RPPRs at U-M

What is an RPPR?

The Research Performance Progress Report (RPPRs) is required at least annually, for NIH-funded studies, to document accomplishments and compliance with terms of the award. All non-competing renewals must submit RPPRs. RPPRs update scientific progress, significant changes, personnel, and plans for the subsequent budget period.

When to Submit an RPPR

• Route RPPRs 2 weeks before the due date to ensure time for the necessary back-and-forth edits, questions, and answers. 
• Check ORSP’s instructions to ensure routing goes to the right person in eRPM and Commons. Typically, this is one of our support staff team members and not a project representative.
  • Sabrina Wilson
  • Ashley Kissell
  • Patti Williams
  • Dawn Curry (backup)

Who initiates and submits an RPPR?

All RPPRs are submitted to NIH through the eRA Commons online system. Only the PI can initiate the RPPR process in eRA Commons, and then in most cases, an institution’s Signing Official, such as an ORSP Project Representative, must actually submit the completed report to NIH. A more detailed process is outlined below.

The RPPR process requires that progress report submissions are due either 60 or 45 days prior to the new budget period start date. 

60 Days 

• U or P Grants

45 Days 

• R or K Grants

Tips and Reminders for Annual RPPRs

What should a Project Team know about the RPPR process?

1. All RPPRs are submitted to NIH through the eRA Commons online system. The Principal Investigator (PI) must initiate the RPPR process in eRA Commons, and an institution’s Signing Official, such as an ORSP Project Representative, must actually submit the completed report to NIH.
    
2. On a monthly basis, ORSP staff members run a list of upcoming RPPRs in eRA Commons. Our staff members alert project teams, via a posted comment on the eRPM AWD record, of any upcoming RPPRs. 
    
3. ORSP staff will include our "PHS Key Personnel Annual Reporting: Financial Conflict of Interest Form" requesting information such as a list of current project team staff and other documents that you may need to update as part of the process.
    
4. Complete the RPPR and in eRA Commons, run "Check for Errors" to ensure all issues have been addressed. (If errors exist, ORSP has to return it to the project team, thus delaying the submission.)
    
5. An RPPR may require an update to your Inclusion Enrollment Record. As detailed above, this is now done in NIH ASSIST.
    
6. Once the update is completed in ASSIST, it is necessary to update the status in eRA Commons to "Ready for Submission" (rather than "Work in Progress").
    
7. Post a Comment to the AWD record in eRPM. (If the status in the RPPR is not Ready for Submission, ORSP has to return it to the project team, thus delaying the submission.)
    
8. In eRA Commons, run "Check for Errors" again to ensure all issues have been addressed. (If errors exist, ORSP has to return it to the project team, thus delaying the submission.)
    
9. In eRA Commons, route the RPPR to the requester (i.e., the ORSP staff member who sent it to you) for review.
    
10. Return the completed form(s) via an attachment to the "Post a Comment" activity in the AWD Record in eRPM.
    • Use “Request RPPR Review” in the subject line for your Post a Comment
    • Begin your reply with “REQUEST RPPR REVIEW” in the text box, in all caps.
    • Once these steps are completed, ORSP will review and submit the RPPR. 

Other notes

ORSP Support Staff may be alerted that a Project Team has routed the RPPR for review and submission by receiving: 

1. an email notification from eRA Commons 
2. an email message from the PR

Troubleshooting

1. Project Team has submitted the Key Personnel Form. In this case, you should search in eRA Commons to see if the RPPR was routed to the wrong person for review. eRA Commons – Route to ORSP Staff Reviewer

2. In eRA Commons, click RPPR and then search for applications with a Status of “Reviewer Work in Progress.”

3. Click the Grant Number to view the Application Information. eRA Commons – Application Information
    
4. Click Route and select the appropriate ORSP Staff person’s name to assign them as the reviewer, or click Recall to assign the application to yourself. Note: RPPRs that have been assigned to you display in your RPPR Inbox. 
    
5. Click Check for Errors. If any errors display, continue with step 5. If no errors display, skip to Phase III.
   
   ORSP gets the email alert from eRA Commons and then ORSP goes into the eResearch Proposal Management System (eRPM) to see if the project team has returned its Key Personnel Form (short version) and contacts the team if the form is not returned or the form is incomplete.

On the cover page, whom should I include as Officials?

• Signing Official (choose your ORSP Project Representative)
• Administrative Official (choose the ORSP Project Representative from your Award record (AWD)

Special Reporting - Performance Sites

• Note the Congressional District and our address.  
• Each performance site should only be listed one time.