all of the constituents to the
process. The GC-PET has conducted a campus-wide survey, facilitated
open meetings and focus group meetings to work on an early sketch of
a new grant and contract system. More information about the Grant and
Contract Initiative's GC-PET Team can be viewed via the Office
of Research Information Services website.
- Recommendations:
The Team must then develop recommendations as to how the needs
of all the constituents can be most efficiently and effectively
met.
This is likely to include the definition of an ideal grant and
contract system as well as one or more "realistic" models,
given whatever constraints exist.
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