U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Freedom 250 LogoFreedom 250: Celebrating the Triumph of the American Spirit

  1. Home
  2. Ocio

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m a PD/PI with an active Commons account. When logging into eRA Commons, why can’t I see my DOC awards? 

Please contact the eRA Service Desk toll-free at (866) 504-9552 or (301) 402-7469 (Press 1 for eRA Commons support).  The eRA Service Desk hours of operation are Monday – Friday 7 AM to 8 PM Eastern Time (closed on Federal holidays). Users can also utilize the ticketing system by selecting “Submit a Web Ticket” from the “Need Help” page of the eRA website. 


If my organization has an account in eRA Commons due to grant applications with NIH grants, should we register again? 

Registering with eRA Commons is a one-time process. If your organization is already registered due to previous interactions with NIH grants, there is no need to register again. 

  Can anyone in a recipient organization register their organization in eRA Commons? 

No.  The registration process must be conducted by someone with signature authority within the organization, known as a Signing Official (SO). Once registered, a Signing Official account will be established, allowing them to create additional accounts for users within the organization. 

  What should recipient organizations do if they have current grants but aren't applying for new grants? 

Even if your organization is not planning to apply for new grants at this time, it is essential to register with eRA Commons. Managing existing grants through Grants Online will no longer be possible after GEMS go-live. Please note that Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs), except those processed in the Sea Grants Pilot, will continue to be posted via Grants Online until December 2023. 

What is the difference between GEMS and eRA Commons? 

Grants Enterprise Management Solution (GEMS) is the “modernization and consolidation” effort being undertaken by the Department of Commence to bring all the different Bureau grant programs under one “roof”.  eRA is the platform (application or system) through which we will be administering those grants. eRA is taking the place of Grants Online and other separate applications or systems in which the bureaus are currently managing the transactional work and administration of grants.  eRA Commons is module/extension of eRA that is external/grantee/applicant facing where external users interact with DOC staff to conduct business.  While eRA replaces Grants Online, eRA Commons compares to the Grants Online’s grantee user access.  

  How do I get assistance troubleshooting eRA Commons registration? 

Users are directed to contact the eRA Service/Help desk toll free at (866) 504-9552 or (301) 402-7469.  The eRA Service Desk hours of operation are Monday – Friday 7AM to 8PM Eastern Time (closed on Federal holidays). 

  With eRA coming online – will the landscape change so that applicants find out about funding opportunities using Grants.gov and then apply using eRA? 

Grant applicants will continue to apply via Grants.gov just as they are doing now.  DOC applicants will NOT be using the eRA Commons "ASSIST" module to submit applications directly into the eRA system.  However, they DO still need to be registered as an organization in eRA Commons because their applications will not be able to be pulled into eRA from Grants.gov for processing unless their organizations are registered in eRA Commons.