NIH Commons eSNAP Instructions   

Logging In

1. Enter the following website: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons
2. Enter your username and password. If you are on a State line, your commons user name is your Cornell user ID plus “cornell” e.g. abc12cornell.  This is not the standard for Endowed faculty.  If you have forgotten your user name, please contact Roberta Truscello (rt78@cornell.edu – 255-2942) and she will provide you with your user name and temporary password.  When you log in, please change your password.
3. If you remember your user name, but have forgotten your password, click on Forgot Password and enter your username and email address. You will be emailed a new password.
4. The eSNAP will require a DUNS number (872612445)
5.   and information on the congressional district (the 22^nd).  All this information in available on the OSP website:  http://www.osp.cornell.edu/ProposalPrep/inst-prof.html

Personal Profile

1.      In order to submit your progress report the first time, you must update your personal profile. Click on the Personal Profile tab and seven additional tabs will appear just below this tab (e.g., Personal Information). Click on each tab and fill in the required fields in each of the tabs.

Using the eSNAP

1. Once logged in, click on the eSNAP tab.
2. Click on the hyperlink for the desired grant number to open the eSNAP Menu.
3. Click on the Initiate button (at the bottom of the page) to start the process.
4. Once the Initiate button is selected, two new tabs will appear: Upload Science and Edit Business (located towards the top on the toolbar with Grant List and Manage eSNAP).

Upload Science Tab

1. The Upload Science tab opens the page where you will upload your progress report file. Instructions for the summary of progress can be found on Pages 11-16 of the PHS2590 Instructions. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/2590/2590.htm
2. Import your progress report as either an Acrobat PDF (.pdf) or Word (.doc). Do not use the PHS2590 forms.
3. Add any relevant publications. Consult the eSNAP User Guide (Page 19) for detailed instructions on publications: http://era.nih.gov/Docs/eSNAP_UG_August2003.pdf 
4. Click on the Save button (under Publications).
5. Once this page is saved, it will bring you back to the eSNAP Menu. Go back in Upload Science and click on the Designate as Complete button (at the bottom of the page).
6. Note that clicking on Designate as Complete does not save changes.

 Edit Business Tab

1. Click on the Edit Business tab and six additional tabs will appear.
2. Fill in the required fields in each of these additional tabs and be sure to click on Save when adding new information. Once you have completed each tab, click on Save, then Designate as Complete.
3. On the Org Info tab, select your Contract and Grant Specialist for the AO (Administrative Official) and SO (Signing Official).  If you are Endowed, Roberta Truscello is both the AO and SO.  If you are State, the AO is Roberta Truscello, the SO is Lisa Warner.
4. The Performance Sites tab indicates where the research work is conducted.  This should be Cornell, Office of Sponsored Programs – this will be the default site. If there is more than one performance site, list all the sites, including VA and foreign sites.
5. On the key personnel tab, don’t forget to fill in the section that indicates your time commitment.  This should reasonably match the commitment you made in your original application (e.g. if you said 15% effort, then for a 9 month appointment, you should input 0 calendar months, 1.35 academic months and the number of summer months that you requested on the original application).  ANY SIGNIFICANT (i.e >25%) CHANGE IN EFFORT NEEDS PRIOR APPROVAL FROM YOUR PROGRAM OFFICER.
6. Fill in the remaining tabs where applicable.  The “Research Exempt” question pertains to your use of human subjects and whether that work has been reviewed by the IRB and deemed exempt from the HHS regulations at 45 CFR part 46.

 Validate/Submit

1. When you have completed your eSNAP, click on the Validate button on the Manage eSNAP tab to check for errors.  Correct any error messages.
2. If there are no errors, click on the Route button and submit the progress report your Contract and Grant Specialist. This individual will review and submit your progress report to NIH.  An email notification will be sent to the SO and AO listed on the Org. Info page.
3. If you have a validation issue regarding effort for key personnel, there are two fixes:
4. • enter zero in all the other fields (i.e. summer and calendar)
   • alternatively, put a number in the Calendar months block, save it, go back, delete it, and put it back in Academic months.  Save it again, designate as complete.  Then it validates.

Key Points to Remember:

1. You can only use the eSNAP for Type 5 (non-competitive) progress reports.  This includes Research Grants (R-Series) and Career Awards (K-Series).

2. Do not use/upload the PHS2590 forms.

3. eSNAP can be submitted no more than 90 days prior to due date.

4. Progress reports should be carefully reviewed after uploading documents. There can be conversion issues if the file is traveling from Mac to PC, or when it is uploaded in Word format and then converted to Adobe PDF by the NIH Commons system. While Word and text files can be uploaded, it is best to upload documents in PDF format which eliminates the risk of conversion problems.  (Files uploaded in Word format are given a temporary status of Pending in the NIH Commons until the conversion to Acrobat PDF format is complete and the status is changed to Completed.)

5. Choice of browser can make the process easier – Internet Explorer is preferred.  For Apple computers Firefox works well.

6. As always, please contact Anne Dunford or your Contract and Grant Specialist if you need assistance with this submission: 

Revised 4/28/09