Welcome to eRA Business Process Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) With anything new, there will be questions and comments so we expect a few about the new business process and/or the electronic research administration system now that implementation has begun. We welcome them. Ask a question or comment Here are some we've received thus far: Q. How do I obtain an ERA account or logon? A. Q. Where do I go to access the ERA Modules? A. Q. How do I get a sponsor or subcontract listed in the system? A. Send an email to the Terri Hall, infoEd eRA System Administrator at research@nd.edu. Type "Add Sponsor" or "Add Subcontractor" in the subject line. In the body provide the following: - Legal business name: - Contact Person: - Address: - Phone Number: - Email: It only takes a few minutes to add a sponsor or subcontractor, so you'll be back in business very quickly. Q. How do I make someone a delegate? A. Q. How do I delete a delegate? A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. What is this new business process about? A. Beginning December 1, 2006, the Office of Research expanded its pre-award services . Principal Investigators told us that their administrative burden is overwhelming. We listened. Faculty members now have the option to have their research administrator (RA) complete the non-science components of the proposal (agency forms, budget assistance or completion, and certifications and assurances). This frees the researcher to focus on the science portions of the proposal. Principal Investigators have been assigned to work with a particular Research Administrator and if the investigators wish to take advantage of these new services it will be essential for them to notify their RAs at least 7 days before the submission date to provide enough time to prepare the forms, etc. Each Research Administrator will be working with more than 100 researchers across campus. If you are unsure which RA you are to notify, please contact the Office of Research. Note: The Principal Investigators in the College of Arts and Letters will continue to work with the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts. Q. Tell me more about this eRA system. A. All the details are in this announcement made to campus on March 12th via our website and News & Information. Q. How soon will campus users be able to access the system? A. We are providing access to the system in various phases depending on proposal submission deadlines. Those submitting in June or July will likely be the first to be trained to use the system. The Office of Research will conduct extensive testing of the system to ensure it works as expected before releasing it to campus users. Q. How will we access it? A. Users will access the system via the Research Channel on InsideND. After logging in there, go to the Research Channel (or add it to your layout), and click on the InfoEd link. Instructions on how to add a channel are available on InsideND. Q. How will training be provided? A. We've created 1-sheets of instructions for those who want quick answers, and for those who want more detail, we are conducting 60-90 minute workshops. We're also looking into online tutorials. And you can always call or email us with your questions. Q. When will electronic routing be available? A. Our goal is to have this functionality available this summer. Q. What happens if the person to approve is out of the office? A. Approvers will need to assign at least one backup to give approvals in their place. Q. I currently assist a faculty member in preparing proposals and managing awards. Will I be able to work on his behalf in this system? A. Yes, you will be considered a delegate which means you can work on the proposal, but do not have the ability to approve in routing process. NOTE: The latest questions will appear at the top of this list.