eSRA System updates implemented August 31, 2020:

System Upgrade

• The eSRA Application was upgraded to a new version Portal 9.  Please note: eSRA system has a new URL / Weblink: https://grants.lbl.gov/grant and you will need to re-set your bookmarks.

• Users will see some improvements to navigation, validation, and changes in the look and feel.  Click here to see a visual summary and detailed list of the new look.

In addition to the version upgrade, the updates below were implemented

General SPP and CRADA Improvements

• Resolved issues with Fellowship IDC Waiver requests

• Improved the availability of the Over Salary Cap requests and approvals

• Updated all monetary fields to display dollars and cents

• Resolved conditional display regarding the Applied Nuclear Physics question

• Added help text related to employee affiliations

• Updated the PI Inbox for the Mentor on Fellowship proposals

General DOE Improvements

• Added the Multiple-PI Assurance field to DOE proposals

• Removed the activity Review Documents for DOE Submission if the FWP questions is ‘no’

Export Control Enhancement Stabilization Improvements

• Updated the PI activity Export Controls Questionnaire to include all of the DOE proposal states

• Updated the PI activity PI Acknowledges Export Controls to include all of the DOE proposal states

• Updated the notifications to PI to complete the Export Controls Questionnaire if the Lead Organization on a DOE proposal is foreign

• Automated Export Control Review when the Lead Organization on a DOE proposal is foreign

BASO Enhancements

• New version of Eligibility letter for SPP and a separate one for DOE proposals uploaded into June 25th  

• Updated the DOE Proposal Tab with information about foreign Prime Sponsors

• Updated the DOE Proposal Dashboard to identify both Direct and Prime Foreign Sponsors

SPO Enhancements

• CO Administrator Dashboard Inbox updated to exclude Unfunded Users

• Contract Officer Dashboard updated to add a tab for Expired Unfunded User Agreements to facilitate the automatic extension and closeout processes

• Contract Officer Dashboard updated the Modifications Tab to display modifications with the current CO for the modification when a different CO takes ownership of the modification

Grants.gov Improvements

• Upgraded the Fellowship Field of Training codes

• Upgraded to the new state and country code requirements of Grants.gov

• Navigation link from the SF424 application back to the eSRA proposal

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Informational Website (eSRA.lbl.gov) Updates: (since the last announcement, May 6, 2020)

Supplemental Info by Topics page

• DOE Direct Annual Budget Formulation Desk Guide (Updated to remove references to Grants.gov)

• Gift Desk Guide (Updated to add process when changes are needed on the Gift Form and flow-thru for gifts from BLF)

• National and Homeland Security Burden Agencies QR2031 (Updated to include the applicable DOE Offices on the list)

• Re-budget Modifications QR5425 (Corrected Scenario 2: When initiated by the Sponsor)

• Portal 9 Look and Feel QR2019 (New)

Forms page

• DOE Authorization Letter replaced with two versions:

• DOE Request for Eligibility Letter for SPP proposals

• DOE Request for Eligibility Letter DOE for DOE proposals

If you have questions or concerns, please contact eSRAHelp@lbl.gov 

The eSRA Team

eSRA System updates implemented May 7, 2020:

SPO Enhancements

• Updated Bridge Workflow to skip the SPO CO for ‘Awaiting Advance’ or ‘Slow Pay’ unless the Bridge Request is outside of policy.

• New institutional approval and ACT checkbox programmed in anticipation of UCNL and BASO approval to accept ACT funding mechanism.  These are not yet in use but are visible to the user.  Contact Cynthia Sylvester if you have any questions about this.

• Foreign Template updated to resolve CRADA proposal conflicting checkboxes on question #2.
  
  

Lab Counsel Enhancement (Lab Counsel is sending an email directly to their PI email list with instructions)

• New functionality to add the existing PI’s Export Control Questionnaire into eSRA to expedite the Export Control review process.

• New functionality to record the PI’s acknowledgment of Export Control requirements to mitigate institutional risk.  

System Improvements to interface from eSRA to FMS

• 'Edit Post Award RA' activity will update Primary Resource Analyst from eSRA Award to the FMS Project Team

• 'Re-assign CO' activity will update the Contracts Officer on the FMS Project Team

Other System Improvements related to automated notifications

• The P2C Analyst notified on FasTrak Bridge requests

• Updated the automated notifications to PIs related to IRB or AWRC(IACUC) protocols about to expire to exclude proposals that have been awarded, discontinued, rejected, or withdrawn. 

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Informational Website (eSRA.lbl.gov) Updates: (since the last announcement, February 26, 2020)

Supplemental Info by Topics page

• The link to Frequently Needed Proposal Information is added at the top of the page.

• Branching Questions - Updated 

• The CRADA Desk Guide updated the process for approval of DOE Non-Standard Negotiated Terms based on input from BASO.

