NIH RPPR Preparation Instructions

The Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) is now required for ALL annual progress reports. To prepare the report, consult the RPPR Instruction Guide for detailed guidance.

1. Login to eRA Commons. Click on the "Personal Profile" tab to update your personal information, if necessary.
2. Designate another registered Commons user (such as a Departmental Administrator) as a "PI Delegate," if desired. The PI Delegate may prepare a report on behalf of the PI but not submit it. To designate a PI Delegate, click the "Administration" tab, "Accounts" tab and finally, "Delegate PI" tab. From the box on the left, select the name of the person to whom PI authority will be delegated. Click the "Assign" button and then the "Save" button when the confirmation screen appears. A confirmation e-mail is sent to the selected PI Delegate.
3. Click on the "RPPR" tab. Click the hyperlink of the appropriate grant number. This opens the RPPR Menu page.
4. Click "Initiate" to begin the report.
Open the "Edit" tab. Complete each of the applicable business sections. The RPPR will have separate screens for each of the following reporting components: 
1. Cover Page;
2. Accomplishments;
3. Products;
4. Participants;
5. Impact
6. Changes
7. Special [agency specific] reporting requirements
8. SF424 Budget [applicable only for non-snap awards] 

New information to be provided by grantees through the RPPR includes:

1. Foreign component information
2. Dollars spent in foreign country(ies) [through first-tier subawards]
3. Organizational affiliation of personnel at foreign sites

Be sure to click the "save" button at the bottom of each section.

Note: When completing the Organizational Information section of the report, PI's should select his/her Sponsored Projects Officer as the Administrative Official (AO) and as the Signing Official (SO).

1. The format of the RPPR will be different from eSNAP. Users will answer questions by using a checkbox, entering text or uploading a PDF, or selecting "Nothing to Report".
2. Public Access compliance status will be displayed. Associate the report with any peer-reviewed publications directly related to the project. Use NIH's "My NCBI" system to do this. Tour NCBI for information about creating an NCBI account, linking that account to your eRA Commons account, and uploading publications. Note: You must comply with NIH's Public Access Policy.
3. Click the "Validate" button to confirm that all required fields have been filled out.
4. When the RPPR is completed the PI may have institutional authorization to submit the report. If this is the case, it is not required to route the RPPR to OSP for submission (unless it is a non-SNAP report, in which case it will need to be routed to OSP). If the submit button is not live for the PI, ask your SPO to delegate submit authority in eRA Commons. 
5. If an RPPR is routed by clicking the "Route" button, PIs will no longer be able to edit the report. PIs may edit the report by using the "Recall" button. This pulls the report out of the routing sequence. After making the desired changes, you must click the "Route" button again to re-route the report.

NOTE: Routing an RPPR to OSP for review and/or submission will not mean that OSP can validate the report or attest to the accuracy of its contents; this is the responsibility of the PI. 

NIH

• RPPR User Guide
• RPPR Modules (step-by-step instructions)
• Initiate the RPPR (PI)
• Delegate RPPR Authority to an AO or ASST
• RPPR Screenshots

Human Subjects

• 2-Step Submission for RPPRs with Inclusion Enrollment Data
• Research With Special Considerations
• Human Subjects System (HSS) Overview (Video)

• An Overview, Online Help, User Guide (PDF), and Training