• Export Controls - eSRA Guidance for PIs (new)

• Export Controls - PI Questionnaire QR5106 (new)

• Export Controls - PI Acknowledgement QR5105 (new)

• Master Agreements and Task Orders (new Desk Guide)

• Removed the following PowerPoint training documents.  These were for the classes when we went live with new functionality last year for DOE proposals.  Those training sessions only highlighted the changes, they were never intended to be effective step-by-step How-to Guides and have caused confusion by people preparing proposals. 
  DOE Grants.gov 2019
  DOE Project Creation 2019
  DOE Proposals 2019 
  The various DOE-Direct Desk Guides should be used to provide the full picture of how to prepare the various types of proposals.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact eSRAHelp@lbl.gov 

The eSRA Team

eSRA System updates implemented February 26, 2020:

SPO Enhancements

• Added language to Division Approve for CO Review activity related to the 5 day business rule.

• Added required Sponsor contact and email address for Modification Requests started by the Resource Analyst.

• Updated the activity names displayed in the history of proposals and modifications for Non-Standard Financial Terms to indicate who approved plus who is the next in the routing process.

• Added date to Submitted to Sponsor and Submitted to Grants.gov activities so the CO can record the actual date the proposal was sent not auto-fill the Date Submitted to Sponsor field with the date the activity was executed.

• Changed name from IPO JWS Approval to SPO JWS Approval and made the activity available in additional states.

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Informational Website (eSRA.lbl.gov) Updates: (since the last announcement, January 24, 2020)

Supplemental Info by Topics page

• Updated the ARPA-E Quick Reference Sheet for Concept Papers and reference to the DOE Proposals Desk Guide.

• Updated the DOE Direct Proposal Desk Guide to clarify the due date is the date the proposal needs to go be sent by LBNL.

• Updated the CRADA Desk Guide to correct the link to the Sensitive Countries list and reflect activity name changes from IPO to SPO.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact eSRAHelp@lbl.gov 

The eSRA Team

eSRA System updates implemented January 24, 2020:

New Functionality - Employee-Affiliated Companies

To fill an institutional risk, functionality is added to identify sponsors in eSRA that have known employee affiliations.  The following updates were made:

• Updated the New Sponsor Request activity to add questions about employee affiliations.

• Updated Company Profile, View 1.0 - Sponsor Identification, to add questions about employee affiliations.

• New activities on the Company Profile Workspace to add or edit employee affiliations.

• Display of affiliations on View 4 of proposals.

• Notifications to the COI role at RIIO when affiliations are identified.

• COI review required if direct or prime sponsor, or lead organization has employee affiliations.

Details of this new functionality is included in the updated Sponsor Desk Guide.

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Informational Website (eSRA.lbl.gov) Updates: (since the last announcement, December 20, 2019)

Supplemental Info by Topics page

Updated the following Desk Guides to incorporate new functionality related to Employee-Affiliations.

• Sponsor Desk Guide 

• DOE Direct Overview Desk Guide 

• DOE Direct Proposal Desk Guide

• CRADA Desk Guide

• Gifts Desk Guide

Forms page

• Updated LBNL Reps & Certs document that incorporates questions related to Employee-Affiliated Companies.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact eSRAHelp@lbl.gov 

The eSRA Team

Please remember to clear the cache on your browser to obtain the best operations for system updates.

eSRA System updates implemented December 20, 2019:

System Updates

•  ‘New Submission’ button has been removed from the PI Dashboard.  It was never intended for the PI to be able to start a proposal without the training, policy, and technical expertise of the Resource Analyst.

• All fields on the Company Profile are editable by the Sponsor Administrator only after the Company Profile has been approved.

• By request from IPO, the Tech Transfer notification has been removed from the ‘Division Approve for NIH’ activity.

• New account for email: Export Control to be used with ‘Email Proposal Team’ or ‘Email Award Team’ similar to the various ‘Help’ email accounts.

• New field for the ORCID has been added to the Researcher Profile based on new NIH requirements going into effect January 2020.

SPO Enhancements

• FAC Wavier updates including minor changes to the DOE tab in the proposal workspace and updated language on the email notification to BASO.

Reports/Custom Queries

• New custom query called Mod Status Report available on the Dashboard for Resource Analysts and Contracts Officers that provides information about modifications not yet approved.  Questions about this query can be directed to Cynthia Sylvester.

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Informational Website (eSRA.lbl.gov) Updates: (since the last announcement, November 8, 2019)

Curriculum for Contracts Officer page

• Modification Types - QR5902 to clarify usage of the ‘Request to Change Start Date’ modification type

Forms page

• CRADA COI Form and CRADA COI Word Merge documents were updated based on changes to Contract 31 clause I.92(n)(5).  

If you have questions or concerns, please contact eSRAHelp@lbl.gov 

eSRA System updates implemented November 8, 2019:

System Updates

• The Administration activity is updated to include a comments field to improve documentation of the file when the help desk makes changes.

• Sensitive Countries link updated on View 7.0-PIN-F to reflect the change in website location of that information due to reorganizations at LBNL.

• Updated security to remove role security conflicts on PI Approve Change of PI activity so a Division Reviewer can approve on behalf of PIs not available to relinquish their awards.

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Informational Website (eSRA.lbl.gov) Updates: (since the last announcement, August 27, 2019)

Supplemental Info by Topics page

• CRADA Desk Guide for eSRA to update modification processing information to add time and in-kind contributions.

• SPO Admin Desk Guide - Award Closeouts & Admin Tasks to specify Division can approve closeouts on behalf of PI no longer at The Lab.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact eSRAHelp@lbl.gov 

The eSRA Team